HARRISBURG – The Senate of Pennsylvania approved legislation today sponsored by Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) that would strike over 30 outdated mandates from the state’s Education Code.
Senate Bill 462 would remove several requirements from the Education Code of 1949. Phillips-Hill, a former school director, said these requirements are no longer used and the legislation helps with modernizing the state’s law that dictates education policy.
“Since its inception in 1949, the state Education Code has seen countless revisions. The measure approved by the Senate today cleans up nearly three dozen outdated reports and requirements that are no longer relevant or have shifted to another area in state government,” Phillips-Hill said. “Each change to the education code included in this proposal has undergone careful consideration to make sure there are not adverse impacts. I am grateful for the stakeholders who worked with me on this measure.”
Some of the mandates that will be removed from the state’s education code include:
- A law pertaining to oversight and salaries of school watchmen.
- A law requiring heat stoves to be shielded by galvanized iron.
- A law allowing school districts to purchase or build residences for principals, teachers or janitors.
- A 1925 law requiring all doors to open outward.
- A law relating to coordination with the Works Progress Administration, which was created as part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal in 1935.
You can view the full list of mandates that will be removed under the bill here.
The legislation moves to the House of Representatives for its consideration.
Earlier this session, Senator Phillips-Hill outlined the bill to the Senate Education Committee, which you can watch here. You can listen to her comments from that committee meeting here.