Rep. Kristine Howard

Maddy summaryThis Pennsylvania House resolution (HR 397) urges the U.S. Congress to pass H.R. 2540, the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act. The resolution supports increasing Supplemental Security Income (SSI) resource limits from $2,000 (individual) and $3,000 (couple) to $10,000 and $20,000, respectively - adjusting for inflation since 1989. It directly affects SSI recipients (primarily seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income individuals) who currently lose benefits or face penalties for holding savings or assets above current limits. The resolution notes that current rules cause over 70,000 annual benefit reductions and 40,000 terminations, limiting financial security and housing options.

Maddy summaryHB 2148 requires Pennsylvania school entities (including school districts, charter schools, and cyber charters) to adopt policies ensuring all students, parents, guardians, and school personnel can access school property regardless of immigration status. Specifically, schools must develop and publicly adopt inclusive policies within 90 days of the bill’s effective date, requiring school boards to approve these policies via public resolution with 45 days’ notice. Policies must be published in all languages spoken by students at home and reviewed quarterly to maintain accessibility. The bill explicitly prohibits immigration or law enforcement officials (including ICE, Customs, and local agencies acting under federal immigration authority) from restricting access to school zones without proper legal process. This directly affects all Pennsylvania public and private schools serving students, mandating concrete procedural changes to protect school access.

Maddy summaryHB 2115 requires advance notice to Pennsylvania's Attorney General for certain major healthcare transactions that could reduce competition. It specifically applies to mergers, acquisitions, or "contracting affiliations" between healthcare facilities, systems, or provider organizations when they generate at least $10 million in Pennsylvania revenue annually. The bill mandates that these entities submit premerger notifications, supplementing federal antitrust rules, to allow the Attorney General to review potential anti-competitive harm before deals close. This aims to protect consumers by ensuring robust competition in healthcare markets across Pennsylvania. The law creates new enforcement mechanisms but does not alter existing federal antitrust standards.

Maddy summaryHB 2125 amends Pennsylvania's 1951 Landlord and Tenant Act to strengthen tenant protections in rental properties. It restricts evictions to four specific reasons: nonpayment of rent, a second or subsequent lease violation within six months, a change in land use, or property termination. The bill requires landlords to provide written notices via certified mail before eviction proceedings, with 20-day notice for rent nonpayment (April-September) or 30 days otherwise, and prohibits self-help evictions like lockouts. It also mandates that community rules be uniformly applied to all tenants and posted clearly, with a required "Important Notice" explaining tenant rights and eviction procedures. This bill directly affects tenants and landlords in rental properties governed by the Landlord and Tenant Act.

Maddy summaryHB 1825 amends Pennsylvania's Human Relations Act to require employers to establish clear anti-discrimination policies and procedures for handling workplace complaints. It directly affects all businesses and organizations in Pennsylvania that employ people. The bill mandates specific steps for documenting and investigating discrimination claims, such as requiring written procedures for reporting incidents. It also expands the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission's authority to enforce these requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 505 proposes restructuring how electricity companies operate in Pennsylvania by amending the state's public utilities code. It requires electric utilities to implement new energy efficiency and conservation programs for customers, directly affecting both utility companies and residential/commercial electricity users. Key provisions include mandating specific energy-saving measures and updating how utility programs are funded and administered. The bill aims to modernize the electric industry framework while expanding access to efficiency resources for consumers.

Maddy summaryHB 1957 is a proposed constitutional amendment that would add a right to "personal reproductive liberty" to Pennsylvania's state constitution. This would directly affect all Pennsylvanians by guaranteeing legal protection for decisions related to reproductive health care, including access to abortion, contraception, and related services. The key mechanism is amending the state constitution to explicitly protect these rights, rather than creating new laws. This is a procedural step requiring voter approval after legislative passage, as constitutional amendments in Pennsylvania must be ratified by voters.

Maddy summaryHB 1768 establishes four new grant programs to support Pennsylvania's local food system. It provides incentives for schools and institutions to purchase local food (Local Food Purchasing Incentive Grant), offers financial assistance to farmers for production improvements (Keystone Producer Grant), supports food distribution networks (Keystone Assistance Grant), and funds school meal programs sourcing from local farms (Keystone Fresh Farm to School Account). The Department of Agriculture and Department of Education would administer these programs and manage the grant allocations. The bill directly affects Pennsylvania farmers, schools, food distributors, and local food businesses by creating new funding mechanisms to strengthen regional food systems.

Maddy summaryHB 1881 updates Pennsylvania's Pharmacy Act to modernize requirements for pharmacy technicians and trainees, including new registration qualifications and supervision rules by licensed pharmacists. It adds specific protocols for pharmacies administering injectable medications, biologicals (like vaccines), and immunizations, while requiring detailed reports on vaccine administration. The bill also establishes new standards for clinical laboratory certificates and repeals outdated sections of the original 1961 law. These changes directly affect pharmacies, pharmacy technicians, trainees, and pharmacists who oversee vaccine and medication administration.

Maddy summaryHB 1663 establishes Pennsylvania's Statewide Imagination Library Program under the Public School Code of 1949, creating a dedicated funding account managed by the Department of Education. The bill directly affects Pennsylvania children, particularly those from birth through age five, by providing free books through the program. Key provisions require the Department of Education to administer the program and manage the Imagination Library of Pennsylvania Restricted Account for funding. The bill is currently under review in the Children & Youth committee after being removed from the legislative table in November 2025.