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 student mental health supports.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz and 9 co-sponsors

Establishes and funds school-based mental health supports to improve access, coordination, and equity for students through district plans, services, and partnerships.

Referred to Education

Bill Summary: HB 2486 (Pennsylvania, 2025-2026)

Purpose and Intent

An Act amending the Public School Code of 1949 to introduce and fund student mental health supports.

Focuses on improving access to mental health resources for students within Pennsylvania public schools, with changes aimed at ensuring preventive, responsive, and coordinated supports.

Key Provisions and Changes

Establishment of Mental Health Supports in Schools:

Creates or expands mechanisms for providing mental health services and supports to students in public schools.
May include requirements or guidance for district-level mental health plans, school-based services, and coordination with local mental health providers.

Student-Focused Provisions:

Emphasis on supports directly available to students, potentially including screening, counseling, referral pathways, and crisis response.
May implement protocols for identifying student mental health needs and connecting families with appropriate services.

Coordination and Collaboration:

Likely requires collaboration among school districts, local mental health authorities, community partners, and families.
May outline roles for school psychologists, counselors, social workers, and administrators in implementing supports.

Cultural and Equity Considerations:

Provisions may address equitable access to mental health services across diverse student populations, including rural and underserved communities.

Data, Privacy, and Reporting:

Potential requirements for data collection, privacy protections, and reporting on program implementation and outcomes.

Funding and Implementation Timeline (illustrative, pending exact text):

May authorize state or grant-funded programs to support the mental health initiatives.
Could specify phased implementation with certain milestones and reporting deadlines to the Department of Education.

Who Would Be Affected

Primary: Public school students across Pennsylvania.

Secondary: School districts, school administrators, school counselors, psychologists, social workers, and related school staff; families and communities connected to participating students.

Local governance: School boards and intermediate units (where applicable) to coordinate and administer programs.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Action History: Referred to the Education Committee on May 6, 2026.

Process: As a Public School Code amendment, the bill would typically move through committee hearings, potential amendments, and floor votes before advancing to the full General Assembly for action.

Effective Date: The bill’s exact effective date and any phase-in schedule would be specified in the detailed text, often with a transition period for districts to implement new supports.

Additional Context

The bill is co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of legislators, indicating cross-party interest in student mental health supports.

This summary reflects the substantive intent based on the bill’s title and description; precise language (definitions, standards, funding amounts, and implementation details) would be in the final enacted text.

If you’d like, I can extract and explain specific sections from the bill text once it’s available, including any dollar amounts, grant programs, or reporting requirements.