Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

PRINTER'S NO.   3655
                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 2599
                                               Session of
                                                 2024
     INTRODUCED BY SOLOMON, GLEIM, FLICK, HILL-EVANS AND MARCELL,
        SEPTEMBER 27, 2024
     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, SEPTEMBER 27, 2024
                                    AN ACT
 Providing for "What Is Your Pennsylvania Story" guidelines for
    school entities; and imposing duties on the Department of
    Education.
    The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 hereby enacts as follows:
 Section 1.   Short title.
    This act shall be known and may be cited as the "What Is Your
 Pennsylvania Story" Act.
 Section 2.   Definitions.
    The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
 context clearly indicates otherwise:
    "Department."    The Department of Education of the
 Commonwealth.
    "Guidelines."    The guidelines developed under section 3(a).
    "Professional educator."    As defined in section 1205.2(o) of
 the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public
 School Code of 1949.
    "School entity."     A school district, intermediate unit, area
 career and technical school, charter school, cyber charter
 school, regional charter school or nonpublic school.
    "Social studies."     As defined in 22 Pa. Code § 4.12(a)(3)
 (relating to academic standards).
    "What Is Your Pennsylvania Story."      The understanding and
 observance of religious freedom and the unique lived experiences
 that a student and the family of the student bring to the
 Pennsylvania story, which may include:
          (1)   Awareness of views on an individual's ancestral
    culture.
          (2)   Attitudes on cultural differences.
          (3)   Cross-cultural skills.
 Section 3.     Guidelines.
    (a)   Development and availability generally.--In anticipation
 of the United States semiquincentennial and to the extent that
 funding is available, the department shall develop and make
 available to each school entity guidelines regarding "What Is
 Your Pennsylvania Story" that the school entity may implement
 for instruction in social studies.
    (b)   Information and strategies.--The department shall
 develop the guidelines in a manner that provides professional
 educators who teach social studies with information and
 strategies to be incorporated into instruction for the 2025-2026
 and 2026-2027 school years to encourage students to share their
 "What Is Your Pennsylvania Story" as the United States
 approaches its semiquincentennial.
    (c)   Purpose.--The guidelines shall:
          (1)   Enhance the ability of students to interact
    effectively with one another as students in each county of
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  this Commonwealth with unique backgrounds united by one
  nation.
        (2)   Encourage students to become more historically and
  culturally aware of the unique heritage of religious freedoms
  in this Commonwealth.
  (d)   Mandatory contents.--The guidelines must include:
        (1)   The unique heritage of religious freedom of this
  Commonwealth, beginning with the voyage of William Penn to
  Pennsylvania.
        (2)   The relationship between religious freedom and the
  development of the Constitution of the United States.
        (3)   Information on the United States and its progression
  as a nation since 1776.
        (4)   Students' experiences with how the students and
  their families have navigated within the democracy of the
  United States and embraced religious freedoms in the United
  States.
        (5)   The ability for students to share their "What Is
  Your Pennsylvania Story."
        (6)   The unique cultural differences of students that
  stem from their ancestral family journeys to the United
  States.
  (e)   Discretionary contents.--The guidelines may include:
        (1)   Materials that educate students by introducing the
  students to various cultures through the stories that
  students relay about who the students are and how their
  families weave into the Pennsylvania and United States
  experience.
        (2)   Teaching aids that allow students to explore
  cultures through food, art, books, movies, dance, traditions
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    and cross-cultural experiences.
          (3)   Resources that allow students to explore the
    cultural experiences of other people and the history,
    present-day experiences and connections related to American
    culture.
          (4)   Educational aids that provide students with
    information on the historical experiences of the inhabitants
    of this Commonwealth, including their experiences arriving in
    this Commonwealth and development over the years.
    (f)   Notice.--Each school entity shall provide notice to all
 parents and guardians of students in the school entity using
 normal school communication procedures of the opportunity to
 contribute to the guidelines.
 Section 4.     Expiration.
    This act shall expire at the conclusion of the 2026-2027
 school year.
 Section 5.     Effective date.
    This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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