Pennsylvania legislation · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Pennsylvania HR138: A Resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study on the state of civic education in Pennsylvania and develop recommendations on cost-efficient, feasible steps that the Commonwealth can adopt to increase the accessibility and quality of civic education opportunities for students.
Status: Passed both chambers, October 21, 2026
What the bill says
A resolution Directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study on the state of civic education in Pennsylvania and develop recommendations on cost-efficient, feasible steps that the Commonwealth can adopt to increase the accessibility and quality of civic education opportunities for students.
From the introduced text, March 19, 2025:
A RESOLUTION Directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study on the state of civic education in Pennsylvania and develop recommendations on cost-efficient, feasible steps that the Commonwealth can adopt to increase the accessibility and quality of civic education opportunities for students. WHEREAS, Civic engagement is critical to the functioning of American democracy; and WHEREAS, However, civic engagement has been declining in our society in recent decades and there is a notable lack of civic knowledge among the public; and WHEREAS, According to a 2022 Annenberg Public Policy Center survey, only 47% of Americans can name all three branches of government and 26% are unable to name a single branch; and WHEREAS, Further, government trust among the public has been declining in recent decades, with 57% of those aged 18 to 24 reporting that they are losing faith in democracy and only 42% expressing confidence in the democratic system; and WHEREAS, Our education system builds a political culture and, in terms of democratic value, there is growing evidence that this system is failing our children; and WHEREAS, Proficiency in civics has been declining nationally, with the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, otherwise known as the "Nation's Report Card," showing that only 14% of students reached at or above proficiency in history and only 22% of students met …