On May 13, 2026, Senate Bill 375, also known as Greg Moyer’s Law, became Act 17 of 2026 when it was signed into law by Governor Josh Shapiro. This comes after over a decade of advocacy by Senator Rosemary Brown alongside the Moyer family, who tragically lost their 15-year-old son, Greg, to sudden cardiac arrest during a high school basketball game.

The new legislation requires AEDs to be present at all PIAA-sanctioned athletic events and practices and ensures schools have emergency action plans in place for sudden cardiac arrest situations. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Brown, was due to the efforts of Greg’s parents, Rachel and John Moyer, and his sisters, Abbie and Katie Moyer, whose advocacy, strength, and dedication were the driving force behind this legislation.

Click here to view Act 17 of 2026.

On May 7, 2026 the Shapiro Administration announced that it is giving 10 schools funding to join a pilot program designed to teach K-12 students about the political, economic, and social contributions of individuals with disabilities.

The Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Program influences the overall culture and environment of schools by reducing stigma and including disability education as a part of a school-wide strategic plan. This is the second round of $30,000 grants, which cover the cost of implementing the curriculum over three years. With this second round of funding, the Shapiro Administration has committed a total of $600,000 to 20 school entities to incorporate disability inclusive educational programming in classrooms since the Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Program launched in 2023-24. 

The following entities received grants:
-Carbondale Area School District in Lackawanna County
-Chester County IU24
-Delta School (Approved Private School) in Philadelphia
-Middle Bucks Institute of Technology in Bucks County
-Pittston Area School District in Luzerne County
-Upper Bucks County Technical School in Bucks County
-Reach Cyber Charter School
-Tri-Valley School District in Schuylkill County
-Intermediate Unit 1 in the Southwest Region
-Plum Borough School District in Allegheny County

In 2023, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) developed a toolkit to assist schools with implementation of the Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Program. The toolkit resources are inclusive of all age/grade levels and include sample lesson plans, professional development offerings/opportunities, ideas for implementing a disability inclusive curriculum, disability-led organizational contacts, and other resources.

Pennsylvania’s Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Grant was established by a state law in 2022 and is open to all school districts, charter school entities, intermediate units, career and technical centers, and nonpublic schools.

On May 7, 2026, the PA State Board of Education (Board) held its 391st meeting at the PDE building in Harrisburg and via Zoom. The meeting began at 9:24 AM by Chairperson Karen Farmer White.

PA Education Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe’s report highlighted how PA is helping college students through the provision of resources that include such things as food, shelter, clothing, childcare, and financial assistance. She also reported on dual credit opportunities for students offered in high schools, at college campuses, or both. She also highlighted Kutztown University’s program that allows high school students to earn between 12-18 college credits and includes an education major track for prospective teachers. She concluded her report by informing attendees how the PA EmpowerU program is going to create videos that will help link high school students with college students to help allay fears or issues that freshmen may face.

Ms Amanda Hetrick provided the Board with recommendations by the Ad Hoc Committee on Recess. She also stated that comments from the public overwhelmingly supported the need to have recess. Comments whether recess time could be impinged upon for disciplinary or academic reasons were mixed, but supported the need for children to have recess. Comments also supported the opportunity for non-physical play and the need for freedom within the structure of recess.

The meeting’s action items included an item to approve recommendations by the Ad Hoc Committee on Recess. The recommendations included:
–Recess Policy: All Commonwealth schools must provide 30 minutes daily recess for grades K-5 (and grade 6 in shared buildings) with multiple flexibility provisions including non-consecutive periods, modified schedules, and up to 10 minutes may be withheld for academic support or discipline.
–Recess Definition: Recess defined as play-based learning emphasizing physical activity, social interaction, screen-free activities, and outdoor recreation when safe.
–Instructional Time: School entities may submit plans to PDE to count supervised recess as instructional time if it meets established requirements.
–Implementation Timeline: Schools afforded one school year to prepare if addressing staffing, supervision, or collective bargaining needs.
–Secondary Exploration: Ad Hoc Committee to continue exploring breaks for secondary students; PDE to survey current secondary break practices.
–PDE will create a repository of recess best practices on structured/unstructured models.
–PDE will conduct a survey on secondary student break practices to inform committee exploration.

Another action item was to announce the passing of former State Board of Ed. member James Agras, who served on the Board for 27 years and was an exceptional Board member and person.

All action items were unanimously approved by the Board.