THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY SAYLOR, GRUCELA, S. H. SMITH, CLYMER, MILLER, O'NEILL, FLECK, METCALFE, MILNE, MURT, QUIGLEY, RAPP, TALLMAN, McILVAINE SMITH, LONGIETTI, M. O'BRIEN, PALLONE, ADOLPH, ARGALL, BAKER, BEAR, BEYER, BRIGGS, BROOKS, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, CAUSER, CIVERA, D. COSTA, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, DALLY, DENLINGER, DiGIROLAMO, DRUCKER, EVERETT, FREEMAN, GEIST, GIBBONS, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRELL, GROVE, HARHART, HARRIS, HENNESSEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, HORNAMAN, HUTCHINSON, KAUFFMAN, M. KELLER, KILLION, KORTZ, KOTIK, MARKOSEK, MARSHALL, MELIO, MENSCH, MICOZZIE, MOUL, MUSTIO, OBERLANDER, PASHINSKI, PEIFER, PETRI, PICKETT, QUINN, REICHLEY, ROAE, ROHRER, ROSS, SAINATO, SANTONI, SCAVELLO, SCHRODER, SIPTROTH, M. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STERN, STEVENSON, SWANGER, J. TAYLOR, R. TAYLOR, TRUE, TURZAI, VITALI, VULAKOVICH AND WATSON, MARCH 17, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 17, 2009  

AN ACT

Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An

act relating to the public school system, including certain

provisions applicable as well to private and parochial

schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the

laws relating thereto," in State Board of Education, further

providing for powers and duties of board and for cooperation

between the board and the Department of Education.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 2603-B of the act of March 10, 1949

(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is

amended by adding a subsection to read:

Section 2603-B.  Powers and Duties of the Board.--* * *

(l)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, act

or law to the contrary, the board may not adopt any standard or

regulation to require school districts to adopt high school

graduation requirements or implement a new series of Statewide

competency assessments and related support services unless

express authority to do so is enacted after the effective date

of this subsection.

Section 2.  Section 2606-B of the act, added March 30, 1988

(P.L.321, No.43), is amended to read:

Section 2606-B.  Cooperation Between the Board and the

Department of Education.--(a)  Statements of policy, standards,

rules and regulations promulgated by the board shall be binding

upon the Department of Education. The department shall submit to

the board for approval, modification or rejection, all rules and

regulations proposed by the department in the areas under the

control of the board. The Department of Education shall furnish

upon request of the board such data and information as the board

may, from time to time, require, and the department shall

provide administrative services for and on behalf of the board

for the implementation of the board's statements of policy,

standards, rules and regulations.

(b)  No funds from any source shall be expended for the

development of a new system of high school graduation

requirements which may include a series of graduation competency

assessments as provided under section 2603-B(l) unless express

authority for such requirements is enacted after the effective

date of this subsection.

Section 3.  This act shall apply retroactively to January 1,

2008.

Section 4.  This act shall take effect immediately.