Pennsylvania Bill Requires 24-Hour School Weapon Notices

Pennsylvania Senate Bill 246, sponsored by Republican Sen. Jarett Coleman, would require public and private schools to notify parents, guardians and school employees within 24 hours whenever a knife, gun or other weapon is brought onto school property, at a school event, or on school transportation, expanding existing law that only required reports to police and the Department of Education. The measure passed both chambers and is on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk; the Senate approved it 48-2, with Sens. Amanda Cappelletti and Lindsey Williams voting no. Coleman said his Parkland School District experience—when parents first learned of a weapon incident from police reports and news—motivated the bill, which sponsors and supporters frame as a transparency and safety measure. Reporting cited recent local incidents, including an arrest of a student alleged to have a firearm at Innovative Arts Academy, that proponents say underscore the need for mandatory notifications. Gov. Shapiro has not yet indicated whether he will sign the bill.