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HB 655

An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in preliminary provisions, providing for student data security.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Keith Harris and 2 co-sponsors

Pennsylvania bill establishes new student data security requirements for public schools to protect personally identifiable information from breaches and unauthorized use.

Referred to Communications & Technology
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Bill Summary · HB 655

Legislative bill overview

HB 655 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code of 1949 to establish new requirements and protections for student data security. The bill specifically addresses how schools handle, store, and safeguard personally identifiable information collected from students during their education.

Why is this important

Schools collect extensive data on students—from academic records to behavioral information to biometric data—which creates privacy and security risks if mishandled. With increasing cybersecurity threats and data breaches affecting educational institutions nationally, clarifying state-level protections helps ensure student information isn't exposed, misused, or sold to third parties without appropriate consent and oversight.

Potential points of contention

  • Definition scope: Unclear what specific data categories are covered (biometric, location, social-emotional learning metrics, etc.) and whether the definition aligns with federal FERPA standards or creates stricter/looser requirements
  • Implementation burden: Schools may argue compliance costs are substantial, particularly for smaller districts with limited IT resources, while privacy advocates may say requirements are insufficient
  • Third-party vendor access: Disputes likely over how restrictive provisions should be regarding edtech companies, assessment vendors, and data brokers that schools contract with

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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