Rep. Craig Staats

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to allow students attending private schools to join extracurricular activities offered by their local public school districts, provided the private school does not offer the same activity and the student meets all participation requirements. The legislation directly affects private school families and public school districts by creating a pathway for these students to participate in sports and other school organizations. The key mechanism is a new provision in Section 511 of the code that establishes these eligibility rules without changing existing laws for public school students. The bill is set to take effect 60 days after it is signed into law.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the PA VETConnect Program, which requires employers with more than 50 full-time employees to display a standardized poster about veterans' benefits and services. The poster must be placed in a visible area and include contact information for the Department of Military Affairs, resources for mental health and education, tax benefits, driver's license options, unemployment insurance details, legal services, and crisis line contacts. By mandating this workplace posting, the legislation aims to make support resources for veterans and their families more accessible within Pennsylvania workplaces.

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 summaryThis bill updates Pennsylvania's vehicle laws to create specific definitions for electric and hybrid vehicles while introducing a new annual fee to fund fire safety programs. Owners of electric vehicles will pay a $250 fee each year, while those with plug-in hybrid vehicles will pay $125, with the collected money going to the State Fire Commissioner for grants to fire companies. The legislation requires vehicle owners to pay this fee when registering or renewing their vehicle, and it allows the state to deny registration or title transfers if the fee remains unpaid.