Rep. Mike Schlossberg

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Pennsylvania public schools to teach about the Holocaust, genocide, and human rights violations starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The instruction must total at least seven hours annually and be included within existing social studies and language arts classes. Additionally, the State Board of Education will study how schools are implementing this curriculum and create regulations to ensure compliance if most schools are not currently meeting the requirements.

Maddy summaryThis Pennsylvania House resolution urges the U.S. Congress to pass two federal bills aimed at improving food and drug safety for people with allergies and gluten intolerance. The proposed legislation would require updated ingredient lists on packaged foods and mandate clear front-of-package labels that specifically disclose the presence of gluten-containing grains. Additionally, it would require drug labels to identify any ingredients derived from major food allergens or gluten sources, helping consumers avoid harmful substances. The resolution is based on the need to protect the approximately 23 million Americans, including many Pennsylvanians, who suffer from celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Maternal Care Access Program within the Pennsylvania Department of Health to improve maternal health outcomes by directing resources to underserved areas. The legislation defines specific terms like "maternity care desert" and "at-risk" zones based on the availability of obstetric care, birth centers, and medical providers. It authorizes the department to distribute funds to birth centers, obstetrician-gynecologists, certified nurse midwives, and hospitals located in designated zones that lack adequate care options. Additionally, the bill establishes criteria for identifying distressed hospitals and outlines various health and social indicators used to assess maternal vulnerability.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits employers in Pennsylvania from punishing, disciplining, or retaliating against employees for refusing to attend meetings or listen to communications about religious or political topics. It defines "voluntary" participation as attendance that is not incentivized by benefits or threatened with negative employment consequences, ensuring employees can opt out without fear of reprisal. To enforce these protections, the law allows aggrieved workers to sue for remedies like reinstatement and back pay, while also requiring employers to post a notice explaining these rights. Additionally, the bill mandates that the Department of Labor and Industry investigate complaints and provides a framework for interested parties to report violations.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a minimum hourly wage of $20 or a living wage for education support professionals in Pennsylvania public schools, effective for the 2024-2025 school year. It requires schools to pay overtime at 1.5 times the standard rate and mandates that salaried workers be paid based on their actual hours worked to meet this threshold. For employees currently covered by existing contracts with lower wages, the law requires schools to make supplemental payments to bridge the gap until the contract expires or is renewed. The Department of Labor and Industry is tasked with calculating and annually adjusting the living wage based on inflation data, while the state provides funding to school districts to cover the cost of these wage increases. Additionally, the legislation updates procedures for school boards, requiring a majority vote and proper recording for certain decisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Pennsylvania's Air Pollution Control Act to address specific monitoring requirements for cement plants. It allows the state department to remove the mandate for opacity monitors at these facilities if they are already subject to federal particulate matter limits and have appropriate particulate monitors in place. The change applies only to cement plants regulated under specific federal hazardous air pollutant standards. The legislation takes effect 60 days after being passed.

Maddy summaryThis Pennsylvania bill updates the state's tax code to provide tax relief for victims of Nazi persecution. It specifically exempts from state personal income tax any money received as compensation for the seizure, theft, or forced conversion of income or property that occurred after May 30, 1971. The legislation also clarifies that such compensation is not considered a taxable gain from selling property. These changes apply to tax years starting on or after December 31, 2024, and take effect immediately.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Human Services Code to update definitions related to child care and establish a new copayment system for families receiving subsidized child care. It clarifies terms such as "child care," "child-care center," and "family child-care home" to specify who is covered and under what conditions. Under the new rules, parents or caretakers must pay a portion of the child care cost based on their family's annual income, with a cap of fifteen percent. The legislation also provides special provisions for families where the parent or caretaker works as a child-care employee or a direct support professional, ensuring they remain eligible for subsidies regardless of income level while still requiring a capped copayment.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new state program that allows Pennsylvania municipalities to establish special zoning districts designed to encourage higher-density housing near transit hubs and existing commercial areas. To qualify for financial incentives, towns must adopt specific zoning rules that permit mixed-use developments and affordable housing while meeting minimum requirements for open space and infrastructure. The legislation establishes a dedicated fund to provide one-time payments to municipalities for each new housing unit built within these approved districts, aiming to increase attainable housing stock. Local governments directly affected by this law would need to submit detailed plans outlining their housing goals and development strategies to the Department of Community and Economic Development for approval.

Maddy summaryThis resolution directs the Joint State Government Commission to study how Pennsylvania can increase the use of sustainable building materials in both state-funded and private construction projects. The commission will investigate the feasibility of updating construction requirements to include eco-friendly options like recycled steel and low-carbon concrete, while also analyzing the potential cost impacts of such changes. The study aims to identify suitable materials for the state's infrastructure and project direct and indirect financial savings or increases if these requirements are adopted. The commission is required to submit its findings to several House committees within 180 days of the resolution's passage.