Pennsylvania K-12 Education Key Votes

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Vote Smart provides easy access to congressional and state voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Vote Smart uses the following criteria to select key votes:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

Vote Smart provides a summary of the version of the bill text associated with each selected key vote. Our summaries are written by Vote Smart's staff and interns, who adhere to our strict policies and procedures in order to guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. They do not necessarily reflect the content of the final version of the bill, but rather the version voted on in that stage. While many procedural votes take place before a full chamber vote, our voting stages reflect the final reading of each chamber vote. Each key vote selection is reviewed by the project's community of advisors, who are political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.

For more information about the legislative process, see here.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Feb. 3, 2026 PA HB 17 Requires Instruction of Cursive Handwriting in Elementary Schools Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 5)
Nov. 12, 2025 PA SB 160 Appropriates Funds for the General Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (40 - 9)
Nov. 12, 2025 PA SB 160 Appropriates Funds for the General Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (156 - 47)
Oct. 8, 2025 PA SB 160 Appropriates Funds for the General Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Bill Passed - House (105 - 98)
Oct. 7, 2025 PA HB 1405 Amends the Public School Code to Provide for Career and Technical Teacher Certifications Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0)
Aug. 12, 2025 PA SB 160 Appropriates Funds for the General Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22)
June 30, 2025 PA HB 354 Establishes the "What is Your Pennsylvania Story" School Program Concurrence Vote Passed - House (199 - 4)
June 24, 2025 PA HB 17 Requires Instruction of Cursive Handwriting in Elementary Schools Bill Passed - House (195 - 8)
July 1, 2024 PA HB 2180 Establishes a School Meal Debt Fund Bill Passed - House (118 - 84)
Oct. 24, 2023 PA SB 7 Authorizes Parents to Review Explicit materials in Schools Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21)
July 7, 2023 PA HB 1422 Requires Public Schools Report Spending for Paid Media Advertisements Bill Passed - House (122 - 82)
May 2, 2023 PA HB 100 Authorizes Cross-Age Tutoring for Students in Lower Grades Bill Passed - House (141 - 60)
June 29, 2022 PA SB 1278 Prohibits Instruction on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity for K-5 Students Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21)
Oct. 6, 2021 PA HB 1332 Requires All School Districts Post Curriculum Online Bill Passed - House (110 - 89)
Nov. 18, 2020 PA SB 1216 Authorizes the Issuance of Temporary Teaching Certificates Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (49 - 0)
Sept. 9, 2020 PA HB 2787 Authorizes Individual School Districts to Make Decisions Surrounding Activities and COVID-19 Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11)
Sept. 2, 2020 PA HB 2787 Authorizes Individual School Districts to Make Decisions Surrounding Activities and COVID-19 Bill Passed - House (155 - 47)
Sept. 2, 2020 PA HB 2788 Authorizes Students to Repeat a Grade Level Due to COVID-19 Bill Passed - House (197 - 5)
July 15, 2020 PA SB 1216 Authorizes the Issuance of Temporary Teaching Certificates Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 0)
March 25, 2020 PA SB 751 Authorizes Financial Assistance for Schools Amid COVID-19-Related Shutdown Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (50 - 0)
Nov. 21, 2019 PA HB 49 Authorizes School Police to Make Arrests Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 14)
Nov. 19, 2019 PA HB 49 Authorizes School Police to Make Arrests Concurrence Vote Passed - House (161 - 37)
Oct. 23, 2019 PA HB 49 Authorizes School Police to Make Arrests Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 20)
June 28, 2019 PA HB 1615 Expands Tax Credit Education Scholarships Concurrence Vote Passed - House (160 - 39)
June 27, 2019 PA HB 1615 Expands Tax Credit Education Scholarships Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/03 HB 17 Requires Instruction of Cursive Handwriting in Elementary Schools Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 5)
11/12 SB 160 Appropriates Funds for the General Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (40 - 9)
11/12 SB 160 Appropriates Funds for the General Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (156 - 47)
10/08 SB 160 Appropriates Funds for the General Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Bill Passed - House (105 - 98)
10/07 HB 1405 Amends the Public School Code to Provide for Career and Technical Teacher Certifications Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0)
8/12 SB 160 Appropriates Funds for the General Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22)
6/30 HB 354 Establishes the "What is Your Pennsylvania Story" School Program Concurrence Vote Passed - House (199 - 4)
6/24 HB 17 Requires Instruction of Cursive Handwriting in Elementary Schools Bill Passed - House (195 - 8)
7/01 HB 2180 Establishes a School Meal Debt Fund Bill Passed - House (118 - 84)
10/24 SB 7 Authorizes Parents to Review Explicit materials in Schools Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21)
7/07 HB 1422 Requires Public Schools Report Spending for Paid Media Advertisements Bill Passed - House (122 - 82)
5/02 HB 100 Authorizes Cross-Age Tutoring for Students in Lower Grades Bill Passed - House (141 - 60)
6/29 SB 1278 Prohibits Instruction on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity for K-5 Students Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21)
10/06 HB 1332 Requires All School Districts Post Curriculum Online Bill Passed - House (110 - 89)
11/18 SB 1216 Authorizes the Issuance of Temporary Teaching Certificates Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (49 - 0)
9/09 HB 2787 Authorizes Individual School Districts to Make Decisions Surrounding Activities and COVID-19 Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11)
9/02 HB 2787 Authorizes Individual School Districts to Make Decisions Surrounding Activities and COVID-19 Bill Passed - House (155 - 47)
9/02 HB 2788 Authorizes Students to Repeat a Grade Level Due to COVID-19 Bill Passed - House (197 - 5)
7/15 SB 1216 Authorizes the Issuance of Temporary Teaching Certificates Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 0)
3/25 SB 751 Authorizes Financial Assistance for Schools Amid COVID-19-Related Shutdown Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (50 - 0)
11/21 HB 49 Authorizes School Police to Make Arrests Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 14)
11/19 HB 49 Authorizes School Police to Make Arrests Concurrence Vote Passed - House (161 - 37)
10/23 HB 49 Authorizes School Police to Make Arrests Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 20)
6/28 HB 1615 Expands Tax Credit Education Scholarships Concurrence Vote Passed - House (160 - 39)
6/27 HB 1615 Expands Tax Credit Education Scholarships Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13)

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