Pennsylvania HB 354: An Act providing for "What Is Your Pennsylvania Story" guidelines for school entities; and imposing duties on the Department of Education.

Bill Text

SENATE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 308 PRINTER'S NO. 2000
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 354
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY SOLOMON, GLEIM, SANCHEZ, GREINER, HILL-EVANS,
BURGOS, KENYATTA, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, HADDOCK, MARCELL, KHAN,
MALAGARI, DONAHUE, STEELE, GREEN, BENNINGHOFF, K.HARRIS AND
WEBSTER, JANUARY 27, 2025
SENATOR CULVER, EDUCATION, IN SENATE, AS AMENDED, JUNE 24, 2025
AN ACT
Providing for "What Is Your Pennsylvania Story" guidelines for
school entities; and imposing duties on the Department of
Education.
PROVIDING FOR "WHAT IS YOUR PENNSYLVANIA STORY" GUIDELINES FOR
SCHOOL ENTITIES; AND IMPOSING DUTIES ON THE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the "What Is Your
Pennsylvania Story" Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department." The Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
"Guidelines." The guidelines developed under section 3(a).
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"Professional educator." As defined in section 1205.2(o) of
the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public
School Code of 1949.
"School entity." A school district, intermediate unit, area
career and technical school, charter school, cyber charter
school, regional charter school or nonpublic school.
"Social studies." As defined in 22 Pa. Code § 4.12(a)(3)
(relating to academic standards).
"What Is Your Pennsylvania Story." The understanding and
observance of religious freedom and the unique lived experiences
that a student and the family of the student bring to the
Pennsylvania story, which may include:
(1) Awareness of views on an individual's ancestral
culture.
(2) Attitudes on cultural differences.
(3) Cross-cultural skills.
Section 3. Guidelines.
(a) Development and availability generally.--In anticipation
of the United States semiquincentennial and to the extent that
funding is available, the department shall develop and make
available to each school entity guidelines regarding "What Is
Your Pennsylvania Story" that the school entity may implement
for instruction in social studies.
(b) Information and strategies.--The department shall
develop the guidelines in a manner that provides professional
educators who teach social studies with information and
strategies to be incorporated into instruction for the 2025-2026
and 2026-2027 school years to encourage students to share their
"What Is Your Pennsylvania Story" as the United States
approaches its semiquincentennial.
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(c) Purpose.--The guidelines shall:
(1) Enhance the ability of students to interact
effectively with one another as students in each county of
this Commonwealth with unique backgrounds united by one
nation.
(2) Encourage students to become more historically and
culturally aware of the unique heritage of religious freedoms
in this Commonwealth.
(d) Mandatory contents.--The guidelines must include:
(1) The unique heritage of religious freedom of this
Commonwealth, beginning with the voyage of William Penn to
Pennsylvania.
(2) The relationship between religious freedom and the
development of the Constitution of the United States.
(3) Information on the United States and its progression
as a nation since 1776.
(4) Students' experiences with how the students and
their families have navigated within the democracy of the
United States and embraced religious freedoms in the United
States.
(5) The ability for students to share their "What Is
Your Pennsylvania Story."
(6) The unique cultural differences of students that
stem from their ancestral family journeys to the United
States.
(e) Discretionary contents.--The guidelines may include:
(1) Materials that educate students by introducing the
students to various cultures through the stories that
students relay about who the students are and how their
families weave into the Pennsylvania and United States
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experience.
(2) Teaching aids that allow students to explore
cultures through food, art, books, movies, dance, traditions
and cross-cultural experiences.
(3) Resources that allow students to explore the
cultural experiences of other people and the history,
present-day experiences and connections related to American
culture.
(4) Educational aids that provide students with
information on the historical experiences of the inhabitants
of this Commonwealth, including their experiences arriving in
this Commonwealth and development over the years.
(f) Notice.--Each school entity shall provide notice to all
parents and guardians of students in the school entity using
normal school commun