PRINTER'S NO. 818
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 794
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY MARCELL, WARREN, KHAN, VENKAT, KAZEEM, GUENST,
KUZMA, NEILSON, BOROWSKI, RAPP, CIRESI, KENYATTA, FREEMAN,
OTTEN, SANCHEZ AND HOGAN, MARCH 3, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, MARCH 3, 2025
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 community colleges, further
6 providing for definitions, for powers and duties of State
7 Board of Education and for degrees.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. Sections 1901-A(4), 1902-A(a)(1) and 1912-A of
11 the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public
12 School Code of 1949, are amended to read:
13 Section 1901-A. Definitions.--The following words and
14 phrases, as used in this article, shall, unless a different
15 meaning is plainly required by the context, have the following
16 meaning:
17 * * *
18 (4) "Community college" shall mean a public college or
19 technical institute which is established and operated in
20 accordance with the provisions of this act by a local sponsor
 1 which provides a two-year, four-year, postsecondary, college-
2 parallel, terminal-general, terminal-technical, out-of-school
3 youth or adult education program or any combination of these.
4 The community college may also provide area career and technical
5 education services and credit, nonremedial college courses to
6 secondary senior high school students.
7 * * *
8 Section 1902-A. Powers and Duties of State Board of
9 Education.--(a) The State Board of Education shall have the
10 power, and its duty shall be:
11 (1) To adopt such policies, standards, rules and regulations
12 formulated by the Council of Higher Education, as may be
13 necessary to provide for the establishment, operation and
14 maintenance of community colleges, including minimum
15 requirements for physical facilities and equipment, curriculum,
16 faculty, standards and professional requirements, qualifications
17 for admission and advancement of students, student enrollment,
18 student population of the area to be served by the community
19 college, requirements for satisfactory completion of a two-year
20 or four-year program and the degrees or diplomas or certificates
21 to be awarded therefor, means of financing and financial
22 resources for the establishment and support of the community
23 college, and all matters necessary to effectuate the purposes of
24 this act.
25 * * *
26 Section 1912-A. Degrees.--(a) The State Board of Education
27 shall prescribe the types of diplomas, certificates or degrees
28 that may be granted students who complete post-secondary
29 education courses in community colleges.
30 (b) The board of trustees of a community college may offer a
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1 baccalaureate of science degree in nursing to students who have
2 or are pursuing an associate degree in nursing.
3 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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