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House Education Committee passes bill to create statewide school facilities inventory
Summary
The House Education Committee on Oct. 6 approved House Bill 1701, directing the Department of Education to compile a statewide inventory and condition assessments of public school facilities, with amendments adding executive-summary protections, energy-efficiency measures and security evaluations. The bill passed 14-12.
The House Education Committee voted 14-12 to pass House Bill 1701 on Oct. 6, directing the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to create a statewide inventory of public school facilities, require facility condition assessments and require each school entity to produce a modernization plan within one year of its assessment.
Representative Fiedler, the bill’s prime sponsor, told the committee the measure is intended to give lawmakers a comprehensive picture of aging and unsafe school buildings across the Commonwealth. "Many of our school buildings are outdated. Some are unsafe," Representative Fiedler said, adding that a statewide inventory would allow PDE and experts to make prioritized, data-driven recommendations for repairs.
The bill, as amended in committee, requires PDE to develop a public-school facility inventory and collect information from school entities by December 2027. It also establishes a Public School Facility Advisory Committee within PDE to set uniform criteria for condition assessments. Assessments must consider structural and system components, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance…
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