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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
09/26/2024 06:16 PM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?SPick=20230&chamber=H&cosponId=43014
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House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: July 31, 2024 05:01 PM
From: Representative Seth M. Grove
To: All House members
Subject: School District Mandate Waiver Program
 
There are various state mandates in public education that contribute to growing costs in our school districts. While many of these mandated costs are unavoidable and necessary for the health safety and welfare of students and staff, there are certainly some state mandates that could be reviewed and waived.
 
During the Covid- 19 pandemic we lived in a world where regulatory relief through waived mandates was necessary and welcomed. As House Republicans, we lead the effort to “Get Government Out of the Way” and made several of the waived regulations permanent. In addition, several of our Republican Chairman sent letters to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission(IRRC) directing IRRC to review regulations that have been in effect for an extended period of time and in the commissions review to provide the General Assembly with recommendations on regulations that may no longer be in the public’s interest (IRRC Project Status Update link https://www.irrc.state.pa.us/documents/review_of_existing_regulations.cfm.cfm).
 
In following the theme of regulatory reform, I intend to introduce legislation that will allow our public schools to suspend certain costly mandates after adopting a resolution at a public meeting. The resolution must include a memorandum  with the following:
  • The school district’s rationale for the suspension of the mandate(s)
  • The school district’s justification for how the change will improve instructional programs or allow the school entity to operate in a more effective, efficient, or economical manner.
Any school entity adopting a mandate suspension resolution must notify the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), which will have the ability to disapprove any resolutions. Additionally, any school entity that approves a mandate suspension resolution will be required to assess the economic and/ or educational benefits of suspending the mandate every three years. Certain mandates affecting health, safety, and prohibiting discrimination are specifically excluded from mandate waivers.

I feel that this legislation provides for a commonsense approach to mandate relief. This approach will allow schools to determine the mandates that most directly affect their budget, while still providing oversight from the PDE.