New legislation introduced by state Sen. Jarett Coleman requiring Pennsylvania school districts to notify parents and school employees of any weapon possession incidents on school property is heading to Gov. Josh Shapiro\u2019s desk.\n<\/p>\n
Senate Bill 246<\/a> expands requirements that previously mandated districts report to the Pennsylvania Department of Education incidents \u201crelating to expulsions for possession of a weapon on school grounds, school-sponsored activities or public conveyances providing transportation to a school or school-sponsored activity.\u201d\n<\/p>\n The bill now would require public and private schools notify parents and staff within 24 hours of any incident in which a knife, gun or any other weapon is brought to school property, school-sponsored events or school transportation.<\/p>\n Coleman, a Republican who represents parts of Lehigh and Bucks counties and who previously served on the Parkland School Board, said in a news release that his experience with the Parkland School District inspired his sponsorship of the bill.<\/p>\n \u201cThis legislation stems from an incident in the Parkland School District when parents learned about a weapon incident from police reports and the local news,\u201d Coleman said. \u201cI was shocked to learn that the district didn\u2019t have to notify them immediately. Parents send their children to school with the expectation for them to receive a quality education in a safe environment, and they deserve to know what\u2019s happening.\u201d<\/p>\n The Senate voted 48-2 Wednesday to approve a final version of the bill. The only nay votes were Sens. Amanda Cappelletti D-17, Montgomery and Delaware counties, and Lindsey Williams, D-38, Allegheny County. Williams previously had expressed concern that the bill would cause unnecessary anxiety among parents, according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.<\/a><\/p>\n