Parents Who Ignore School Mask Mandates Could Pay Under PA Bill

HARRISBURG, PA —Pending legislation in the state Senate will call for financial penalties for parents of students who don't comply with public school mask mandates if a classmate contracts the coronavirus.

State Sen. Anthony Williams plans to introduce a bill that would make those parents responsible for covering the COVID-19-related costs of their children's classmates should they get the virus. To be liable, parents must be aware of a school's masking requirements and provide formal notification that their child won't comply with them.

"My hope is that this legislation is ultimately unnecessary," Williams said in a recent memo to colleagues. "But given the anemic vaccination rates in many parts of the commonwealth, it is vital to ensuring the safety of school children."

Williams did not indicate how it would be definitively determined that students caught the virus from unmasked classmates.

Williams, a Democrat representing portions of Delaware and Philadelphia counties, also did not say when he will introduce the legislation. It would require Senate and House approval and Gov. Tom Wolf's signature to become law.

Due to the increasing spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 delta variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends universal indoor masking for all students age 2 and older, as well as staff, teachers and visitors to K-12 schools. The CDC is advising those guidelines be followed regardless of vaccination status.

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