Rep. Mark Gillen

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Pennsylvania law to allow stormwater management authorities to set reasonable and uniform rates based on property characteristics. These rates can include fees for installing and maintaining best management practices that are approved and inspected by the authority. Additionally, the bill permits agricultural operations to use best management practices approved by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service or the State Conservation Commission when calculating these fees. The changes apply specifically to municipal authorities responsible for stormwater planning, management, and implementation. The legislation will take effect 60 days after it is passed.

Maddy summaryHB 2279 establishes the Grow Pennsylvania Merit Scholarship Program to provide tuition discounts for students attending specific in-demand occupations such as agriculture, engineering, and nursing. The bill defines key terms for the State System of Higher Education, including "in-demand occupation" as a job requiring high skills and offering family-sustaining wages, and creates new categories for university consolidations like the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania. By amending the Public School Code of 1949, the legislation sets the legal framework and definitions necessary to administer this new scholarship initiative.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Pennsylvania second-class townships to charge fees to fund the construction, maintenance, and operation of storm water management systems. The fees can be based on the properties that benefit from these facilities but must not exceed the minimum amounts required by federal and state environmental laws. Townships are required to offer exemptions or credits to property owners who install and maintain approved storm water facilities, including those following best management practices for normal agricultural operations. The legislation takes effect 60 days after being signed into law.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates a specific bridge carrying Pennsylvania Route 351 over the Beaver River in Beaver County as the Sgt. Skip Haswell Memorial Bridge. The legislation honors Lloyd "Skip" Haswell, a local veteran and former police chief who passed away in 2024, by officially changing the bridge's name to reflect his service and community contributions. To implement this change, the bill requires the Department of Transportation to install and maintain signs displaying the new name for traffic traveling in both directions. The act is set to take effect 60 days after being passed.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a Taxpayer Dividend Program in Pennsylvania to refund a portion of state budget surpluses to resident individual taxpayers. The program would distribute funds from the General Fund and the Budget Stabilization Reserve Fund to individuals who filed and paid taxes for the 2023 tax year. Money taken from the General Fund is limited to the existing surplus, while withdrawals from the Rainy Day Fund require a two-thirds legislative vote and must leave at least 6% of the fund's value intact. The Department of Revenue is tasked with identifying eligible recipients and processing payments, with the goal of returning accumulated surplus money rather than using it for expanded government spending.

Maddy summaryHB 2276 amends Pennsylvania's Tax Reform Code to impose an inheritance tax on property transfers exceeding $100,000. The bill directs that any transfer above this threshold be taxed according to the rates established in the existing code. This change directly affects individuals who receive inheritances larger than the $100,000 exemption limit. The legislation is set to take effect 60 days after its passage.