Schools in Pennsylvania Must Notify Parents About Weapons Incidents

Quick Hits

• Pennsylvania has enacted a law requiring K-12 schools, charter schools, and career and technical schools to promptly notify parents, guardians, and school personnel when there is an incident involving possession of a weapon on school property.
• Weapons covered by this law may include guns, knives, and other potentially dangerous instruments.
• The new law is set to take effect on January 6, 2026.

Senate Bill No. 246 requires public and private K-12 schools, including charter schools and career and technical schools, to send a notification within twenty-four hours by a communication method “likely to reach” parents, guardians, and school employees. The notification can include information that identifies a student involved in the incident only under limited circumstances.

The law applies to incidents where the possession of a weapon violates state law or school policies, including events that occur on school grounds, those directly related to school-sponsored activities (even if held off school premises), and on school transportation. Senate Bill No. 246 refers to other laws that define a weapon to include a “knife, cutting instrument, cutting tool, nun-chuck stick, firearm, shotgun, rifle and any other tool, instrument or implement capable of inflicting serious bodily injury.”

The new law does not apply to colleges and universities. However, institutions of higher education in Pennsylvania can establish their own policies regarding weapon possession.

The federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 prohibits the possession of firearms within 1,000 feet of K-12 public or private schools. However, in 1996, Congress amended the law to limit its application to cases where the firearm has “moved in or otherwise affected interstate or foreign commerce.”

In recent years, there have been numerous school shootings across the country, including an incident in Virginia where a six-year-old elementary student shot his teacher. The teacher was awarded a $10 million jury verdict in a case against the school’s former assistant principal, who allegedly failed to respond to multiple warnings that the student had a gun. 

Next Steps

K-12 schools in Pennsylvania may wish to revisit their protocols for notifying staff and parents in the event someone has a weapon on school property, and train staff on the new state law regarding notifications. To ensure that the information reaches the intended recipients, notifications can be sent in various formats, including text messages, emails, and through the school system’s online portal. It is essential to maintain accurate and up-to-date contact information for employees, parents, and guardians.

Many K-12 schools, colleges, and universities already have workplace violence prevention plans that encompass staff training, physical security measures, and systems for easily reporting threats. Similarly, numerous K-12 schools, colleges, and universities have established written policies that prohibit weapons, including guns, on school property. These restrictions typically apply to employees, students, parents, and volunteers.  

Ogletree Deakins will continue to monitor developments in this area and will provide updates on the Higher Education, Pennsylvania, Workplace Safety and Health, and Workplace Violence Prevention blogs as new information becomes available.

Maria Greco Danaher is a shareholder in Ogletree Deakin’s Pittsburgh office.

Bethany S. Wagner is a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Pittsburgh office.

This article was co-authored by Leah J. Shepherd, who is a writer in Ogletree Deakins’ Washington, D.C., office.

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