Rep. Rick Krajewski

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Cosmetology Law to explicitly include natural hair braiders in its licensing requirements. It mandates that individuals performing natural hair braiding must obtain a cosmetology license and work only in licensed salons, while also prohibiting the rental of booths within those establishments. The legislation clarifies that these rules apply solely to those whose business is dedicated to braiding and does not affect emergency services, medical professionals, or licensed barbers. Additionally, the bill establishes specific eligibility criteria for taking the required examination and outlines the fees and renewal processes for these new licenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires healthcare providers, including physicians and midwives, to offer pregnant and postpartum patients a standardized screening tool for mood and anxiety disorders in their primary language. It mandates that providers share information about available support resources with patients and, with consent, with their accompanying individuals or designated contacts. The legislation also directs the Department of Health to create a public awareness campaign about perinatal mental health and to maintain an updated list of counseling and assistance services.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to update the list of protected characteristics, explicitly adding sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, handicap, disability, and the use of support animals to existing categories like race and age. The legislation directly affects employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, and providers of housing and public accommodations by clarifying that discrimination based on these new and existing traits is unlawful. It reinforces the state's policy of ensuring equal opportunity and mandates that the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission enforce these protections through established procedures and penalties. Additionally, the bill includes provisions to protect religious exercise while maintaining the commission's powers and duties to prevent prejudice and handle complaints.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Pennsylvania's existing rules on firearm possession by clarifying the responsibilities of individuals who are legally prohibited from owning guns. It mandates that people facing certain disabilities must surrender their firearms, ammunition, and licenses to law enforcement or transfer them to eligible buyers within a specific timeframe, with stricter requirements for those subject to abuse protection orders. The legislation also introduces new penalties for failing to comply with these surrender orders and for knowingly accepting or returning weapons to prohibited individuals before a court order allows it. Additionally, the bill outlines duties for the Office of Attorney General and establishes procedures for handling firearms in community and municipal courts.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands workers' compensation coverage to include post-traumatic stress injuries sustained by active volunteer emergency medical services personnel. It specifically defines eligible EMS providers as those designated by a municipality as its primary responder or dispatched via public safety answering points and mutual aid agreements. The legislation also clarifies that compensation is not required to be filed within a specific timeframe and broadens the list of qualified medical professionals who can evaluate these claims to include psychologists and psychiatrists. Finally, the bill sets an immediate effective date for most provisions while delaying the implementation of new sections regarding specific act amendments for one year.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Health Care Facilities Act to strengthen the Attorney General's authority in reviewing proposed mergers and acquisitions within the healthcare sector. It establishes a detailed list of factors the Attorney General must evaluate, including potential impacts on prices, service quality, market competition, and access for vulnerable populations. The legislation also requires state agencies like the Department of Aging and the Insurance Department to assist in these reviews while protecting certain documents from public disclosure. Ultimately, the law aims to ensure that large healthcare transactions do not negatively affect patients or the overall public interest.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the Pennsylvania Children in Foster Care Act to clarify definitions and establish new requirements for securing financial benefits for children in the foster system. It directs county agencies to screen every child within 60 days of placement to determine eligibility for federal and state benefits like Social Security and veterans' aid, and to apply for these funds if the child qualifies. The legislation also mandates that if a child is eligible for benefits, the agency must manage those funds as a representative payee, ensuring the money is used for the child's specific needs rather than to reimburse the state for foster care costs. Additionally, the bill requires agencies to help maintain these benefits when a child ages out of the system or transitions to adulthood.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania laws to update definitions and policies regarding utility customer protection programs for residential electricity, natural gas, and water services. It clarifies who qualifies as a customer or applicant for assistance, establishes specific income thresholds for determining financial hardship, and expands the scope of these protections to include water and sewer authorities in second-class cities. The legislation also standardizes terms related to complaints, payment arrangements, and service termination to ensure consistent application across different utility types.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires hospitals, nursing homes, and home health agencies in Pennsylvania to create violence prevention committees to address workplace violence against employees. These committees must include a mix of management, union or elected non-union staff, and direct care workers who will conduct annual risk assessments, track incidents, and develop safety plans. The legislation also mandates that employees report violence within 24 hours, protects reporters from retaliation, and requires facilities to make risk reports public while maintaining records for at least three years. Health facilities that fail to comply with these new reporting and prevention duties face administrative fines of up to $10,000 per violation.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Pennsylvania laws to clarify how public utilities value water and wastewater systems they purchase from other companies. It allows the buying utility to include the system's depreciated original cost in its rate calculations immediately after the deal closes or in its first rate filing. The law also requires that any difference between the new system's value and the seller's previous rate base be spread evenly over the next three rate cases. These changes directly affect public utility companies in Pennsylvania and the rates they charge customers for water and wastewater services.