Section 1748.1-A. Enrollee wellness checks.
(a) Requirements.--A cyber charter school shall, at least once during any week consisting of at least three full or partial days of academic instruction, conduct wellness checks to ensure that each enrolled student is visibly seen and communicated with in real time either in person or via electronic means by a teacher, administrator or other representative of the cyber charter school subject to 23 Pa.C.S. Ch. 63 (relating to child protective services) in order to ensure the well-being of the student and verify participation in the educational program. The following apply to a wellness check:
(1) The requirement under this subsection may be satisfied by each student turning on a webcam and a teacher, administrator or other representative of the cyber charter school subject to 23 Pa.C.S. Ch. 63 visibly seeing and communicating with the student during synchronous online instruction.
(2) Participation in virtual or face-to-face health screenings, standardized testing, advising and tutoring and in-person school-sponsored activities chaperoned by a teacher, administrator or other representative of the cyber charter school subject to 23 Pa.C.S. Ch. 63 may count toward fulfilling a weekly wellness check under this subsection.
(3) The cyber charter school may exempt a student from a weekly wellness check if the student has received an excused absence for the day on which the wellness check was attempted, in accordance with section 1329. If a student has an excused absence on the day a weekly wellness check is attempted, the cyber charter school shall conduct the check on the next school day or on another school day during that same week. If a student has an excused absence for all school days during a week, the cyber charter school shall exempt a student from a wellness check for that week.
(4) The cyber charter school may exempt a student from a weekly wellness check if the student's household is experiencing a documented Internet or power outage during the day and time in which the wellness check was attempted. The cyber charter school shall conduct the wellness check on the next school day or on another school day during that same week following resolution of the Internet or power outage. The parent or guardian of the student shall provide documentation of the Internet or power outage to the cyber charter school as soon as possible.
(5) Within one school day after a student fails to complete a required wellness check, the cyber charter school shall:
(i) make documented ongoing efforts to complete the required wellness check and contact the student's parent or guardian using at least two different methods of communication; and
(ii) provide written notice to the student's parent or guardian, in their preferred language, that the required wellness check has not been completed.
(6) If the required wellness check is not completed within three school days after the notice is sent under paragraph (5)(ii), the following shall apply:
(i) The cyber charter school shall immediately schedule a wellness review conference to occur within one school day. The conference may be conducted in person or by electronic means and shall be for the purpose of completing the required wellness check through a real-time visual interaction with the student, reestablishing communication with the student and the student's parent or guardian and identifying interventions to ensure that the student participates in future wellness checks.
(ii) The cyber charter school shall convene the wellness review conference as scheduled, regardless of whether the student or the student's parent or guardian participates.
(7) If a student does not participate in the wellness review conference in accordance with paragraph (6)(ii), the cyber charter school shall conduct an in-person wellness check within 24 hours of the scheduled conference.
(8) A cyber charter school administrator may not alter any attendance record for wellness checks after the wellness check is performed, unless the alteration corrects an error.
((a) amended July 12, 2026, P.L.220, No.20)
(b) Report.--If any indication of abuse, neglect or harm to a child is observed, the cyber charter school administrator, employee or representative shall report the concerns in accordance with 23 Pa.C.S. Ch. 63. ((b) amended July 12, 2026, P.L.220, No.20)
(c) Wellness policy.--No later than March 1 of each year for the following school year, each cyber charter school shall submit to the department for approval a wellness check policy that demonstrates compliance with subsections (a) and (b). Once approved, each cyber charter school shall post the wellness check policy on its publicly accessible Internet website. ((c) amended July 12, 2026, P.L.220, No.20)
(d) Student verification.--The department may require proof of compliance with this section from a cyber charter school to ensure the well-being of a student enrolled in the cyber charter school and to verify attendance in the educational program. ((d) added Nov. 12, 2025, P.L.244, No.47)
(e) Noncompliance.--Failure to comply with this section may result in the department taking the following actions:
(1) Requiring the cyber charter school to report to the department the date, time and method of each wellness check for each student.
(2) Mandating teachers, administrators and staff of the cyber charter school to complete child abuse recognition, prevention and reporting training annually.
(3) Requiring the cyber charter school to meet in person with each student at least once during the school year following the school year in which the cyber charter school is out of compliance with this section.
(4) Prohibiting a cyber charter school from being awarded a State grant by the department until the cyber charter school demonstrates compliance with subsections (a), (b) and (c). ((4) amended July 12, 2026, P.L.220, No.20)