HARRISBURG, Nov. 17 - Centre County state Rep. Scott Conklin said today he is pleased both the state House and Senate voted to override Gov. Rendell's veto of a comprehensive education bill.
"This bill contained a version of my teen dating violence legislation," Conklin said. "While it wasn't in its original form, it was still a victory and a starting point to reducing the number of cases of teen dating violence."
Conklin added the legislation contains about 20 additional measures with regard to preventing school dropouts, helping to pay Pennsylvania teachers' fees for national board certification, improving Pennsylvania's Safe Schools Law, creating an Economic Education and Personal Financial Literacy Program and making college textbooks more affordable.
"There are a lot of sound educational benefits within this bill that deserved to become law," Conklin said.
Conklin's original legislation (
H.B. 2026), which passed the House in March, would have required public schools to provide education on teen-dating violence in grades seven through 12. The Senate-approved version, which will be the new law, was amended to make the teen-dating violence curriculum optional in schools beginning in grade nine.
"A brand new session is just weeks away and I will be ready to reintroduce my bill when that day comes," Conklin said. "We owe it to teens, their parents and their teachers to make the teen-dating violence curriculum as strong as possible."