PA HB2209

Requires all Pennsylvania higher education institutions receiving state funding to establish a mandatory one-credit course on "the dangers and realities of communism and socialism in a free society" beginning in the 2027-2028 school year

Mandates curriculum covering definitions of capitalism, communism, socialism, and fascism, with specific instructional language characterizing communist regimes as relying on "force, brutality" and repression of rights

Requires instruction on real-world applications in specific countries including China, Cuba, North Korea, the former USSR, Vietnam, Venezuela, and Laos, as well as historical events like WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Cold War

Applies to community colleges, State System universities, state-related institutions (Penn State, Pitt, Temple, Lincoln), Thaddeus Stevens College, accredited private colleges, and private licensed schools that receive any direct or indirect state funding

Takes effect 60 days after enactment; institutions may develop their own curriculum or adopt existing materials meeting the specified requirements