Section 1310-B. School safety and security training.
(a) School entity duties.--School entities, in consultation with the school safety and security coordinator, shall provide their employees with mandatory training on school safety and security subject to the following based on the needs of the school entity:
(1) Training shall address any combination of one or more of the following, based on the needs of the school entity:
(i) Situational awareness.
(ii) Trauma-informed approaches.
(iii) Behavioral health awareness.
(iv) Suicide awareness and prevention. ((iv) amended July 12, 2026, P.L.220, No.20)
(vi) (Deleted by amendment).
(vii) (Deleted by amendment).
(viii) Bullying and cyberbullying awareness and prevention. ((viii) added July 12, 2026, P.L.220, No.20)
(1.1) Annually, training shall address the following:
(i) Emergency training drills, including fire, natural disaster, active shooter, hostage situation and bomb threat.
(ii) Identification or recognition of student behavior that may indicate a threat to the safety of the student, other students, school employees, other individuals, school facilities or the community.
(2) Except for training under paragraph (1.1)(i), training may be provided through the Internet or other distance communication systems. Training under paragraph (1.1)(i) shall be conducted in person.
(3) Employees shall complete a minimum of two hours of training under paragraph (1) every year. Employees shall complete a minimum of one hour of training under paragraph (1.1) every year.
(4) Employees required to undergo continuing professional education under section 1205.2 shall receive credit toward their continuing professional education requirements.
(5) Training shall comply with the minimum standards adopted by the committee under subsection (b).
(a.1) Cyber charter school waiver or alternate training opportunity.--
(1) A cyber charter school may waive or provide an alternative training opportunity to address the in-person training required under subsection (a)(1.1)(i) for any cyber charter school employee who is not physically located in this Commonwealth and exclusively provides instruction remotely.
(2) A cyber charter school providing a waiver or alternative training opportunity to the employee under this subsection shall provide an attestation that the employee meets the requirements of this section and the cyber charter school shall report the waiver or alternative training opportunity to the committee annually through the school safety and security coordinator report.
((a.1) added July 11, 2024, P.L.618, No.55)
(a.2) Input.--Annually, the school safety and security coordinator shall meet with school employees for input on the training for the school entity under subsection (a). ((a.2) added Nov. 12, 2025, P.L.244, No.47)
(b) Committee duties.--The committee shall develop and adopt minimum standards for training of school employees for each of the training topics under subsection (a)(1) and (1.1). The committee shall make the standards adopted available to school entities and provide geographically disbursed training to school employees at no cost that meets the standards adopted by the committee. The committee may approve groups, organizations or other entities to provide the training. ((b) amended July 12, 2026, P.L.220, No.20)
(b.1) Standards.--No later than December 31, 2026, or 180 days after the effective date of this subsection, whichever is later, the committee shall develop and adopt minimum standards for the training of school employees under subsection (a)(1)(iv) and (viii). ((b.1) added July 12, 2026, P.L.220, No.20)
(c) Review.--Not less than every three years, the committee shall review the standards adopted under subsection (b) and, if necessary, revise or update the standards. Whenever a revision or update to the standards is made under this subsection, the committee shall make the updated standards available to school entities.
(1310-B amended July 8, 2022, P.L.620, No.55)
Compiler's Note: Section 24 of Act 18 of 2019 provided that the amendment or addition of paragraph (1) and section 1302-E shall apply beginning in the 2021-2022 school year.