Pennsylvania HB 227: An Act prohibiting public school entities from engaging in certain communications and actions involving prohibited indoctrination; and providing for requirements for public contractors and for enforcement.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 180
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 227
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY GLEIM, HAMM, LEADBETER, GREINER, KAUFFMAN,
M. BROWN, GROVE, SMITH AND ZIMMERMAN, JANUARY 22, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JANUARY 22, 2025
AN ACT
Prohibiting public school entities from engaging in certain
communications and actions involving prohibited
indoctrination; and providing for requirements for public
contractors and for enforcement.
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 Honesty in
Teaching 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:
"Contractor." An individual, organization, corporation or
business that enters into a contract, or a subcontract pursuant
to a contract, with a public school entity.
"Department." The Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
"Professional employee." As the term "professional employe"
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19

is defined in section 1101(1) of the act of March 10, 1949
(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949.
"Public school entity." A school district, intermediate
unit, area career and technical school, charter school, cyber
charter school or regional charter school.
Section 3. Communication and actions by public school entities.
(a) Prohibited indoctrination.--A communication by a public
school entity, an official representative thereof, professional
employee or guest speaker may not compel a person to adopt,
affirm, adhere to or profess an idea in violation of Title IV or
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Public Law 88-352, 78
Stat. 241), including that:
(1) People of one age, sex, gender identity, sexual
orientation, race, creed, color, marital status, familial
status, mental or physical disability, religion or national
origin are inherently superior or inferior to people of
another age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race,
creed, color, marital status, familial status, mental or
physical disability, religion or national origin.
(2) An individual should be discriminated against or
receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of the
individual's age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation,
race, creed, color, marital status, familial status, mental
or physical disability, religion or national origin.
(3) People of one age, sex, gender identity, sexual
orientation, race, creed, color, marital status, familial
status, mental or physical disability, religion or national
origin, cannot and should not attempt to treat others equally
and without regard to age, sex, gender identity, sexual
orientation, race, creed, color, marital status, familial
20250HB0227PN0180 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

status, mental or physical disability, religion or national
origin.
(b) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to prohibit the discussion of:
(1) ideas and history of the concepts described in
subsection (a); or
(2) public policy issues of the day or ideas that
individuals may find unwelcome, disagreeable or offensive.
(c) Penalty prohibited.--A public school entity,
professional employee, contractor or student in a public school
entity may not be subject to a penalty or adverse treatment due
to a refusal to engage in prohibited indoctrination under
subsection (a).
(d) Use of funds prohibited.--A public school entity may not
use funds from any source to engage in prohibited indoctrination
under subsection (a).
(e) Teacher training.--The department shall develop and make
available to professional employees technical assistance,
guidance and professional development in accordance with the
following principles:
(1) For education to create citizens capable of self-
government, students need to engage with a variety of
viewpoints on challenging issues, led by a professional
employee who understands that there is greater value in
promoting independent thinking than in advancing the
professional employee's own beliefs.
(2) A professional employee should be prepared to engage
students in academic discussions about all topics, so long as
the professional employee imparts vital knowledge and skills
without imposing the professional employee's own beliefs.
20250HB0227PN0180 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

(3) A professional employee should be prepared to
address challenging issues in the classroom, not avoid them.
(4) A professional employee should be prepared to help
students become discerning consumers of information, to
evaluate and analyze information, to question and verify the
credibility of the information's source and to make the
professional employee's own reasoned judgments supported by
evidence.
Section 4. Requirements