Pennsylvania SB 759: An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in grounds and buildings, providing for certified point-of-use filter required; establishing the Safe Schools Drinking Water Fund; and imposing duties on the Department of Environmental Protection.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 815
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 759
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY ROBINSON, KANE, HAYWOOD, COMITTA, STREET,
PENNYCUICK, HUGHES, FONTANA, KEARNEY, SCHWANK, LAUGHLIN,
TARTAGLIONE, COSTA, BROWN, SAVAL, CULVER, BAKER, FARRY,
SANTARSIERO AND PISCIOTTANO, MAY 22, 2025
REFERRED TO INSTITUTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION,
MAY 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 grounds and buildings, providing
for certified point-of-use filter required; establishing the
Safe Schools Drinking Water Fund; and imposing duties on the
Department of Environmental Protection.
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 743. Certified Point-of-Use Filter Required.--(a)
By January 1, 2027, each school entity shall:
(1) Ensure that all drinking water outlets in each school
building within the school entity are equipped with certified
point-of-use filters.
(2) Remove and replace existing drinking water fountains
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19

without certified point-of-use filters with bottle-filling
stations or drinking fountains equipped with certified point-of-
use filters at the rate of at least one (1) per one hundred
(100) students and staff.
(3) Set up a filter maintenance and oversight schedule for
all certified point-of-use filters installed under this
subsection. The school entity shall follow the manufacturer's
recommended maintenance and replacement protocols for all
equipment and certified point-of-use filters installed under
this subsection.
(4) Ensure that all new drinking water outlets purchased for
installation at a school building do not leach more than one (1)
microgram of lead for test statistic Q or R, when normalized for
a first draw sample up to or equal to one (1) liter in volume,
as calculated in accordance with 2020 NSF International Standard
61, which became effective in 2020, and certified by an American
National Standards Institute-accredited third party.
(b) To comply with the provisions of subsection (a), a
school entity may:
(1) Seek the assistance of a local board of health or a
public water system.
(2) Apply for a grant under subsection (c).
(c) The department shall develop a grant program for
eligible school entities as provided under this subsection. The
following shall apply:
(1) A grant award shall be used for:
(i) The installation of certified point-of-use filters on
drinking water outlets.
(ii) The replacement of drinking water fountains with
bottle-filling stations or drinking fountains equipped with
20250SB0759PN0815 - 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

certified point-of-use filters.
(2) Within three (3) months of the effective date of this
paragraph, the department shall issue guidelines on the grant
program under this subsection and develop and make available an
application for grant funding on the department's publicly
accessible Internet website.
(3) The following shall receive preference for a grant
under this subsection:
(i) School buildings built before 2014.
(ii) School buildings that include students in
prekindergarten.
(4) Each school entity:
(i) Applying for a grant under this subsection shall submit
the following information with the application:
(A) The number of existing drinking water outlets with lead-
filtering systems within each respective school building for
which the school entity is applying for funding.
(B) The number of drinking water outlets without lead-
filtering systems within each respective school building for
which the school entity is applying for funding.
(C) The number of students and staff enrolled or employed in
each respective school building for which the school entity is
applying for funding at the time of application.
(ii) Awarded a grant under this subsection shall maintain
and post the information submitted to the department under
subparagraph (i) on the school entity's publicly accessible
Internet website.
(iii) Shall:
(A) Designate an employe to serve as the contact person for
communications with the department and the public regarding the
20250SB0759PN0815 - 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

certified point-of-use filter installation and shall post the
contact information of the designated employe on the school
entity's publicly accessible Internet website.
(B) Post on the school entity's publicly accessible Internet
website information on the public health effects and risks posed
by lead in drinking water and information on the availability of
additional resources concernin