Rep. Craig Staats

Maddy summaryHB 771 amends Pennsylvania's Election Code to clarify acceptable identification for voting. It specifies that voters must present a photo ID matching their name in the voter registry, including state driver's licenses, military IDs, student IDs, or employee IDs. Voters with religious objections to photo ID may use non-photo IDs like a without-photo driver's license or utility bills. Absentee and mail-in voters must provide either a driver's license number, last four digits of their Social Security number, or a copy of an acceptable non-photo ID. This bill directly affects all Pennsylvania voters required to show ID when casting ballots.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates February 9-15, 2025, as "Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Week" in Pennsylvania. It symbolically recognizes FBLA, a nonprofit organization that prepares students for business leadership through career-focused education and activities. The resolution does not create new laws, funding, or obligations - it simply honors FBLA’s mission and history in Pennsylvania, including its long-standing presence in schools since 1943. It directly affects Pennsylvania by encouraging public acknowledgment of FBLA’s role in student development.

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution designates March 2025 as "Music in Our Schools Month" in Pennsylvania. It recognizes the value of music education in developing students' creativity, problem-solving skills, and cultural understanding, while commending music educators across the state. The resolution does not create new laws, allocate funding, or impose requirements - its sole purpose is to formally acknowledge and support existing music education efforts in Pennsylvania schools during March 2025. It directly affects Pennsylvania public schools and music educators by highlighting their work through a symbolic designation.

Maddy summaryHB 1394 proposes to repeal the inheritance tax in Pennsylvania, directly affecting estates and beneficiaries who would no longer be subject to this tax on inherited assets. The bill also modifies procedures for taxpayers to petition for a reassessment of taxes. Additionally, it updates existing provisions related to how government-issued obligations are treated for tax purposes.

Maddy summaryHB 1373 requires Pennsylvania high schools to administer the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Test as a civic knowledge assessment to students in grades 7-12 starting in the 2026-2027 school year. Students must score at least 60% on this test to meet a high school graduation requirement. Schools must report compliance data, including participation and passing rates, to the state education department every other year. The bill specifically exempts students with individualized education programs (IEPs) if their IEPs indicate they are not required to take the test.

Maddy summaryHB 1367 requires Pennsylvania's Department of Human Services to implement a new child welfare case management subsystem within its enterprise case management system by December 31, 2027. This subsystem will replace current processes, creating a unified digital platform for managing child welfare cases across state agencies, counties, and service providers. It directly affects child welfare workers, county offices, and service agencies handling foster care, abuse investigations, and family support services. The bill sets a specific deadline for this technical upgrade but does not change eligibility rules or funding for child welfare programs.

Maddy summaryHB 1368 amends Pennsylvania's child protective services laws by adding two key definitions to Title 23. It defines a "General protective services report" as one concerning risks from non-abuse circumstances (like lack of parental care or truancy), and specifies what makes such a report "valid" based on six concrete conditions (e.g., abandonment, school truancy, or a child under 10 committing a crime). This bill directly affects child welfare workers who file reports and families subject to these reports. The changes clarify when reports meet legal standards, aiming to standardize how child safety concerns are assessed under Pennsylvania law.

Maddy summaryHB 1369 amends Pennsylvania's child protective services laws to change how certain reports are handled in the Statewide database. It extends the retention period for unfounded reports and general protective services reports from 1 year to 30 years before they must be removed, with an exception: reports involving children remain in the database until the youngest child identified turns 23. The bill repeals an old provision that allowed expungement of records for perpetrators under 18 at the time of abuse. It directly affects families who had reports deemed unfounded or related to general protective services, as their records will now stay in the system longer before being removed. The changes apply to all such reports processed by county child protective agencies and the state database.

Maddy summaryHB 1370 amends Pennsylvania's Clean Streams Law to exempt construction sites building single-family residential homes from requiring a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. This change directly affects residential construction companies and developers building standalone single-family homes. The bill adds a new provision (Section 402(c)(3)) specifying that such sites are exempt from otherwise applicable NPDES permit requirements under the Clean Streams Law. The exemption takes effect 60 days after the bill's enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 684 requires Pennsylvania public schools to adopt evidence-based reading curricula and implement annual reading screenings for kindergarten through third-grade students starting in the 2026-2027 school year. Schools must identify reading deficiencies using approved screeners, notify parents in writing about deficiencies, and provide individualized reading intervention plans for affected students. The bill mandates that educators complete approved professional development training by the 2028-2029 school year to support these requirements. It directly affects K-3 students, their families, and school staff, with specific deadlines for curriculum adoption, screening, and educator training. The law also establishes reporting and accountability measures for school entities to ensure compliance.