An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in pupils and attendance, further providing for exceptional children and education and training.
HB976 amends the Pennsylvania Public School Code provisions governing reporting of expenditures for exceptional children. The bill updates the reporting deadlines to December 31, 2025, and each year thereafter, and it continues the annual requirement that each school district compile and submit data to the Department of Education on the number of children with exceptionalities in several expenditure bands. Those bands include Category 1 (under $25,000), Category 2 ($25,000 to $50,000), Category 3A ($50,000 to $75,000), and Category 3B (over $75,000). The bill also preserves the separate reporting of lower-cost cases, adding Category 1A for expenditures under $5,000 and Category 1B for expenditures from $5,000 up to, but not including, Category 2.
The measure requires the Department of Education to continue compiling and transmitting these district-level reports to the House and Senate Education and Appropriations Committees, and it maintains the requirement that the department post the information on its publicly accessible website in a sortable electronic format. In effect, the bill is a reporting and transparency measure rather than a substantive change to special education eligibility or services. It also abrogates any inconsistent Department of Education regulations and takes effect immediately.
The bill’s impact on state law is limited to updating and clarifying the timing and structure of existing special education expenditure reporting requirements under Section 1372 of the Public School Code of 1949. It affects school districts, the Department of Education, and legislative oversight committees by requiring continued annual data collection and public disclosure regarding the cost of educating students with exceptionalities. The bill does not change funding formulas or service obligations directly, but it may influence policy discussions about special education costs and district spending patterns.
There is no recorded committee transcript or vote history provided, so the available context does not show direct debate or formal opposition. Based on the text alone, the bill appears to be a technical, administrative update with a transparency focus, which typically draws neutral to favorable sentiment from lawmakers interested in oversight and data reporting. Any contention would likely center on the administrative burden on school districts and whether the reporting categories meaningfully improve accountability, but no specific objections are documented in the materials provided.
HB976 updates Section 1372 of the Public School Code of 1949 to continue and refine annual reporting of special education expenditures by school district. It requires districts to report the number of children with exceptionalities in specified cost categories, directs the Department of Education to compile and publicly post the data, and overrides inconsistent regulations. The bill affects school districts, the Department of Education, and legislative committees by preserving a statewide reporting framework for special education spending.
No committee discussion or vote record was provided, so there is no documented floor or committee sentiment to summarize. From the bill text, the measure appears administrative and transparency-oriented, suggesting generally neutral to favorable reception. It does not alter student services or funding directly, which may reduce controversy compared with more substantive education reforms.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of concern, if raised, would likely involve the reporting burden on school districts, the usefulness of the expenditure categories, and whether the public reporting requirements meaningfully improve oversight of special education costs. No named supporters or opponents are identified in the available context.