Rep. Maureen Madden

Maddy summaryHB 780 creates a tuition assistance program for early childhood educators in Pennsylvania. It provides grants to cover tuition costs (minus other financial aid) for individuals pursuing associate degrees or certifications in early childhood education, targeting those earning under 400% of the federal poverty level, enrolled in at least six credit hours per semester, and working 25+ hours weekly in approved early childhood programs. Recipients must agree to work in Pennsylvania early childhood education for two years after completing their program. Funding comes from a new state fund, with annual reports tracking enrollment, retention, wages, and job demand. The program aims to support workforce development in early childhood education through financial assistance tied to service commitments.

Maddy summaryHB 781 creates a three-year pilot program to provide salary supplements for infant and toddler care professionals working at eligible child-care centers in Pennsylvania. The Department of Public Welfare will administer the program, establishing county-level pay parity standards that consider education and certification levels to prevent staff retention issues. Child-care centers receiving funds must use them exclusively for wage supplements and cannot reduce existing pay or replace staff costs. The program requires annual reporting to the General Assembly and expires after three fiscal years beginning in 2026-2027.

Maddy summaryHB 779 establishes a three-year pilot program to increase salaries for Head Start teachers in Pennsylvania. It targets Head Start programs located in school districts with at least 20% poverty or census tracts with 80% or lower median poverty. The program calculates a salary supplement by comparing Head Start teachers' qualifications to public elementary school teachers in the same district, then provides funds to align their pay. The Department of Education will select participating programs, collect data, and report findings to the legislature after one year.

Maddy summaryHB 782 prohibits Pennsylvania electric utilities from including lobbying or political activities in their rate base, meaning these costs cannot be passed on to customers through utility rates. It requires utilities with over 75,000 customers to file annual reports detailing all lobbying and political spending, including employee hours, third-party vendor payments, and specific expense breakdowns. The bill also states that advertising expenses can only be recovered if the utility demonstrates they are reasonable and meet defined criteria. This legislation directly affects large electric utilities operating in Pennsylvania.

Maddy summaryHB 787 would authorize Pennsylvania to join the Interstate Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact, a multi-state agreement. The bill creates a system where dentists and dental hygienists can more easily obtain licenses in participating states by sharing a single set of documents and passing the nationally recognized ADEX exam, eliminating duplicate paperwork and fees. This directly affects dental professionals seeking to practice across state lines, including military personnel and their spouses who receive expedited processing. The compact maintains each state's authority to regulate dental practice and take disciplinary action while standardizing licensing requirements and reducing costs for licensees.

Maddy summaryHB 768 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to allow school directors (elected or appointed members of school boards) to receive compensation for their service, which was previously prohibited. School boards can approve pay through a resolution at a regular meeting, but the amount must match compensation limits for similar local elected roles (like city council members) in the district's municipality or the median of such limits if the district spans multiple municipalities. The bill also updates the required oath of office for school directors to align with current standards. This change directly affects all school directors in Pennsylvania's public school districts.

Maddy summaryHB 769 requires Pennsylvania public schools (excluding fully online cyber charters) to provide dedicated physical space for libraries or information centers and maintain a library collection of at least 1,000 items per grade served, including print and nonprint materials like audio-visual equipment, starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The State Board of Education will establish building standards for library spaces and review these requirements every ten years. School boards must design spaces following the State Board's guidance, and the Secretary of Education can deny approval for construction projects that fail to meet the standards. This bill amends the Public School Code to ensure schools have adequate library resources for student learning.

Maddy summaryHB 726 requires Pennsylvania public, charter, private, and parochial schools to report their current and predicted capital infrastructure needs through a one-time survey. This includes costs related to physical buildings, digital systems, pandemic-related sanitation measures (like air filtration and PPE), and deferred projects since January 2020. The Department of Education will compile these reports into a detailed statewide summary for the General Assembly, specifying actual costs incurred and projected needs through the 2027-2028 school year. The bill does not allocate funding but creates a data foundation for future budget decisions. It directly affects all school entities operating within Pennsylvania.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to replace the Keystone Exams with the ACT test for high school graduation requirements in algebra I, literature, and biology, effective July 1, 2027. After that date, students must meet proficiency through the ACT or alternative pathways, including completing local coursework, scoring well on Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams, or providing evidence of postsecondary readiness. The bill updates definitions to include the ACT test and clarifies how students can demonstrate proficiency without taking the Keystone Exams. It directly affects Pennsylvania high school students and school districts responsible for implementing graduation requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 725 extends special education enrollment for students with disabilities who were impacted by pandemic disruptions. It allows eligible students (who haven't graduated high school, had an active Individualized Education Program at age 21, and were continuously enrolled since the 2020-2021 school year) to remain in public school through the 2035-2036 school year. Parents must submit an election form to the state by April 1 each year to enroll their child, with the state approving or denying within 30 days. The bill ensures these students' attendance counts toward school funding and maintains compliance with federal and state special education requirements. This directly affects students with disabilities in Pennsylvania's public schools who met pandemic-era enrollment conditions.