Rep. Tarah Probst

Maddy summaryHB 718 amends Pennsylvania's Wage Payment and Collection Law to strengthen wage enforcement, directly affecting employers (including state/local governments, corporations, and contractors) and workers owed unpaid wages. It requires the Department of Labor to collect quarterly data on wage violations, fines, unpaid wages, and complaint resolution, then submit semiannual reports to lawmakers and post them publicly. The bill mandates quarterly investigations of "high-violation industries" (those with 25+ violations in two years) and updates penalties to $2,000 per violation or triple unpaid wages, whichever is greater, plus attorney fees. Employers failing to pay within 10 days of notice face these penalties, with each week of underpayment counted as a separate violation.

Maddy summaryHB 717 amends Pennsylvania's procurement law to add wage law violations as a specific reason for barring state contractors from future government contracts. It directly affects state contractors who fail to pay wages owed to workers under the 1961 Wage Payment and Collection Law. The bill adds a new subsection (531(b)(6.1)) to the debarment rules, requiring state agencies to suspend or debar contractors found in violation of wage payment laws. This change creates a direct link between wage compliance and eligibility for state contracts. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 716 amends Pennsylvania's Wage Payment and Collection Law to require employers to provide employees with specific pay details (including rate, time of payment, and fringe benefits) at hiring and to post a summary of the law in a visible workplace location. Employers who fail to meet these notification or posting requirements face a $500 fine per violation. The bill also extends the time limit for employees to file legal claims for unpaid wages: if an employer didn't provide required notice or post the summary, the deadline becomes the later of three years after wages were due or the day the requirements were satisfied. This affects all employers in Pennsylvania subject to the Wage Payment and Collection Law.

Maddy summaryHB 698 would require all food and beverage containers sold in Pennsylvania to contain no more than 0.1 parts per billion of bisphenol A (BPA), directly affecting manufacturers, sellers, and distributors of such containers. The bill prohibits containers with BPA above this level and mandates that manufacturers replace BPA with the least toxic alternative, while banning substitutions with known carcinogens or reproductive toxicants identified by the EPA. Violations would be enforced under Pennsylvania’s existing Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, and the law would take effect 60 days after enactment. This focuses on setting a measurable safety standard for consumer products without advocating for specific outcomes.

Maddy summaryHB 688 imposes a 13-year freeze on new cyber charter school approvals in Pennsylvania, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2038. The bill prohibits the Pennsylvania Department of Education from reviewing or approving any new applications for cyber charter schools during this period, regardless of when the application was submitted. This directly affects organizations or entities seeking to establish new cyber charter schools in the state. The policy change specifically targets new school applications while leaving existing cyber charter schools unaffected.

Maddy summaryHB 699 requires Pennsylvania's Public Utility Commission to create new rules governing double utility poles (where multiple companies share one pole). It mandates annual registration for companies attaching infrastructure to poles, sets timelines for migrating facilities to new poles, and establishes procedures for compensating pole owners for relocation costs and removing abandoned attachments. The bill directly affects utility companies (electric, cable, telecom) and pole owners, requiring them to follow standardized processes for pole use, migration, and removal. Key provisions include annual registration, surety bonds for cost reimbursement, and civil penalties for noncompliance with the new rules. The legislation aims to address safety, efficiency, and aesthetics concerns related to long-term double-pole use.

Maddy summaryHB 614 establishes Pennsylvania's Shared Housing and Resource Exchange Program, designed to help residents aged 60 or older who need housing find shared living arrangements with approved hosts. The Department of Aging will operate the program, requiring hosts to have at least two bedrooms (with one exclusively for the participant), charge no more than 30% of the participant's gross monthly income in rent, and sign a home-sharing agreement. The department will match participants with hosts based on location, lifestyle, and preferences, then facilitate the agreements. The program will be funded by state appropriations and take effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 637 establishes Pennsylvania's Youth Summer Employment Grant Program, administered by the Department of Labor and Industry. The program provides grants to eligible employers (including businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities) who hire residents aged 15-18 for at least eight weeks during summer, pay at least $15/hour or the state minimum wage, and offer work or educational experiences. Grants amount to $5,000 for 10-20 youth, $10,000 for over 20 youth, with an additional $5,000 if 50% of hired youth live in historically disadvantaged communities (defined as areas with ≥20% poverty for 30+ years). Funding comes from a new nonlapsing Youth Summer Employment Fund in the State Treasury, with the department required to advertise the program to employers and schools.

Maddy summaryHB 659 creates a new statewide framework for managing water resources by requiring counties and municipalities to develop watershed-based storm water and integrated water management plans. It authorizes counties to regulate storm water within specific watersheds, allows for the formation of water resources management authorities, and mandates coordinated planning across local governments. The bill establishes the Integrated Water Resources Management Account to fund these efforts and provides new mechanisms for grants, loans, and fee collection to support implementation. This replaces outdated storm water planning rules with a unified system aimed at addressing flooding, erosion, and water quality issues through coordinated local action.

Maddy summaryHB 673, the Riparian Buffer Protection Act, requires property owners and developers to protect existing natural vegetation buffers along rivers and streams and restore damaged buffers. It defines "natural riparian buffers" as vegetation providing ecosystem benefits (like filtering pollution, preventing erosion, and supporting wildlife) and prohibits land development that creates impervious cover (such as roads, driveways, or concrete) within these buffer zones. Municipalities gain authority to issue permits for development, inspect properties, and enforce rules, with penalties for violations. The law also clarifies how it interacts with existing state environmental regulations and local ordinances.