Pennsylvania HB 252: An Act amending the act of July 7, 2006 (P.L.608, No.93), known as the American, Commonwealth and Military Flag Act, further providing for definitions; and providing for the Honor and Remember Flag.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 201
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 252
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY SCIALABBA, LEADBETER, HAMM, KAUFFMAN, STAATS,
M. JONES, BERNSTINE, ZIMMERMAN, DAY AND WALSH,
JANUARY 22, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JANUARY 22, 2025
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 school health services, providing
for parental notification of implementation of mental health
services digital platform by school entity.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
section to read:
Section 1426. Parental Notification of Implementation of
Mental Health Services Digital Platform by School Entity.--(a)
A school entity that provides a student enrolled in the school
entity with access to and use of a mental health services
digital platform may not permit the student to access and use
the platform or facilitate access to the platform without
receiving specific written permission from the parent or legal
guardian of the student after being provided the notice required
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under subsection (f).
(b) The parent or legal guardian may, at any time, withdraw
permission in writing. Unless otherwise specified in writing by
the parent or legal guardian, the withdrawal of permission shall
take effect immediately upon delivery to a school official, and
the school shall immediately refrain from further facilitation
or promotion of access to the mental health digital platform.
(c) The school entity shall provide a written procedure and
a sample consent or withdrawal form in the school administration
office and on the school entity's publicly accessible Internet
website for a parent or legal guardian to provide or withdraw
permission for the student to access and use or receive
materials designed to facilitate access to the mental health
services digital platform. The consent or withdrawal form shall
not be drafted or presented in a manner that makes it more
difficult to withhold or revoke consent than it is to grant
consent.
(d) Upon request, a parent or legal guardian of a student
may:
(1) be present with the student in an authorized school
setting while the student accesses and uses the mental health
services digital platform on school premises, unless good cause
for the exclusion of the parent or legal guardian is documented
by the governing board of the school entity; and
(2) access, review, refuse further collection of or delete
the personal information collected from the student online to
the extent allowed by 20 U.S.C. § 1232g (relating to family
educational and privacy rights) or other applicable Federal or
State law.
(e) A parent or legal guardian of a student who has given
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permission for the student to access and use or receive
materials that facilitate access to a mental health services
digital platform and who reasonably believes that the school
entity has denied the presence of the parent or legal guardian
while the student accesses and uses the platform on school
premises without good cause has a private right of action
against the governing body of the school entity.
(f) A school entity that provides or intends to provide a
student enrolled in the school entity with access to and use of
or promotes or otherwise facilitates the use of a mental health
services digital platform shall provide written notification to
a parent or legal guardian of the student of the intention or
activity at least thirty (30) days prior to implementation of
the platform or promotion, access, use of the platform or other
activity designed to accomplish the same by the student. The
notification shall include the following:
(1) A clear and detailed description of the platform in a
manner that provides a meaningful understanding to the parent or
guardian of the platform's practices, mission and structure,
including the platform's teachings, approach and philosophies,
lessons, available materials, activities and licenses.
(2) A statement that the school entity may not provide
access to, promote or otherwise facilitate the use of the
platform to a student without written permission of the
student's parent or legal guardian.
(3) A statement that the parent or legal guardian, upon
request, may be present with the student in an authorized school
setting while the student accesses or uses the platform on
school premises, unless good cause for the exclusion of the
parent or legal guardian is documented by the governing board of
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