Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta

Maddy summaryHB 1923 establishes new workplace safety requirements for meat packing and food processing facilities by mandating facility health and safety committees. It creates a dedicated workers' rights coordinator position within the Department of Labor and Industry to oversee compliance and address concerns. The bill also adds specific public health emergency protections for workers during outbreaks or crises, requiring employers to follow state health guidelines. These changes directly affect workers and employers in the meat and food processing industry across the state.

Maddy summaryHB 2217 requires Pennsylvania public schools to provide specific minimum recess and lunch periods for students. It mandates at least 30 minutes of recess daily for full-day kindergarten through fifth grade, 15 minutes for half-day kindergarten, and 30 consecutive minutes of lunch for all full-day kindergarten through twelfth grade. The bill prohibits withholding lunch for discipline or make-up work, ensures students can opt out of cafeteria lunch for religious reasons, and prevents schools from reducing non-tested subject instruction time to provide recess without balancing with tested subjects. This applies to all school entities (including districts, charter schools, and cyber charters) and takes effect July 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits Pennsylvania State Police from stopping, detaining, or questioning individuals based solely on immigration status, except when necessary for unrelated criminal investigations. It bans prolonging detention due to immigration status or conducting immigration checks without a prior criminal arrest. Police must share immigration detainer information with federal authorities only if discovered during lawful detention for unrelated matters. The law directly affects all individuals interacting with Pennsylvania State Police, limiting state involvement in federal immigration enforcement.

Maddy summaryHB 2197 requires charter, regional charter, and cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania to annually report to the state education department the number of students who either returned to their district of residence or were otherwise removed from the school. This bill directly affects the management and accountability of these school types by mandating transparency around student enrollment changes. The key provision is the annual reporting requirement for school boards, focusing on tracking student departures rather than altering attendance rules. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment, with no changes to existing attendance policies for students.

Maddy summaryHB 713 amends Pennsylvania law to protect individuals who disclose sexual offenses or abuse by expanding legal safeguards for such communications. It defines "protected public expression" to include non-malicious disclosures about sexual violence under Pennsylvania law (23 Pa.C.S. §§ 6102, 62A03) and explicitly states that reporting these incidents should not be chilled by lawsuits. The bill excludes claims under protection-from-abuse laws (23 Pa.C.S. Chapter 61) and sexual violence statutes (Chapter 62A) from certain legal challenges. This creates a clearer legal shield for people reporting sexual violence without altering existing protections for victims.

Maddy summaryHB 603 extends the time employees have to file a lawsuit after retaliation under Pennsylvania's Whistleblower Law, changing the deadline from 180 days to two years. It clarifies that successful whistleblowers can recover back pay, reinstatement of benefits and seniority, and full legal costs including attorney fees. The bill also specifies that punitive damages may be awarded only if retaliation was intentional or showed reckless disregard for employee rights. These changes directly affect Pennsylvania employees who report violations of state, local, or federal law and face retaliation. The bill does not create new protections but strengthens enforcement mechanisms for existing whistleblower safeguards.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates January 23, 2026, as "Maternal Health Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania. It symbolically recognizes women who die from pregnancy or childbirth complications, drawing attention to maternal mortality rates in the state. The resolution does not create new laws or allocate funding but aims to increase public and professional awareness of maternal health issues, particularly highlighting disparities affecting Black women.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Human Relations Act to allow individuals who have been subject to or witnessed civil rights violations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents or cooperating federal/state/local law enforcement during immigration enforcement to file complaints with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. The Commission can then refer these complaints to the state Attorney General or the relevant county district attorney. It directly affects Pennsylvanians experiencing or witnessing such violations within the state. The change expands the Commission's authority to address immigration-related enforcement issues under state law.

Maddy summaryThis Pennsylvania House resolution (HR 402) urges the U.S. Congress to require meaningful accountability and civil rights reforms before approving new funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It directly addresses federal agencies by demanding reforms like enforceable use-of-force standards, independent reviews of serious incidents, and public release of body-camera footage after deaths or injuries during enforcement. The resolution cites the January 2026 deaths of two U.S. citizens during an ICE operation in Minneapolis as a catalyst for requiring transparency and oversight before additional federal appropriations are granted. It does not create new law but calls on Congress to condition future funding on specific, concrete reforms to protect civil rights and public safety.

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.