[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6701139,"mediaKeyId","3660988-7cf8881c4637cadd9211de96794be91f","parentId",3660988,"title","House passes House Bill 1500 to overhaul cyber charter funding and accountability","audioSeconds",4227,"startMs",8226000,"endMs",12453000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3660988-7cf8881c4637cadd9211de96794be91f&start=8226&end=12453","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3660988-7cf8881c4637cadd9211de96794be91f/thumbnail_8226000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6701139/Pennsylvania/House-passes-House-Bill-1500-to-overhaul-cyber-charter-funding-and-accountability","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6701139-8894fa327a79add1fb7bc5d33f88010c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771031563&Signature=j0U1OpdG~lKREph7OJjfjnlzV5SWSkOExbG8kdyxMmJ~k~ulSYtjmWHrbEDGg6cdblXv~MJIwus4GkFePtu8ByTBD3XTfBFVJRjG33gHdwzku2NsCGnFQoBJTGbNhnVa5PNW5wC~FBDC41zqeyGvUkVifO9Yd2ZlgGZdkG47oANoaB7Vq8gRsRqYkJXwHiqHBnx-EX8aZ6DDuP7WugBPbFoLm7kk0tg2gqxyKyPn5Kgoicl4DVA6o-L972fUZxwd2cn4dxe9VoFXtaNu7axUJYsxnxgWA-tgyqiPnL-SfIbjwRECsh-alVJHUr3gFIx2wZtcRsrxFZQvpN4eycOrVA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pennsylvania Legislature","date","2025-06-04T19:54:07Z","article","The Pennsylvania House of Representatives on June 4 passed House Bill 1500, a comprehensive package of reforms to cyber charter schools, by a vote of 104 to 98.

Supporters said the measure aims to standardize tuition payments, increase transparency and align cyber charter reporting with school districts. Representative Isaacson, the bill sponsor, said, “This bill, House Bill 1,500, focuses on 3 crucial changes, cyber charter funding reforms, transparency, and parity with school districts.”

Opponents argued the bill would sharply reduce funding and the viability of cyber charters, possibly closing schools that serve tens of thousands of students. Representative Kozak, speaking in opposition, said, “This bill's passage, the way it's written, will ultimately lead to the end of cyber charter schools and silence the families of 60,000 plus students.” Representative White called the measure “a massive cut to public education,” saying HB 1500 proposes a flat $8,000 tuition rate for cyber charter schools and would allow the state to seize certain reserve funds.

Debate covered multiple points of contention. Lawmakers who opposed the bill repeatedly cited the bill’s $8,000-per-student tuition cap and argued that the figure lacked justification; Representative White contrasted that figure with a Basic Education Funding Commission recommendation she said called for roughly $14,000 per student and with average per-pupil spending she cited of about $15,000 in fiscal 2023–24. Supporters cited auditor general findings about large fund balances held by some cyber charters and examples the auditor described as “uncommon expenditures,” arguing reforms were needed to prevent waste of public funds.

Sponsors and some committee chairs described prior actions on charter oversight, including changes enacted in 2024. Representative Cooper noted prior bipartisan reforms last year and described the bill as setting an unsustainable tuition rate for cyber charters unless further changes are negotiated. Representative Schweier, chair of the House Education Committee, cited the auditor general’s report and described the bill as implementing many of the report’s recommendations, including tighter rules on fund balances and increased oversight.

Lawmakers repeatedly framed the question as one of balancing oversight of public dollars with parental choice. Several speakers, including Representatives Anderson and D'Orsay, said they feared the bill would remove an educational option used by students with varied needs. Other members, including majority leaders, argued that unchecked fund balances and certain expenditures documented in audits justified the reform.

Formal action: the House voted on final passage. The clerk recorded yeas 104, nays 98, and the chair announced that, having achieved the constitutional majority, HB 1500 passed and would be presented to the Senate for concurrence.

The bill itself contains multiple substantive provisions that were discussed on the floor: a statewide tuition standard for cyber charters, new transparency and reporting requirements aligning cyber charters with district reporting, limits and oversight of reserve funds held by cyber charters, and a multi-year moratorium provision referenced in floor remarks that would pause the authorization of new cyber charters for five years (as described by speakers). Several members said that special education tuition changes and other technical changes were added during amendment and committee steps prior to floor passage.

Lawmakers on both sides asked for further work on funding formulas and on applying accountability measures across all public-school providers. With the House passage, HB 1500 goes next to the Senate; no Senate action was recorded in the House transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Session -- June 4, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","After hours of floor debate, the Pennsylvania House approved House Bill 1500, a package of cyber charter reforms including a flat tuition cap, new transparency measures and limits on reserve funds; final passage was 104-98.","taxTitle","House of Representatives, Legislative, Pennsylvania","taxId",21057,"location","Pennsylvania","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6701135,"House approves multiple bills on June 4, including capital budget and several professional licensure compacts",0,11454000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3660988-7cf8881c4637cadd9211de96794be91f&start=11454&end=11454","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3660988-7cf8881c4637cadd9211de96794be91f/thumbnail_11454000.jpg","/articles/6701135/Pennsylvania/House-approves-multiple-bills-on-June-4-including-capital-budget-and-several-professional-licensure-compacts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6701135-b14ab17f5d8db92e385bfe7fbdf48c96/orig.mp4?Expires=1771031563&Signature=E7P42KjTX8n6A6yUpw1Z1~8kXpyD1EG2JH9DwYIxkUVVUyO-m3eT8kpPlVM~xj5u~t40ST3~8hY7ql5VGeIO5PyfIVEAjNnWfcSqqZ1cCXXOBEGNAznEerugfih2vpiw5bU4oe0LEtOTx04SpiM02jrZFte2Uexs4DnvKyOFQq5SENnhxZj-FV2bB807oDgsMJ5uB9jroCpbj7AkjC1AZNJZnXSB~MOrucVtF~81DL4SZLAaPM2nCyY6goIdSN-zOqgW~l3TuMwxjxepPy9me9hmQLUP~QCbGHhV5-KsXkOxlaxzFECm3aaFpyp7HF4RRQfOZdj96ungoNjeMc17AA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pennsylvania House on June 4 approved a large package of bills and resolutions on the floor, including a capital budget, several appropriations bills, professional licensure compacts and consumer-protection measures. Votes recorded on the floor produced multiple clear majorities and a number of close tallies.

Among the measures voted on and recorded in the transcript were:

- House Bill 463 (ticket resale prohibition): final passage recorded as yeas 191, nays 11. The bill prohibits resale of an event ticket by a seller who does not possess the ticket at the time of sale.

- House Bill 554 (Social Work Licensure Compact): final passage recorded as yeas 187, nays 15; would authorize Pennsylvania to join the interstate social work licensure compact.

- House Bill 668 (National Counseling Compact): final passage recorded as yeas 186, nays 16; would authorize Pennsylvania to join the counseling compact to ease cross-state licensure for counselors.

- House Bill 704 (Neurodegenerative Disease Research Program): final passage recorded as yeas 197, nays 5; establishes grants for neurodegenerative disease research in Pennsylvania.

- House Bill 1089 (coal-tar asphalt sealant ban): final passage recorded in the transcript as a narrow margin (record shows yeas 102, nays 100); the bill would prohibit sale, supply or application of coal-tar based asphalt sealants on driveways and parking lots.

- House Bill 1332 / 13 32 (Capital Budget FY 2025–2026): final passage recorded as yeas 184, nays 18; provides for the capital budget for fiscal year 2025–2026.

- A set of appropriation bills and related measures (final recorded votes): HB 13 33 (yeas 155, nays 47), HB 13 34 (yeas 160, nays 42), HB 13 35 (yeas 168, nays 34), HB 13 36 (yeas 157, nays 45), HB 13 37 (yeas 157, nays 45), HB 13 38 (yeas 154, nays 48), HB 13 40 (yeas 102, nays 100), and HB 14 20 (yeas 157, nays 45). These bills make appropriations across multiple departments and funds as recited on the floor.

- House Resolution 192 (Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week): adopted, ayes 189, nays 13.

Several other bills were called, agreed to, or recommitted without extended floor debate and without recorded roll-call tallies in the floor transcript; the clerk read titles and brief descriptions before the House approved or agreed to many measures by voice or unanimous consent. Where the transcript recorded specific roll-call tallies, those numbers are listed above.

All recorded final-passage tallies in this roundup were announced by the clerk on the House floor and are included as the official House-recorded totals from the June 4 session day. Bills that passed will be presented to the Senate for concurrence where constitutionally required.","The Pennsylvania House approved a series of bills on June 4 covering the capital budget, appropriations, professional licensure compacts, consumer protections and other measures; several votes were close.","actionData","errors"]

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House passes House Bill 1500 to overhaul cyber charter funding and accountability

House approves multiple bills on June 4, including capital budget and several professional licensure compacts