Rep. Ben Waxman

Maddy summaryHB 816 proposes a constitutional amendment to Pennsylvania's tax code, creating a new standard for homeowners to qualify for relief from real property taxes. It would allow the state legislature to establish income-based thresholds, exempting homeowners from paying the portion of their local property tax on their primary home that exceeds a certain percentage of their household income. This directly affects homeowners who pay local property taxes and meet income criteria set by the legislature. As a constitutional amendment, it requires approval by the General Assembly and then by voters in a statewide election. The bill does not specify income percentages or implementation details, only authorizing future legislation to create such standards.

Maddy summaryHB 803 requires Pennsylvania high schools (grades 9-12) to maintain opioid antagonists like naloxone (Narcan) on-site and train staff to use them during suspected overdose emergencies. Schools must develop a policy within 60 days with the Department of Education, detailing safe storage, administration procedures, and mandatory hospital transport after use. Trained staff, including nurses or teachers, can administer the medication in good faith without facing legal liability, criminal charges, or professional penalties. This law directly affects all public, charter, private, and nonpublic high schools in Pennsylvania, aiming to improve emergency response to opioid overdoses among students and staff.

Maddy summaryHB 806 protects student journalists in Pennsylvania public and private schools by prohibiting school officials from reviewing or censoring school-sponsored media content before publication (prior restraint). It requires schools to adopt policies by the 2025-2026 school year, granting student editors final approval authority over content while banning censorship except for legally unprotected speech like libel, obscenity, or material disruption. The bill defines key terms (e.g., "student journalist," "student editor") and ensures student-media advisors cannot be punished for supporting protected student expression. It directly affects all Pennsylvania school entities, including districts, charter schools, and private schools with journalism programs.

Maddy summaryHB 785 creates a new electronic voter registration system in Pennsylvania. It requires the state to establish a secure online portal within 180 days where voters can submit registration applications or updates, verify identity using the last four digits of their Social Security number or driver's license, and provide digital signatures. The bill mandates accessibility features for voters with disabilities and specifies that applications must be processed through existing systems. This directly affects all Pennsylvania voters seeking to register or update their registration online, streamlining the process while maintaining verification requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 792 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to require the State Board of Education to collect data on how schools teach Holocaust, genocide, and human rights violations. Starting after the 2025-2026 school year, the State Board must annually request schools to report on whether they offer such instruction, the curriculum used, teacher training participation, and details like grade levels and instructional hours. Every five years, the State Board must issue a report to the Governor, Education Secretary, and legislative education committee chairs, including statistics on school participation and recommendations for improvement. The bill does not mandate specific curriculum content but establishes a reporting system to track existing educational practices.

Maddy summaryHB 790 requires Pennsylvania hospitals with emergency departments to provide abortion services when an individual has an emergency medical condition that necessitates an abortion to stabilize their health. This applies to all hospitals in the state with emergency departments, directly affecting those facilities and the patients seeking emergency care. The bill defines "emergency medical condition" to include life-threatening situations like ectopic pregnancy, preeclampsia, or complications from pregnancy loss, requiring hospitals to offer the service unless the patient or their legal representative refuses after being informed of risks and benefits. Hospitals must take reasonable steps to secure written consent for refusal to ensure compliance. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution designates February 28, 2025, as "HIV is Not a Crime Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania. It does not create new laws but formally recognizes the issue of HIV criminalization - where individuals with HIV face criminal charges for non-disclosure or conduct that would not be prosecuted if they did not have HIV. The resolution highlights how such laws increase stigma, disproportionately impact marginalized groups (including people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals), and contradict current public health knowledge that undetectable HIV cannot be transmitted. The designation aims to raise awareness and encourage education about HIV treatment, prevention, and the need to address outdated criminal laws.

Maddy summaryHB 782 prohibits Pennsylvania electric utilities from including lobbying or political activities in their rate base, meaning these costs cannot be passed on to customers through utility rates. It requires utilities with over 75,000 customers to file annual reports detailing all lobbying and political spending, including employee hours, third-party vendor payments, and specific expense breakdowns. The bill also states that advertising expenses can only be recovered if the utility demonstrates they are reasonable and meet defined criteria. This legislation directly affects large electric utilities operating in Pennsylvania.

Maddy summaryHB 769 requires Pennsylvania public schools (excluding fully online cyber charters) to provide dedicated physical space for libraries or information centers and maintain a library collection of at least 1,000 items per grade served, including print and nonprint materials like audio-visual equipment, starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The State Board of Education will establish building standards for library spaces and review these requirements every ten years. School boards must design spaces following the State Board's guidance, and the Secretary of Education can deny approval for construction projects that fail to meet the standards. This bill amends the Public School Code to ensure schools have adequate library resources for student learning.

Maddy summaryHB 739 amends Pennsylvania's 1951 Professional Nursing Law to modernize terminology and clarify roles for advanced practice nurses. It replaces "certified registered nurse practitioner" with "APRN-CNP" throughout the law, defines "collaboration" requirements for new APRN-CNPs (requiring 3,600 practice hours before independent work), and updates definitions for "medical nutrition therapy" and "population focus areas." The bill explicitly removes the State Board of Nursing's authority to license APRN-CNPs, shifting that responsibility elsewhere. These changes directly affect registered nurses seeking advanced practice certification and the Board's regulatory role in nursing licensure.