House approves statewide school facilities inventory bill to map building needs

The House passed House Bill 1701 on Oct. 8, 2025, to create a statewide school facilities inventory and advisory committee within the Department of Education. Sponsors said the inventory will identify schools with outdated electrical systems, leaky roofs, missing ADA access and other capital needs to better target state investment.

Representative Fiedler (Representative, Philadelphia) said the bill is “incredibly important to protecting the health of children, to investing in public buildings, and to wisely investing the tax dollars of all of our neighbors.” He told members a statewide inventory will allow the commonwealth to see which schools need upgrades and to prioritize spending.

Representative Khan (Representative, Philadelphia), a nurse and floor speaker in support, said the bill enables assessments that show “what schools need up to date fixes” and urged a yes vote. Representative Cutler (Representative, Lancaster County), minority chair of education, expressed concern about mandates and costs, citing an estimate from the Pennsylvania Department of Education that the assessments could cost school districts about $15,000,000; Cutler said those funds would be better spent on repairs themselves.

The clerk recorded final passage with yeas 103 and nays 100. The bill will be returned to the Senate for concurrence. The transcript shows sponsor remarks, supportive and opposing floor statements, and the roll call; it does not include the inventory’s technical specifications, timeline, or funding mechanics beyond the PDE cost estimate cited in debate.