Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the membership rules for Pennsylvania's State Veterans' Commission to ensure broader representation of different veteran groups. It mandates that the commission include representatives from sixteen specific national veterans' organizations, such as the American Legion and VFW, along with four members appointed by the Governor who must be female or Vietnam-era veterans. The legislation also clarifies the roles of state-level leaders from the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and Veterans of Foreign Wars as nonvoting members. These changes aim to modernize the commission's composition while maintaining its existing structure under Pennsylvania law.

Maddy summaryHB 1742 amends Pennsylvania's personal income tax code to create special provisions for taxpayers living in poverty. The bill allows individuals with an income of $6,500 to $10,000, or married couples with a combined income of $13,000 to $20,000, to receive a refund or forgiveness of any taxes they have overpaid. Eligible taxpayers also receive an additional $9,500 income allowance for each dependent they claim. The poverty income thresholds are set to increase annually based on the Consumer Price Index, ensuring they do not decrease even if inflation rates are negative.

Maddy summaryThis bill introduces restorative justice as a formal sentencing option in Pennsylvania courts, allowing judges to order it either as the sole punishment or alongside traditional penalties like probation or confinement. The legislation defines restorative justice as a participatory process involving victims, offenders, community members, and trained facilitators to address harm, resolve conflicts, and repair relationships through methods such as conferences or circles. By adding specific definitions and procedures to state law, the bill ensures that courts consider this approach when determining sentences, provided all participants voluntarily agree to take part.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Pennsylvania zoning laws to allow municipalities with over 5,000 residents in growing counties to create rules for multiple-unit housing. It directly affects local governments in these specific areas by expanding their authority to regulate apartment and condominium developments. The key provision adds new eligibility criteria based on population size and recent growth, removing previous restrictions that limited these zoning options. This change aims to provide a clearer legal framework for communities seeking to increase housing density in response to population increases.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a Net Operating Loss Transfer Program in Pennsylvania to allow certain new or expanding biotechnology and technology businesses to sell their unused tax losses to other companies. The program specifically targets businesses that have been operating in the state for five years or less and employ at least 15% of their U.S. workforce within Pennsylvania. Under the new rules, these "selling taxpayers" can transfer the value of their tax benefits to "purchasing taxpayers," who may then use those benefits to offset their own taxable income. The legislation also updates penalty provisions for tax violations and renumbers existing sections of the Tax Reform Code of 1971 to reflect these changes.

Maddy summaryThis Pennsylvania bill prohibits the intentional addition of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, to a wide range of consumer products including cookware, cosmetics, food packaging, and artificial turf. While the law generally bans these chemicals, it allows for their use in specific items if the Department of Environmental Protection determines that no safer alternative exists and the chemical is critical for the product's function. The Department of Environmental Protection is tasked with enforcing these restrictions, managing a public database of PFAS information, and imposing penalties for violations.

Maddy summaryThis Pennsylvania bill amends the Solid Waste Management Act to clarify definitions and restrict how oil and gas wastewater is handled. It explicitly adds various types of oil and gas wastewater, such as production water and brine, to the legal definition of "residual waste." The legislation prohibits spreading this wastewater on roads or applying it to land, with the sole exception of tophole water used at the specific well site where it was extracted. Additionally, the bill bans vehicles transporting this wastewater from having mechanisms that could facilitate the prohibited disposal or reuse methods. These changes aim to limit the environmental impact of oil and gas operations by preventing the use of wastewater for dust suppression, road deicing, or road stabilization.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Pennsylvania's tax laws to exclude sales tax from the calculation of interchange fees charged on credit and debit card transactions. It requires payment card networks to either deduct the tax amount from these fees at the time of settlement or refund a proportional portion of the fee if the tax was not initially separated. The legislation defines specific terms like "interchange fee" and "electronic payment transaction" to clarify which fees are affected and outlines penalties for networks that fail to comply, including fines and mandatory refunds to merchants.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a resolution that asks the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to officially recognize June 2024 as "National Immigrant Heritage Month" within the state. It aims to honor the contributions of immigrants and their descendants by highlighting their roles in the economy, healthcare, military service, and innovation. The measure does not create new laws or change policies but instead serves as a symbolic gesture to celebrate diversity and acknowledge the historical and ongoing impact of immigrants on Pennsylvania's communities. After being referred to the Housing and Community Development committee, the bill was reported as committed and subsequently laid on the table, ending its immediate legislative process.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Tax Reform Code to update the legal definitions of "compensation" and "domestic abuse" for personal income tax purposes. It clarifies that compensation includes various forms of payment like salaries, bonuses, and specific deferred income, while explicitly excluding items such as retirement benefits, unemployment aid, and reimbursements for actual expenses. The legislation also provides a new definition for "domestic abuse" that covers physical, psychological, sexual, emotional, and economic harm, including efforts to control or isolate a victim. These updated definitions will allow individuals who have experienced domestic abuse to access certain tax provisions, such as early withdrawal from retirement accounts, without facing standard penalties. The changes take effect 60 days after the bill is enacted.