Committee reports House Bill 460 after 14‑12 votes; bill would require age‑appropriate child‑abuse curriculum

The House Children and Youth Committee voted 14‑12 to report House Bill 460, a measure that would amend the Public School Code to require schools to adopt age‑appropriate curricula on child abuse.

Danielle, the committee staffer who summarized the bill, told members the measure "amends Act 14 of 1949 or the Public School Code by adding language requiring schools to adopt age‑appropriate curriculums on child abuse," and noted support from the Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association and no known organized opposition.

Representative Daley, the bill sponsor, said he learned about the approach from survivor and advocate Jenna Quinn and cited prevalence and research when urging action. "It's estimated that 15 to 25 percent of girls and 5 to 8 percent of boys experience [child sexual] abuse by the time they reach the age of 18," Daley said, and he referenced a 2025 Crimes Against Children Research Center study that found higher rates when online‑related abuse is included. He described a Penn State pilot, the Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative, saying a one‑hour program for second graders and related outreach "spared nearly 120 children" from abuse during the pilot period.

Supporters argued that clear, publicly available guidance for districts and families would help identify and prevent abuse. Representative Boyd, a former school board director, said parents often turn to school districts for guidance and that recommended guidelines would have helped her family: "I'm gonna be supporting this bill because had I had that information available to me when I went looking, I would have very much appreciated that."

Opponents, including Chair Klunk, said the bill lacks sufficient detail on what "age‑appropriate" means across grade levels, who should deliver instruction, how to accommodate students with special needs, and whether districts would face unfunded mandates. "This information must be delivered in a very caring and understanding environment, not mass produced," Chair Klunk said, and questioned whether the bill's implementation date for the 2026–2027 school year is feasible for statewide rollout.

Chair Klunk moved to re‑refer the bill to the Education Committee for further vetting; that motion failed on a 14‑12 roll call. The committee then voted to report House Bill 460 as committed by a 14‑12 vote. The committee clerk recorded that "the bill would be reported as committed."