CTE AND THE PA LEGISLATURE
A beginner's guide to CTE legislation in Pennsylvania.
Current legislative session ends: November 30, 2026
Career and technical education (CTE) is a particular area of interest in today’s society, and legislators are eager to remove barriers and offer support. If you are currently involved in CTE, legislators will likely pay close attention to your comments on related legislation. Your legislators are elected to represent your voice in Pennsylvania’s government. If you call their office or send an email, they will make a note of your comments. If they’re not currently engaged with a bill or topic of interest, you can urge them to become involved.
Even if you are uncertain about current legislation but still want to be involved, simply making a call or sending an email introducing yourself and explaining your place in CTE can ensure your legislator knows your name if they have a question about the topic.
THE PROCESS
OF PASSING A
STATE LAW
(Simplified)
Bills of Potential Interest to CTE: 2025-2026 Session
If you have questions about the legislation listed here, other legislation, or navigating the PA General Assembly website, you can ask the Education Resource Center. You can also receive emails with updates about any bill(s) by creating an account in the official website of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
If you have thoughts on a bill or want to make a suggestion, rather than contacting the legislator who wrote the bill (the “sponsor”), you should contact the legislator from your district. If the bill is in the House, contact your Representative. If the bill is in the Senate, contact your Senator.
House Sponsor: Rep. Bryan Cutler
Quote from the bill’s memo: “Under PA WORKS, eligible businesses could direct tax credits toward scholarships for students enrolled in Pennsylvania-based institutions of higher education that offer programs in specified high-demand fields.”
Senate Sponsor: Sen. Gene Yaw
Quote from the bill’s memo: “PA WORKS would provide students with additional financial support to pursue technical education and career training while helping employers invest directly in the future workforce they depend upon.”
→ View Senate Bill Information
Sometimes, instead of waiting for the other chamber to send them a bill to consider, the House and the Senate will introduce “sister bills” — bills that propose the same changes — in order to speed up the process of passing matching bills in both chambers
Sponsor: Rep. Jacklyn Rusnock
Quote from the bill’s memo: “To provide grants to school entities to purchase, implement and retain either:
(1) a digital curriculum instructional platform; or
(2) printed or written curriculum that meets the standards for modernizing career and technical education in this Commonwealth”
House Sponsor: Rep. Elizabeth Fielder
Quote from the bill’s memo: “Create a workforce development partnership between the Building & Construction Trades, community colleges, and career and technical centers (CTCs) to offer students pathways into skilled trades and pre-apprenticeship programs”
Senate Sponsor: Sen. Lisa Boscola
Quote from the bill’s memo: “Create a workforce development partnership between the Building & Construction Trades, PA’s community colleges, and career and technical centers to offer students meaningful pathways into skilled trades and pre-apprenticeship programs.”
→ View Senate Bill Information
Sometimes, instead of waiting for the other chamber to send them a bill to consider, the House and the Senate will introduce “sister bills” — bills that propose the same changes — in order to speed up the process of passing matching bills in both chambers
Sponsor: Rep. Valerie Gaydos
Quote from the bill’s memo: “Allow high school graduates who completed an occupational training program to be employed in the occupation they have trained for, in a manner that is consistent with federal occupational restrictions for minors”
Sponsor: Rep. Jim Prokopiak
Quote from the bill’s memo: “The legislation would provide an opportunity for newly employed teachers to be able to request no more than $500 in grant funds to assist in setting up their classrooms. Subject to Department of Education guidelines, grant funds would be used for essential classroom materials or specific educational projects like STEM, literacy or foreign languages.”
Sponsor: Rep. Gina Curry
Quote from the bill’s memo: “Will establish the Advanced Teaching Roles and Evidence-Based Strategic Staffing Program to support school districts in developing advanced teaching roles that recognize expanded professional responsibilities, instructional leadership, team-based collaboration, and professional growth. Specifically, it will establish an opt-in grant program that will support districts with the up-front and technical assistance costs associated with transitioning to these new models.”
Sponsor: Rep. Paul Friel
Quote from the bill’s memo: “In order to address barriers to career and technical education, and the current capacity of our institutions to provide this training where it is in demand…to require career and technical schools to report the number of students on the waitlist for each program to PDE each year.”
Sponsor: Rep. Scott Barger
Quote from the bill’s memo: “Improves the speed at which school construction/maintenance/repair projects can be completed, as well as improve the speed at which school equipment and supplies can be acquired.”
Sponsor: Rep. Jill Cooper
Quote from the bill’s memo: “Introduces a practical alternative that would allow CTE concentrators to satisfy the assessment requirement through attainment of an industry-based competency certification related to their program of study”
Sponsor: Rep. Mandy Steele
Quote from the resolution’s memo: “A Resolution directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to carry out a performance audit on public school policies and procedures related to the amount of screen time students are allowed during the school day”
→ View House Resolution Information
A resolution deals with matters of a special or temporary character and…is an expression of opinion or mind or policy concerning some particular item of business. From: Ordinances, Resolutions, and Other Legislation – Municipal
Sponsor: Rep. Barbara Gleim
Quote from the resolution’s memo: “Child labor standards may be presenting a barrier to opportunities for youth workers. For example, many of the occupational standards restrict training opportunities for youth workers in some of the occupations most in need of qualified workers. With more flexibility, it may be possible to get more members of our future workforce on debt-free pathways to family-sustaining careers.”
→ View House Resolution Information
A resolution deals with matters of a special or temporary character and…is an expression of opinion or mind or policy concerning some particular item of business. From: Ordinances, Resolutions, and Other Legislation – Municipal
Sponsor: Sen. Doug Mastriano
Quote from the bill’s memo: “Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year and each school year thereafter, a school entity shall post an Internet link or title for every textbook used by the school entity, a course syllabus or a written summary of each instructional course and the State academic standards for each instructional course offered by the school entity on its publicly accessible Internet website.”
Sponsor: Sen. Michele Brooks
Quote from the bill’s memo: “Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year and each school year thereafter, a school entity shall post an Internet link or title for every textbook used by the school entity, a course syllabus or a written summary of each instructional course and the State academic standards for each instructional course offered by the school entity on its publicly accessible Internet website.”
Sponsor: Sen. Lisa Boscola
Quote from the bill’s memo: “To connect Pennsylvania students with high-demand careers in shipbuilding and maritime industries.”
Sponsor: Sen. Devlin Robinson
Quote from the bill’s memo: “Establish a grant program within the PA Department of Education supporting Pennsylvania’s current K–12 robotics teams and making it possible for new schools and students to participate.”
Sponsor: Sen. Lindsey Williams
Quote from the bill’s memo: “Prohibiting schools from replacing educators with artificial intelligence. Schools will have to demonstrate that AI is being used to support educators, not replace them.”
Sponsor: Rep. Joe Ciresi
Quote from the bill’s memo: “Create a grant pilot program to expand the number of NBCTs working in our highest-need school districts”
Sponsor: Rep. Melissa Shusterman
Quote from the bill’s memo: “Prohibit schools from using AI to provide mental or behavioral health services that would otherwise be performed by qualified mental health professionals”
Sponsor: Rep. Chris Pielli
Quote from the bill’s memo: “Establish a grant program within the Pennsylvania Department of Education to help schools train educators on how to use AI effectively, responsibly, and ethically.”
Sponsor: Rep. Peter Schweyer
Quote from the bill’s memo: “Create clear procurement guardrails for school entities contracting with third-party providers of AI-related technology.”
Sponsor: Rep. Brandon Dukes
Quote from the bill’s memo: “Require schools to adopt a clear local policy governing the responsible use of AI by students and staff.”
Memos of Potential Interest to CTE: 2025-2026 Session
Last updated: October 16, 2026
Memos are notes from a legislator signaling their intention to write a new bill and asking their fellow legislators for support and collaboration. A memo still has a long way to go before it might become a law, but if you want to support or critique the content, you can have a say in what happens next.
Circulated By: Rep. Aaron Bernstine
Quote from the memo: “This legislation would provide $2,000 per intern up to a maximum of $10,000 per small business that hires Pennsylvania college students as paid interns for a full-time 6 week program.”
Circulated By: Rep. Jill Cooper
Quote from the memo: “Requiring Pennsylvania school entities to provide shop class instruction beginning with the 2027-2028 school year.”
Circulated By: Rep. MaryLouise Isaacson
Quote from the memo: “Move the Institutional Assistance Grants program to the Public-School Code and expand the eligibility to students attending community colleges, State System universities, and state-related universities, located within the Commonwealth.”
Circulated By: Rep. David Zimmerman
Quote from the memo: “Supports school entities in implementing instructional delivery frameworks that enhance how existing curriculum is taught through experiential, student-centered, and real-world learning practices…establishing a structured approach to infusing business innovation methodologies into academic instruction across Pennsylvania’s educational institutions.”
Circulated By: Rep. Shelby Labs
Quote from the memo: “Provide funding for a pilot program which would allow a technical school in our district to continue and expand their Emergency Medical Services program…will go toward updating training equipment and additional training aids to support high-quality instruction and hands-on learning.”
Circulated By: Sen. David Argall
Quote from the memo: “Establishing an opt-in grant program which supports the costs of the new model transition. This program will promote advanced teaching roles for increased instructional leadership and professional growth.”
Circulated By: Rep. Jill Cooper
Quote from the memo: “Increasing dual credit awareness to ensure every Pennsylvania student and family knows about dual credit opportunities.”
Circulated By: Rep. Jill Cooper
Quote from the memo: “Amending the Public School Code to establish the Pennsylvania Dual Credit Higher Education Directory, a single, public, online resource with standardized information about dual credit programs across the Commonwealth.”