Rep. Kristine Howard

Maddy summaryHB 294 adds whistleblower protections for employees reporting potential violations of Pennsylvania's riot and disorderly conduct laws. It designates these employees as covered under the existing 1986 Whistleblower Law when reporting violations in good faith, and treats businesses/nonprofits/government entities as employers under that law for such reports. The bill also amends a statute to exempt animal research conducted lawfully under federal or state law at qualifying research facilities from the riot/disorderly conduct subchapter. This directly affects employees who report violations and research facilities conducting permitted animal studies. The changes take effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 233 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to change rules for charter school board membership. It prohibits local school board members from serving on charter school boards in their district (Section 1716-A(b)) and bars individuals receiving compensation from local school boards from serving on charter school boards if they were involved in the charter's approval (Section 1716-A(b.1)). The bill also requires local school boards to appoint a member to each charter school board (Section 1716-A(b.4)). These changes directly affect charter school boards, local school board members, and employees involved in charter school oversight. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryHB 232 establishes the Sustainable Community Safe House Grant Program, providing local governments (counties, cities, townships, and councils of governments) with grants of up to $250,000 to install renewable energy backup systems at community facilities. The bill transfers $100 million from the state's General Fund to the State Sustainable Energy Fund to finance these grants, requiring applicants to submit detailed plans for energy generation, storage, and community impact. Applications must include project locations, proposed uses, and how the system serves the community, with awards determined within 20 days based on geographic diversity and community benefits. The program expires December 31, 2026, and requires a public report by September 2026 listing all grant recipients and project details.

Maddy summaryHB 231 amends Pennsylvania's election code to allow nomination petitions for candidates to be printed on multiple sheets, with each sheet used for signers from different counties. The sheets must be bound together, numbered consecutively, and include a circulator's statement verifying signers' qualifications, residences, and party registration (with exceptions for certain local offices like school boards). This change directly affects candidates seeking nomination and the people collecting signatures for petitions across Pennsylvania. The bill streamlines the petition process without altering voter requirements or eligibility standards. It takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 268 amends Pennsylvania's Human Services Code to require that individuals determined eligible for home- and community-based waiver services must be offered those benefits within 90 days of eligibility determination. The bill directly affects Pennsylvanians applying for medically needy assistance through home-care waiver programs. Its key provision (Section 442.1(d)) establishes a strict 90-day timeline for offering waiver benefits after eligibility is confirmed, aiming to streamline access to community-based care. This is a procedural change to eligibility processing, not a new benefit or funding measure.

Maddy summaryHB 264 amends Pennsylvania's vehicle fee law to clarify that veterans with a 100% service-connected disability are exempt from vehicle titling and registration fees. The bill specifies that this exemption applies to veterans whose disability is certified at 100% by the military or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and who qualify for a disability plate and placard under existing law. It replaces the previous reference to "totally disabled veterans" with this precise standard to ensure consistent application of the fee exemption. This change updates the legal language without altering the scope of who qualifies for the exemption.

Maddy summaryHB 267 amends Pennsylvania's Election Code to allow voters with disabilities preventing them from entering polling places to vote from their vehicles. It directly affects voters who are blind, disabled, or unable to physically access voting locations due to conditions like blindness, disease, or mobility issues. The bill requires two election officers from different political parties to provide ballots at the polling place entrance or curb, permits voters to mark ballots and hand them to officers for deposit, and mandates documentation of assisted voting. It also allows voters without disability records on their registration to provide evidence of their condition per Secretary of the Commonwealth guidelines. The changes aim to improve accessibility while maintaining election integrity through specific procedural safeguards.

Maddy summaryHB 224 requires Pennsylvania's Department of Education to create an online comparison tool for higher education institutions. The tool must allow users to search colleges by major and compare high-priority occupations in Pennsylvania, including county-level data on required education, wages, and job demand. Pennsylvania colleges must annually submit relevant data (via existing federal reports) to the Department by January 1st to update the tool. This bill directly affects public and private colleges in Pennsylvania and students seeking education-to-career pathways.

Maddy summaryHB 215 requires every public school in Pennsylvania to employ at least one certified professional librarian. The bill amends the Public School Code of 1949 to mandate that each school must have a librarian certified under Pennsylvania law (24 Pa.C.S. § 9319). This directly affects all public schools statewide by establishing a new staffing requirement for library professionals. The provision takes effect 60 days after the bill is enacted, with no exemptions specified. The change applies uniformly to all public schools, regardless of size or location.

Maddy summaryHB 203 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to require public schools to close on Veterans' Day, adding it to the list of fixed holidays (alongside Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) when schools must be closed. It also allows school districts to designate up to five additional local holidays for closures and permits canceling these holidays during weather emergencies. The bill further mandates that schools hold special exercises on Veterans' Day as part of required observances. These changes apply directly to all public schools in Pennsylvania, affecting school calendars and holiday closures.