Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta

Maddy summaryHB 1236 strengthens penalties for assaulting law enforcement officers and hospital security officers in Pennsylvania. It creates three felony levels: a first-degree felony for discharging a firearm at such officers during duty, a third-degree felony for intentionally causing contact with bodily fluids (blood, seminal fluid, etc.), and a second-degree felony if the perpetrator knew the fluids came from someone with a reportable communicable disease that could be transmitted via the method used. These provisions apply when the perpetrator knows the victim is a law enforcement officer or hospital security officer on duty. The bill also updates sentencing guidelines to classify these assaults as "crimes of violence" under Pennsylvania law.

Maddy summaryHB 1245 requires Pennsylvania's Department of Health to partner with healthcare providers - including obstetricians, gynecologists, urologists, and community health centers - to educate individuals about pelvic floor dysfunction and related conditions. The Department must create and distribute accessible informational materials (both online and in print) to people identified by healthcare providers as experiencing or at risk for these conditions, with specific focus on postpartum women. These materials must cover symptoms, treatments, biological processes, and include a recommendation for postpartum pelvic floor assessments. The bill adds this educational duty to the Department's existing responsibilities under the 1929 Administrative Code, without altering current healthcare services or funding.

Maddy summaryHB 1249 establishes Pennsylvania's mandatory Drug Shortage Reporting System under the Department of Health. It requires health care facilities (like hospitals, nursing homes, and cancer centers) and drug manufacturers to report shortages or production disruptions of "lifesaving drugs" - defined as critical for emergencies, surgery, or public health crises. The law mandates timely reporting of shortages where demand exceeds supply, and disruptions likely to reduce supply for over 90 days. This system aims to help the state track and respond to drug shortages affecting patient care.

Maddy summaryHB 1254 clarifies and updates Pennsylvania's laws regarding advance health care directives, specifically strengthening the legal framework for "Pennsylvania orders for life-sustaining treatment" (POLST) and out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders. The bill adds criminal penalties for falsifying, forging, or tampering with these documents, or for concealing a patient's revocation of them. It also specifies that emergency medical services must follow valid POLST or DNR orders when present, providing standard care only when no such order exists. This directly affects patients with advance directives, their families, and health care providers who must comply with these legal documents.

Maddy summaryHB 1255 proposes a constitutional amendment to Pennsylvania's Constitution, adding Section 30 to guarantee employees the right to organize, bargain collectively over wages and working conditions, and protect workplace safety. It specifically prohibits laws that interfere with these rights, including bans on union membership as a condition of employment. The amendment must pass both legislative chambers and then be approved by Pennsylvania voters at the next qualifying election. This would establish a constitutional right affecting all Pennsylvania workers and employers, not just current labor laws.

Maddy summaryHB 1242 requires Pennsylvania's Department of Health to establish a bone marrow donor recruitment program that educates residents about registering with the National Marrow Donor Program and the bone marrow donation process. The program will develop and share electronic materials - including website content and machine-readable codes - at state websites, driver's license offices, and healthcare facilities to explain donor eligibility, registration steps, and donation procedures. This bill directs the state to provide accessible information to help Pennsylvanians understand how to become bone marrow donors, with a focus on increasing participation from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

Maddy summaryHB 1259 would amend Pennsylvania's procurement laws to require contractors and subcontractors working on public work projects costing $300,000 or more to certify compliance with specific qualifications. These qualifications include maintaining required registrations and insurance, being in good standing with government agencies, and having no recent debarments, license revocations, or project defaults. The bill creates a new certification form that must be submitted with bids, and gives purchasing agencies authority to review compliance and disqualify non-compliant contractors. The Office of State Inspector General would have enforcement duties, with penalties for violations of these requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 1209 requires cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania to ensure all professional staff members hold state certification, including special education certification for those providing special education services. This amendment to the Public School Code directly affects cyber charter school employees and their employers by establishing standardized qualification requirements. The new rule takes effect 60 days after the bill is enacted, aligning cyber charter school staffing standards with those of traditional public schools.

Maddy summaryHB 1215 establishes Pennsylvania's Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission to draw congressional district maps, directly affecting how Pennsylvania's 17 congressional districts are defined. The bill requires a 15-member commission (5 from the largest party, 5 from the second-largest, and 5 nonpartisan members) selected through a public application process with transparency requirements. Key provisions include prioritizing specific redistricting criteria (like population equality and community integrity), setting deadlines for map adoption, and allowing judicial review if maps aren't finalized. The commission must operate transparently with public input, and maps must be drawn every decade following a standardized process. This bill changes the redistricting process from legislative control to a structured, nonpartisan commission.

Maddy summaryHB 31 proposes a constitutional amendment to replace Pennsylvania's current Legislative Reapportionment Commission - which includes legislative leaders - with an Independent Redistricting Commission. The new commission would draw state legislative and congressional district boundaries after each federal census, following specific redistricting criteria outlined in the amendment. This change aims to reduce partisan influence by removing direct legislative control over redistricting. The bill does not detail the exact criteria but requires the commission to adhere to them when creating district maps.