An Act amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in public safety, establishing the Reproductive Health Services Address Confidentiality Program; and imposing penalties.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Amanda Cappelletti and 12 co-sponsors

shifts vacancy filling from the Governor to Carroll County Commissioners, tying interim appointments to local election timing.

Referred to Health & Human Services

SB 885 — Carroll County Board of Education: Vacancy Procedures — Alterations

Status summary
- Bill number: SB 885
- Primary sponsor: Sen. Kanuha (Carroll County Senators)
- Introduced: January 23, 2025
- Committee: Education, Energy, and the Environment; crossfile HB 1118 (and related HB 1726, HB 3043)
- Action highlights: Favorable report by committee; Senate passed (Third Reader, March 15, 2025). Effective date if enacted: July 1, 2025.
- Fiscal note: No state or local fiscal impact; procedural change only.

Purpose / intent
- Replace the Governor’s current authority to fill vacancies on the Carroll County Board of Education with a local appointment process administered by the Carroll County Commissioners, and to tie the duration of any appointment to the timing of upcoming candidate filing deadlines and elections.

Key provisions
- Repeals the current statutory provision that requires the Governor to appoint a successor to fill any vacancy on the Carroll County Board of Education.
- New vacancy rules for voting members:
- If a vacancy occurs 30 days or less before the candidate filing deadline for the primary election that is held in the second year of the vacating member’s term:
- The Carroll County Commissioners must appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term and until a successor is elected and qualifies.
- If a vacancy occurs 31 days or more before that filing deadline:
- The Carroll County Commissioners must appoint a qualified individual to serve only until a person is elected and qualifies at the next general election.
- An individual elected at that next general election will then serve for the remainder of the original term.
- Retains other statutory provisions relating to board composition, eligibility, student member rules, and grounds/procedures for removal by the State Board of Education.

Who is affected
- Carroll County residents and voters — changes how interim board vacancies are filled and when voters can elect replacements.
- Carroll County Commissioners — gain responsibility to make interim appointments in place of gubernatorial appointments.
- Potential candidates — timing rules determine whether a vacancy will be filled by appointment for the remainder of a term or by an interim appointment followed by an election.

Procedural and timing notes
- Applies to vacancies occurring in relation to the candidate filing deadline for the primary held in the second year of a member’s four‑year term (the statute ties appointments to that specific election cycle).
- Bill is procedural and intended to keep vacancy fills aligned with local elections while increasing local control over interim appointments.
- If enacted, the law takes effect July 1, 2025.