Section 15-1549 - Agricultural education(a) The General Assembly declares it is the purpose of this section to: (1) Require the department to develop and disseminate agricultural education materials for school entities or private or nonpublic kindergartens, elementary or secondary schools in this Commonwealth. The materials shall incorporate agricultural concepts into the basic school curricula and shall be designed to educate the general student population about the importance of the agriculture industry and the role of agriculture in the students' lives.(2) Encourage the agricultural education efforts of other agencies where appropriate, including, but not limited to, those of the county conservation districts, the Cooperative Extension Service of The Pennsylvania State University, the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Community and Economic Development, the State System of Higher Education and the Department of Transportation.(b) The department shall have the power and its duty shall be to: (1) Provide, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, resource information to educators and public and private schools and organizations on agricultural education.(2) Provide, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, for the development and distribution to school entities or private or nonpublic kindergartens, elementary or secondary schools in this Commonwealth materials on agricultural education. Such materials may include instruction on issues related to agriculture, including, but not limited to, food safety, forestry, pesticides, farmland preservation, waste management, wetlands, nutrient management, food production and food processing, animal health and statutory and regulatory protections of the right to farm.(3) Identify, recognize and establish, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, awards for exemplary agricultural education curricula developed in Commonwealth schools.(4) Use local school district occupational advisory committees, as well as the facilities and equipment of the Department of Agriculture, to serve as the conduit to bring youth and adult education programs into communities and schools, focusing on agricultural industry issues of importance to this Commonwealth.(5) Maintain, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, an inventory of agricultural education materials, programs and resources available in Commonwealth agencies. (c)[Deleted by 2017 Amendment.](d)[Deleted by 2017 Amendment.](e) The following words and phrases when used in this section shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Department." The Department of Education of the Commonwealth.
"School entity." A public school district, intermediate unit or area career and technical school.
"Secretary." The Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth.
Amended by P.L. TBD 2019 No. 76, § 28, eff. 12/30/2019.Amended by P.L. TBD 2017 No. 55, § 9, eff. 1/5/2018.1949, March 10, P.L. 30, No. 14, art. XV, § 1549, added 1995, June 30, P.L. 220, No. 26, § 8, effective in 90 days. Amended 2000, Nov. 22, P.L. 672, No. 91, § 4, effective in 60 days.