Rep. Jim Prokopiak

Maddy summaryPennsylvania House Bill 2737 amends the state's Public School Code to require annual reporting on student wait lists for career and technical education programs. The bill mandates that area career and technical boards submit data on the number of students waiting for enrollment in specific programs to the Department of Education by July 1 each year. Additionally, it requires the Secretary of Education to report this wait list information, broken down by program, to the state legislature's standing education committees annually.

Maddy summaryPennsylvania House Bill 2740 amends state public utility laws to mandate that the Public Utility Commission use a fixed hypothetical capital structure of 50 percent equity and 50 percent debt when calculating rates for electric and gas distribution companies. The bill strictly prohibits regulators from considering a utility's actual financial leverage or the capital structures of its parent companies during rate-setting proceedings. While utilities must still use their actual cost of long-term debt if it was incurred prudently, they are not required to maintain the hypothetical 50-50 balance in their real-world finances. These new rules will apply to all base rate cases filed after the act takes effect, which is set for 60 days after its enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill legalizes prediction markets in Pennsylvania by adding a new chapter to the state's amusement laws that defines how these speculative platforms must operate. It directly affects the companies that build and run these platforms, as well as the individuals who wish to place bets on the outcomes of future events. Key provisions include setting a minimum age of 21 for participants, banning markets related to deaths or assassinations, and prohibiting anyone involved in gambling from acting as a market maker or sharing in the platform's revenue. The legislation also establishes rules to prevent insider trading and market manipulation, while giving the state board authority to create specific regulations and impose civil penalties for violations.

Maddy summaryThis Pennsylvania House Resolution condemns the Russian Federation's actions in Ukraine, specifically the illegal abduction and forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia. The document states that these actions violate the Genocide Convention by attempting to erase Ukrainian identity and culture through forced adoption and re-education. It notes that while some children have been returned, hundreds of thousands remain at risk of exploitation and cultural assimilation in occupied territories. The resolution directs copies to the President, Vice President, Secretary of State, and U.S. Congress members to formally register the state's opposition to these policies.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires corporations and unincorporated associations in Pennsylvania to report the number of single-family or low-density residential properties they own in their annual filings. It establishes a new chapter in state law that restricts certain entities from owning residential real estate and mandates a waiting period for purchases by covered investors. The legislation allows the Department of State to dissolve or cancel the registration of an entity that violates these property ownership rules at least 10 times within a three-year period. Additionally, the bill grants municipalities specific powers to enforce these restrictions and creates a private right of action for individuals to sue entities that violate the new ownership prohibitions.

Maddy summaryHB 2190 amends Pennsylvania's Public Employe Relations Act to change how collective bargaining impasses are resolved for specific public safety and court staff. It requires binding arbitration for disputes involving prison guards, mental hospital staff, peace officers, and court employees when mediation fails - meaning the arbitrator's decision becomes final and enforceable. However, if an arbitration decision would require new legislation (e.g., changing pay rates or benefits), that part would only be advisory, not binding. The bill directly affects these public employee groups whose work is critical to security and court operations. This change streamlines dispute resolution while maintaining legislative oversight for policy changes.

Maddy summaryHB 96 amends Pennsylvania's Real Estate Tax Sale Law to require tax authorities to send written notice of delinquent taxes to a designated individual (like a mortgage holder) before selling property. This directly affects property owners with unpaid taxes and mortgage lenders who may be designated to receive these notices. The bill establishes a specific notification process and imposes new duties on the Department of Community and Economic Development to manage these communications. The law aims to provide clearer notice to interested parties before tax sales occur, though it does not change the core process of tax sales itself.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law to ban government agencies from signing nondisclosure agreements related to data centers. The law prohibits any contract that restricts the public from accessing information about the construction, development, or location of these facilities. If an agency signs such an agreement, the contract is considered void and unenforceable. The bill defines a data center as a facility used to process, store, or transmit data using computers and software.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's tax code to create a new economic development tax credit designed to support business growth and infrastructure improvements within the state. To receive this credit, entities must hire only Pennsylvania residents, use 100% materials sourced from within the state or the United States, and comply with prevailing wage laws. The Department of Community and Economic Development is tasked with auditing recipients annually to ensure they meet these requirements, and any entity found non-compliant must repay the full amount of the tax credit.

Maddy summaryHB 2535, known as the Commercial Data Center Public Safety Act, regulates large data centers in Pennsylvania that consume 25 megawatts or more of power. To receive a certificate of occupancy, these facilities must submit detailed emergency plans and inventories listing battery types, cooling agents, and fire suppression systems to local fire officials. The bill also mandates annual updates to these documents and restricts access to the information to authorized safety and law enforcement personnel to protect confidential security details.