Committee to Consider Four Education Bills

Mar. 01, 2021 /

WHAT: The House Education Committee, chaired by Rep. Curt Sonney (R-Erie), will hold a voting meeting to consider four proposals on a variety of education topics. They include measures that would permit a school district to change its name (House Bill 232); update outdated terminology to conform with modern usage (House Bill 365); provide school entities with day-to-day substitute flexibility (House Bill 412); and provide for seizure recognition and related first-aid training (House Bill 416).

Sonney, Longietti Send Bipartisan Letter to Governor, Health Department Urging Teachers be Next in Line for COVID-19 Vaccine

Feb. 26, 2021 /

HARRISBURG – House Education Committee Chairmen Rep. Curt Sonney (R-Erie) and Rep. Mark Longietti (D-Mercer), joined by 15 other members of the House Education Committee, on Thursday sent a letter to Gov. Tom Wolf and Acting Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health Alison Beam requesting teachers be offered the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as the Commonwealth exits the 1A phase of Pennsylvania’s vaccine plan.

Sonney to Host Hearings on COVID-19 Impact on Education

Feb. 22, 2021 /

WHAT: Rep. Curt Sonney (R-Erie), chairman of the House Education Committee, will hold two days of public hearings to gather information on the impact COVID-19 has had on Pennsylvania’s elementary and secondary schools, as well as institutions of higher education. The first day will focus on K-12 education with the second day on higher education.

Sonney to Co-Host Hearing with Appropriations Committee on PASSHE Report

Feb. 08, 2021 /

WHAT: Rep. Curt Sonney (R-Erie), chairman of the House Education Committee, will hold a joint public hearing with the House Appropriations Committee on the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s (PASSHE) report pursuant to Act 50 of 2020 and the system’s implementation plan for improvement of operations.

Sonney Reappointed Chairman of House Education Committee

Jan. 11, 2021 /

HARRISBURG – Speaker of the House Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) announced the reappointment of Rep. Curt Sonney (R-Erie) as majority chairman of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee for the 2021-22 Legislative Session.

Sonney to Co-Host Hearing with Appropriations Committee on PASSHE Report

Oct. 16, 2020 /

WHAT: Rep. Curt Sonney (R-Erie), chairman of the House Education Committee, will hold a joint public hearing with the House Appropriations Committee on the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s (PASSHE) report pursuant to Act 50 of 2020 and the system’s implementation plan for improvement of operations.

House Republicans Unveil Bills to Drive the Commonwealth’s COVID Comeback

Oct. 09, 2020 /

WHAT: Rep. Josh Kail (R-Beaver/Washington), House Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) and other state representatives will unveil a pro-jobs, recovery-focused legislative package designed to achieve Pennsylvania’s better normal. The initiative, “Commonwealth’s COVID Comeback,” would rebound the economy by incentivizing manufacturing with no new taxes or fees following the pandemic.

Committee to Consider Four Education-Related Bills

Sep. 30, 2020 /

WHAT: The House Education Committee, chaired by Rep. Curt Sonney (R-Erie), will hold a voting meeting to consider four proposals on a variety of education topics. They include measures that would create prekindergarten vision screenings and modify the current school vision screening schedule (House Bill 1342); establish the Back on Track Education Scholarship Account Program (House Bill 2696); provide for the removal of a student convicted or adjudicated delinquent of sexual assault against another enrolled student (Senate Bill 530); and establish a moment of silence in schools on the anniversaries of Sept. 11th and Pearl Harbor Day (Senate Bill 869).

Sept. 7 to be Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Appreciation Day in Pennsylvania

Sep. 03, 2020 /

HARRISBURG – On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives unanimously passed House Resolution 984 sponsored by Reps. Curt Sonney (R-Erie), Keith Gillespie (R-York), Pat Harkins (R-Erie) and Parke Wentling (R-Crawford/Erie/Lawrence/Mercer) declaring Sept. 7 as Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Appreciation Day in Pennsylvania.

Committee to Consider Three COVID-19-Related Bills

Aug. 19, 2020 /

WHAT: The House Education Committee, chaired by Rep. Curt Sonney (R-Erie), will hold a voting meeting to consider three proposals related to COVID-19. They include measures that would authorize a school entity to determine whether to hold sports and other extracurricular activities in-person and whether to allow spectators (House Bill 2787); allow a parent to elect to have a child in a public or non-public school repeat a grade, including all academic and extracurricular activities (House Bill 2788); and authorize the Secretary of Education to address disruptions to teacher training and certification caused by the COVID-19 disaster emergency (Senate Bill 1216).

Schools in Erie County to Receive Emergency Education Relief Funds, Announces Sonney

Aug. 07, 2020 /

HARRISBURG – House Education Committee Chairman Curt Sonney (R-Erie) announced today that Corry Area School District, Erie County Technical School, North East School District, Union City Area School District and Wattsburg Area School District have been awarded money through the federal Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund.

House Passes Sonney’s Legislation to Update and Reform PASSHE

Jun. 09, 2020 /

HARRISBURG – House Education Committee Chairman Curt Sonney (R-Erie) announced today that his legislation to update and reform the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support.