An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in terms and courses of study, providing for mental health check-ins.
HB339 would amend Pennsylvania’s Public School Code to require every school entity to adopt a policy for daily mental health check-ins at the start of each school day for students in kindergarten through grade 12, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. The check-ins are intended to give students an opportunity to express how they are feeling and to help schools identify students who may be experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, or who may be at risk of suicide or self-harm.
The bill also directs the Pennsylvania Department of Education to develop a model mental health check-in policy and make it available to school entities, with nonpublic schools able to request a copy. The bill defines key terms such as “mental health check-in,” “school entity,” and “nonpublic school,” and it would take effect 60 days after enactment.
If enacted, HB339 would add a new section to the Public School Code of 1949 and impose a statewide policy requirement on public school entities, including school districts, charter schools, cyber charter schools, regional charter schools, area career and technical schools, and intermediate units. It would not mandate a single uniform check-in method, but it would require each covered school entity to adopt a policy and procedures for identifying and responding to students who may need support. The Department of Education would also gain responsibility for creating and distributing a model policy, which could influence implementation across both public and nonpublic schools.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee discussion or votes, the available record suggests a generally supportive or preventive public-health-oriented approach rather than documented controversy. The proposal is framed around student well-being, early identification of mental health concerns, and suicide prevention, which are commonly viewed as protective school measures. However, because there are no transcripts or vote results provided, there is no direct evidence of formal support, opposition, or amendments in the available materials.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided committee transcripts or voting history. Potential areas of debate, if the bill advances, could include the administrative burden on schools, how daily check-ins would be conducted in practice, student privacy and confidentiality, the adequacy of staff training and response protocols, and whether a statewide mandate is the best way to address student mental health. At present, though, these are only plausible issues rather than recorded objections from legislators or stakeholders.