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Bill

HB 35

An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in school safety and security, providing for school safety blueprint requirement.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Ciresi and 9 co-sponsors

Requires Pennsylvania public schools to develop comprehensive safety blueprints detailing emergency preparedness, security protocols, and threat response procedures.

Referred to Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 35

Legislative bill overview

HB 35 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code of 1949 to establish a requirement that schools develop and maintain comprehensive safety blueprints. These blueprints would serve as detailed security and emergency preparedness plans addressing physical infrastructure, threat assessment, and response protocols. The bill mandates documentation and likely regular updates to these plans across the state's public school system.

Why is this important

School safety planning has become a critical policy focus following multiple mass casualty incidents at educational institutions. Mandating standardized safety blueprints aims to ensure all Pennsylvania schools have documented, tested approaches to emergencies rather than ad-hoc or inconsistent protocols. This creates baseline safety standards and accountability across districts with varying resources and preparedness levels.

Potential points of contention

  • Implementation costs: Smaller, under-resourced districts may struggle with the expense of developing comprehensive blueprints and implementing recommended security upgrades
  • Blueprint transparency and security: Balancing public access to safety information with concerns that detailed blueprints could be exploited by bad actors if disclosed
  • Mandates without funding: Whether the state provides grant funding or technical assistance, or leaves compliance to already-stretched local budgets
  • One-size-fits-all concerns: Rural, suburban, and urban schools have vastly different threat profiles and security needs; a universal requirement may be inefficient or insufficient for some contexts

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

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