HB 2698

                                                PRINTER'S NO.   3777
                THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
                    HOUSE BILL
                    No. 2698
                                          Session of
                                            2026
INTRODUCED BY MUNROE, DONAHUE, SCHLOSSBERG, DOUGHERTY, HILL-
   EVANS, SANCHEZ, HANBIDGE, KAZEEM, FREEMAN, NEILSON, INGLIS,
   BOROWSKI, BOYD, MAYES, MADDEN, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ AND CURRY,
   JULY 13, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JULY 15, 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 terms and courses of study,
6    further providing for youth suicide awareness and prevention
7    and providing for violence prevention and social isolation
8    awareness.
9    The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10 hereby enacts as follows:
11    Section 1.    Section 1526 of the act of March 10, 1949
12 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
13 amended by adding a subsection to read:
14    Section 1526.    Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention.--* * *
15    (c.1)   The following shall apply to student suicide awareness
16 and prevention education:
17    (1)   Beginning with the first school year that commences
18 within twenty-four (24) months of the effective date of this
19 subsection, each school entity serving students in grades six
20 through twelve shall provide students at least one (1) hour or
1 one (1) standard class period of evidence-based, age-appropriate
2 suicide awareness and prevention education each school year. The
3 following shall apply:
4    (i)    A school entity may deliver the education in person or
5 by electronic means.
6    (ii)    A school entity may use a combined program that
7 satisfies this subsection and section 1526.1(a) to meet the
8 requirement under this paragraph.
9    (2)    Within one (1) year of the effective date of this
10 subsection, the department shall develop a list of evidence-
11 based, age-appropriate educational materials, including no-cost
12 programming, if any, to fulfill the requirements of this
13 subsection. At a minimum, the educational materials or
14 curriculum shall:
15    (i)    teach students how to identify signs and signals of
16 depression, suicide risk and self-injury in themselves and their
17 peers;
18    (ii)    emphasize the importance of seeking help for themselves
19 and their peers; and
20    (iii)   describe the process for seeking help, including how
21 and where to report concerns and the resources available within
22 the school entity and the community.
23    (3)    The department shall post the list under paragraph (2)
24 on the department's publicly accessible Internet website.
25    (4)    As used in this subsection, the term "evidence-based"
26 shall have the meaning given to it in section 1526.1(e).
27    * * *
28    Section 2.     The act is amended by adding a section to read:
29    Section 1526.1.     Violence Prevention and Social Isolation
30 Awareness.--(a)    The following shall apply to student safety and
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1 violence prevention education:
2    (1)    Beginning with the first school year that commences
3 within twenty-four (24) months of the effective date of this
4 section, each school entity serving students in grades six
5 through twelve shall provide students at least one (1) hour or
6 one (1) standard class period of evidence-based, age-appropriate
7 youth violence prevention education each school year. The
8 following shall apply:
9    (i)    A school entity may deliver the education in person or
10 by electronic means.
11    (ii)     A school entity may use a combined program that
12 satisfies this subsection and section 1526(c.1) to meet the
13 requirement under this paragraph.
14    (2)    Within one (1) year of the effective date of this
15 section, the department shall develop a list of evidence-based,
16 age-appropriate educational materials, including no-cost
17 programming, if any, to fulfill the requirements of this
18 subsection. At a minimum, the educational materials or
19 curriculum shall teach students:
20    (i)    how to identify observable warning signs and signals of
21 an individual whose threatening or at-risk behavior may present
22 a threat to the individual or others;
23    (ii)     the importance of taking threats seriously and seeking
24 help; and
25    (iii)    the steps for reporting dangerous, violent,
26 threatening, harmful or potentially harmful activity, including
27 through the Safe2Say Something Program.
28    (3)    The department shall post the list under paragraph (2)
29 on the department's publicly accessible Internet website.
30    (b)    The following shall apply to student social isolation
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1 awareness education:
2    (1)    Beginning with the first school year that commences
3 within twenty-four (24) months of the effective date of this
4 section, each school entity serving students in kindergarten
5 through grade twelve shall provide students at least one (1)
6 hour or one (1) standard class period of evidence-based, age-
7 appropriate social isolation awareness education each school
8 year. A school entity may deliver the awareness education in
9 person or by electronic means.
10    (2)    Within one (1) year of the effective date of this
11 section, the department shall develop a list of evidence-based,
12 age-appropriate educational materials, including no-cost
13 programming, if any, to fulfill the requirements of this
14 subsection. At a minimum, the educational materials or
15 curriculum shall inform students:
16    (i)    what social isolation is and how to identify social
17 isolation in others;
18    (ii)    the importance of taking social isolation seriously and
19 seeking help for peers; and
20    (iii)   how to use strategies to be more socially inclusive in
21 the classroom and community and to establish connections with
22 peers.
23    (3)    The department shall post the list under paragraph (2)
24 on the department's publicly accessible Internet website.
25    (c)    The following shall apply to student-led violence
26 prevention clubs:
27    (1)    Within one (1) year of the effective date of this
28 section, the department may require a school entity serving
29 students in kindergarten through grade twelve to designate a
30 student-led violence prevention club that:
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1(i)    is open to all members of the student body of the school
2 entity; and
3(ii)    has at least one (1) identified adult adviser of the
4 club.
5(2)    A student-led violence prevention club may:
6(i)    sustain awareness activities related to suicide
7 prevention, violence prevention and social isolation prevention;
8 and
9(ii)    foster opportunities for student leadership
10 development.
11(d)    To offset costs associated with implementing subsections
12 (a), (b) and (c), the department shall, to the extent
13 practicable, apply for Federal or State funding made available
14 to the department for the improvement of school safety.
15(e)    As used in this section, the following words and phrases
16 shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
17 the context clearly indicates otherwise:
18"Department."    The Department of Education of the
19 Commonwealth.
20"Evidence-based."    A program or practice that demonstrates
21 any of the following:
22(1)    A statistically significant effect on relevant outcomes
23 based on:
24(i)    strong evidence from not fewer than one (1) well-
25 designed and well-implemented experimental study;
26(ii)    moderate evidence from not fewer than one (1) well-
27 designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental study; or
28(iii)   promising evidence from not fewer than one (1) well-
29 designed and well-implemented correlational study with
30 statistical controls for selection bias.
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1    (2)   A rationale based on high-quality research findings or
2 positive evaluation that the program or practice is likely to
3 improve relevant outcomes, including ongoing efforts to examine
4 the effects of the program or practice.
5    "School entity."   A school district, joint school district,
6 charter school, regional charter school, cyber charter school,
7 intermediate unit or area career and technical school.
8    Section 3.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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