Rep. Tarah Probst

Maddy summaryHB 829 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to require school districts to offer full-day kindergarten for children aged three to five, lowering the age limit from four years. It updates the definition of "compulsory school age" to explicitly allow children as young as three to attend kindergarten without tuition, while maintaining the upper age limit at 18. The bill also adjusts transportation provisions to include free bus service for full-day kindergarten students, similar to existing rules for other grade levels. These changes directly affect public school districts, early learning programs, and families with children aged three to five.

Maddy summaryHB 831 establishes a 24-month moratorium on transferring hospital ownership to for-profit entities in Pennsylvania. It directly affects hospitals and health systems seeking to change ownership structures, pausing approvals for such transactions. The bill also requires the Joint State Government Commission to study for-profit hospital ownership patterns, including causes for their rise, cost/benefit comparisons with non-profits, and policy recommendations. The Commission must issue a report to state leaders within 18 months of the law's effective date. The moratorium and study requirements expire 24 months after the bill takes effect.

Maddy summaryHB 826 amends Pennsylvania's Human Relations Act to require public venues (like theaters, sports arenas, and events charging admission) to provide free admission for personal care attendants accompanying eligible individuals with disabilities. It defines "attendant care services" to include daily living support such as bathing, mobility assistance, and managing transportation, and specifies that "eligible individuals" are those needing such services due to a disability. The bill prohibits venues from charging personal care attendants for entry when their presence is necessary for the eligible individual to access the event. This directly affects people with disabilities who rely on attendants to participate in public activities and the venues hosting those events.

Maddy summaryHB 824 amends Pennsylvania's Conservation and Natural Resources Act to require the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to prioritize grant applications for playgrounds, playground equipment, and recreation areas that address accessibility for people with disabilities. The bill specifies that projects must include features like ramped play areas, accessible swings, wheelchair-friendly tables, and adaptations for blind or visually impaired individuals to receive priority. It mandates that the department favor universally designed recreation areas - where all equipment and the space itself are fully accessible - over projects with only partial accessibility. This change directly affects communities applying for state grants to build or improve local playgrounds, ensuring new facilities meet inclusive design standards from the start.

Maddy summaryHB 812 establishes a grant program to fund security improvements protecting hospital and emergency care workers from workplace violence. It directly affects hospitals and freestanding emergency medical facilities in Pennsylvania, which can apply for grants to implement violence prevention projects. The bill requires applicants to submit detailed plans with timelines, budgets, and measurable goals for reducing verbal/physical violence, with priority given to innovative, sustainable approaches. The Department of Health will administer the program, accept applications starting March 1, 2025, and manage the dedicated grant fund.

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 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 774 requires all newly elected or appointed school directors in Pennsylvania to complete a 14-hour training program within their first year, covering topics like academics, trauma-informed approaches (min. 1 hour), finances, governance, and ethics. Existing directors must complete 4 hours annually of advanced training on updated laws, finances, and trauma-informed practices. The bill also applies similar 14-hour initial and 4-hour annual requirements to charter school trustees, with all training provided at no cost by the Department of Education. These provisions take effect for the 2026-2027 school year, replacing current training requirements that expire after 2025-2026.

Maddy summaryHB 753 amends Pennsylvania's criminal code to better protect human trafficking victims during legal proceedings. It creates an automatic affirmative defense for victims convicted of crimes like prostitution (§ 5902), theft (§ 3922), or drug possession when those crimes resulted directly from trafficking. Victims can also file motions to vacate convictions for these specific offenses by submitting written proof, evidence, and notifying prosecutors. Courts must grant such motions if victims prove by a preponderance of evidence that their conviction stemmed from being trafficked, without requiring prior prosecution of the trafficker. This directly affects individuals previously convicted of trafficking-related offenses who were victims themselves.

Maddy summaryHB 776 requires Pennsylvania high school students to score at least 60% on a civic knowledge assessment to graduate or earn a general equivalency diploma, starting in the 2028-2029 school year. The bill amends the Public School Code to add this graduation requirement, which applies to all students except those with an individualized education program (IEP) if their IEP specifies an exemption. The assessment measures knowledge of civic topics like government structure and citizenship. This policy directly affects all Pennsylvania public high school students seeking graduation or a general equivalency diploma.