Bill > HB2485

This bill establishes a "trauma-informed records program" within Pennsylvania's public school system, allowing school entities that participate in the School Safety and Security Grant Program to create and maintain electronic records detailing a student's experiences with traumatic events and adverse childhood experiences. These records, overseen by a mental health professional or a trained administrator if a professional isn't employed, can include information from various sources like county agencies, law enforcement, medical providers, and school personnel, along with a counselor's assessment of the student's well-being and a support plan outlining how the school will assist the student. The information is categorized into three tiers, with stricter access for lower tiers, and its use is limited to developing trauma-informed approaches and instructional methods, and determining in-school supports, but it cannot be used for admissions decisions or in criminal proceedings. The records are confidential, with access granted to parents, school officials with specific authorization, medical providers, law enforcement with parental consent, and the student themselves, and they are transferred when a student moves to another participating school. The bill also mandates parental notification and approval for the creation of these records and imposes a penalty of a misdemeanor of the third degree for unauthorized disclosure of confidential information.