HB 2461

                                                PRINTER'S NO.   3547
                THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
                    HOUSE BILL
                    No. 2461
                                          Session of
                                            2026
INTRODUCED BY FIEDLER, WATRO, PIELLI, VENKAT, BURGOS, GIRAL,
   PROBST, McNEILL, BRENNAN, HILL-EVANS, WAXMAN, D. WILLIAMS,
   MERSKI, SANCHEZ, NEILSON, MALAGARI, BOROWSKI, PARKER,
   GALLAGHER, PASHINSKI, HOHENSTEIN, INGLIS, GUZMAN, STEELE,
   DELLOSO, DOUGHERTY, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, CIRESI, RUSNOCK, MADDEN,
   DEASY, SMITH-WADE-EL AND RIVERA, JUNE 5, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JUNE 8, 2026
                               AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2    act relating to the public school system, including certain
3    provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4    schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5    laws relating thereto," in career and technical education,
6    establishing the Commission for Career and Technical
7    Education Excellence and further providing for career and
8    technical education equipment grants; and, in community
9    colleges, providing for building and construction trades pre-
10    apprenticeship initiatives and establishing the Building and
11    Construction Trades Pre-Apprenticeship Grant Program.
12    The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
13 hereby enacts as follows:
14    Section 1.    The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
15 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
16 section to read:
17    Section 1802.1.    Commission for Career and Technical
18 Education Excellence.--(a)    The Commission for Career and
19 Technical Education Excellence is established in the department
20 as an administrative commission. The commission shall have the
1 authority of the department with all the powers and duties
2 generally vested in and imposed upon the commissions under the
3 act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as "The
4 Administrative Code of 1929."
5    (b)    The commission shall have the following duties:
6    (1)    No later than six months after its establishment,
7 develop guidelines to identify which secondary or postsecondary
8 courses, programs or activities may apply the credit toward the
9 completion of a career and technical education program at the
10 secondary or postsecondary level or a pre-apprenticeship program
11 established under section 1919-A(b).
12    (2)    Provide recommendations of revision of the guidelines to
13 the department every five years.
14    (3)    By December 31 each year, the commission shall submit a
15 report to the Governor and the chairperson and minority
16 chairperson of the Education Committee of the Senate and the
17 chairperson and minority chairperson of the Education Committee
18 of the House of Representatives on the status of career and
19 technical education in this Commonwealth. The report shall:
20    (i)    Outline career and technical education programs and
21 achievements.
22    (ii)    Assess the trends and needs in secondary and both
23 formal and informal postsecondary career and technical education
24 and training.
25    (iii)   Investigate and assess workforce trends of the
26 building and construction trades industries.
27    (iv)    Consider the manner in which money is used to support
28 career and technical education activities.
29    (v)    Highlight new initiatives and recommend future program
30 needs.
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1    (vi)     Make recommendations to the Governor and the General
2 Assembly regarding legislative or regulatory changes to improve
3 career and technical education.
4    (c)    The commission shall consist of the following members:
5    (1)    The Secretary of Education or a designee, who shall
6 serve as the chairperson.
7    (2)    The Secretary of Labor or a designee.
8    (3)    The Chair of the Pennsylvania State Board of Higher
9 Education or a designee.
10    (4)    Individuals recommended by the following organizations,
11 appointed by the Secretary of Education:
12    (i)    Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges.
13    (ii)     Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council.
14    (iii)     Pennsylvania Career and Technical Administrators
15 Association.
16    (iv)     Associated Builders and Contractors.
17    (v)    Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association.
18    (d)    If members are not initially appointed within ninety
19 days of the effective date of this subsection, or within ninety
20 days of a vacancy, the Secretary of Education shall appoint any
21 qualified individual to fill the vacancy.
22    (e)    The members of the commission shall serve without
23 compensation.
24    (f)    The commission shall:
25    (1)    Meet at the call of the chair.
26    (2)    Hold its first meeting within forty-five days of the
27 date that all members are appointed to the commission.
28    (g)    A majority of members of the commission shall constitute
29 a quorum.
30    (h)    The department shall publish approved guidelines on the
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1 department's publicly accessible Internet website within fifteen
2 days of approval.
3    (i)     As used in this section, the following words and phrases
4 shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
5 the context clearly indicates otherwise:
6    "Commission" means the Commission for Career and Technical
7 Education Excellence established under this section.
8    "Department" means the Department of Education of the
9 Commonwealth.
10    Section 2.    Section 1855(b.1) introductory paragraph of the
11 act is amended and the section is amended by adding a subsection
12 to read:
13    Section 1855.     Career and Technical Education Equipment
14 Grants.--* * *
15    (b.1)    [A] Except as provided under subsection (b.2), a piece
16 of equipment purchased with money from the grant program must
17 satisfy the following criteria:
18    * * *
19    (b.2)    Grants awarded under this section may be used to
20 purchase equipment for operating a building and construction
21 trades youth camp or building and construction trades pre-
22 apprenticeship program under section 1919-A.
23    * * *
24    Section 3.    The act is amended by adding a section to read:
25    Section 1919-A.    Building and Construction Trades Pre-
26 Apprenticeship Initiatives.--(a)        Each community college in this
27 Commonwealth shall establish and offer to seventh and eighth
28 grade students in this Commonwealth an annual construction and
29 building trades youth camp. The following apply:
30    (1)     To raise awareness of career and technical education in
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1 secondary and postsecondary education, a community college shall
2 partner with the following entities when establishing and
3 offering a youth camp:
4    (i)    The department.
5    (ii)     The Department of Labor and Industry.
6    (iii)    The State Board of Higher Education.
7    (iv)     The Pennsylvania Workforce Development Board.
8    (v)    Secondary career and technical schools.
9    (2)    By December 31 each year, the department shall produce
10 an annual report on attendance and outcomes of the youth camp
11 established under this subsection and shall submit the report to
12 the Governor and the chairperson and minority chairperson of the
13 Education Committee of the Senate and the chairperson and
14 minority chairperson of the Education Committee of the House of
15 Representatives. When compiling the annual report, the
16 department may consult with organizations outside of State
17 government, including the Pennsylvania Commission for Community
18 Colleges.
19    (3)    The department, in consultation with the State Board of
20 Higher Education and the Department of Labor and Industry, shall
21 develop guidelines to implement this subsection.
22    (b)    Each community college in this Commonwealth shall
23 establish and operate pre-apprenticeship programs using the
24 National Association of Building Trade Unions' Multi-Craft Core
25 Curriculum. The following apply:
26    (1)    The department shall implement any necessary policy or
27 procedure to administer the program and may consult with:
28    (i)    The Department of Labor and Industry.
29    (ii)     The Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges.
30    (iii)    Career and technical high schools located in this
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1 Commonwealth.
2    (iv)    Labor unions in the Pennsylvania Building and
3 Construction Trades Council.
4    (2)     The department, in consultation with the Department of
5 Labor and Industry, shall develop educational materials and
6 guidelines about establishing pre-apprenticeship programs under
7 this subsection.
8    (3)     Within ninety (90) days of the effective date of this
9 paragraph, the department shall publish guidelines relating to
10 this subsection on the department's publicly accessible Internet
11 website.
12    (c)     The Building and Construction Trades Pre-Apprenticeship
13 Grant Program is established and shall be administered by the
14 department for the purpose of awarding grants to applicants on a
15 competitive basis in accordance with the following:
16    (1)     A grant awarded under this subsection shall be used by
17 the recipient for project costs related to the operation of a
18 building and construction trades pre-apprenticeship program
19 under subsection (b) or a building and construction trades youth
20 camp under subsection (a).
21    (2)     The department shall establish guidelines necessary to
22 implement this subsection, including consulting with:
23    (i)     The Department of Labor and Industry.
24    (ii)    Career and technical high schools located in this
25 Commonwealth.
26    (iii)    Labor unions in the Pennsylvania Building and
27 Construction Trades Council.
28    (iv)    The Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges.
29    (3)     An applicant shall submit an application on a form and
30 in a manner as determined by the department.
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1    (4)     Within ninety (90) days of the effective date of this
2 paragraph, the department shall publish the guidelines under
3 this subsection on the department's publicly accessible Internet
4 website.
5    (d)     As used in this section, the following words and phrases
6 shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
7 the context clearly indicates otherwise:
8    "Department" shall mean the Department of Education of the
9 Commonwealth.
10    "Youth camp" shall mean a building and construction trades
11 youth camp as described under subsection (a).
12    Section 4.    This act shall take effect immediately.
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