Rep. Roni Green

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a program called the Linked Deposit Impact Pennsylvania Act to help small, for-profit businesses owned by Pennsylvania residents that employ 100 or fewer people and earn less than $10 million annually. Under the plan, the State Treasurer would place funds with approved local banks, which then agree to lend that same amount to eligible small businesses at a reduced interest rate. The legislation requires banks to follow standard lending practices to check borrower creditworthiness and prohibits them from charging fees for participating in the program. Ultimately, the State Treasurer manages the program by reviewing loan applications and deciding how much money to deposit with each participating bank.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows local governments in Pennsylvania to charge fees to taxpayers who owe delinquent per capita, poll, or occupation taxes. The fees are intended to cover the costs of sending notices about unpaid taxes and other collection efforts, and the money collected goes directly to the tax collector. Local officials must keep a detailed record of these fees and can only charge for costs incurred within five years of when the tax was due. The law also prevents taxpayers from suing to get these fees back and stops the use of contingency fees for collecting these specific taxes.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Victims of Violence Safe Employment Act, creates a new right for Pennsylvania employees and their family members to take unpaid leave after experiencing violence, sexual violence, stalking, or abuse of a vulnerable adult. The law allows victims to take this leave to seek medical care, attend court proceedings, or recover from the trauma of the incident, with employers prohibited from retaliating against them for using the leave. Employers are required to provide this leave without requiring the employee to prove the incident resulted in a criminal conviction, relying instead on documentation from law enforcement, healthcare providers, or victim advocates. Additionally, the bill establishes penalties for employers who violate these protections and creates a legal cause of action for employees to sue for damages if they face retaliation.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how local governments in Pennsylvania handle the collection of unpaid taxes for specific categories like income, occupation, and local services. It removes the requirement for tax collectors to send a registered or certified mail notice to taxpayers before taking collection action against their employers. Instead, local authorities can now charge taxpayers for the costs of sending notices or using other collection procedures, provided these costs are approved by the local governing body. Additionally, the bill limits the time window for collecting these specific costs to five years from the date the tax was originally due.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates Passover and Yom Kippur as official days of religious observance within Pennsylvania. It formally recognizes the First Day of Passover and Yom Kippur in state statutes to acknowledge their significance to the Jewish community, which includes over 400,000 residents. However, the legislation explicitly states that these designations do not require employers or the state government to treat these days as legal holidays or to provide paid time off. The changes serve to officially record the dates of these observances without mandating any specific accommodations for workers.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new eligibility rules for nonprofit corporations in Pennsylvania that receive state contracts, funding, or grants. To qualify, these organizations must have at least 200 employees in the state and must not have violated federal fair labor standards or committed unfair labor practices within the last five years. Additionally, the nonprofit's bylaws must require that at least 20% of its governing board consists of current employees elected by the workforce. The law does not apply to healthcare-related state payments like Medicaid reimbursements and will take effect 60 days after passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a study on the services, processes, and wait times provided by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services in Pennsylvania. The investigation will examine how long individuals with visual impairments wait for essential support and analyze how these delays affect their lives and career prospects. Additionally, the study will look into ways to improve efficiency, such as exploring partnerships with outside agencies to reduce waiting lists. The committee is required to submit a report with its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly within 180 days.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a resolution that asks the U.S. House of Representatives to officially recognize October 10, 2024, as "National Day of the Republic of China (Taiwan)" within the state of Pennsylvania. It does not change any laws or alter the status of Taiwan but instead serves as a symbolic gesture to acknowledge Taiwan's cultural diversity, democratic values, and economic partnership with Pennsylvania. The text cites various achievements and trade statistics to highlight the relationship between the two regions before calling for the specific date recognition.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Pennsylvania laws to improve how electric utilities manage energy efficiency programs and streamline the approval process for their plans. It requires the state commission to decide on utility plans within 120 days and allows companies 60 days to revise rejected plans, while also protecting the inclusion of mechanical insulation unless proven cost-ineffective. The legislation clarifies definitions for key terms like "energy efficiency measures," which now explicitly include solar panels, efficient windows, and various heating and cooling technologies, and establishes standards for quality assurance and cost-benefit testing.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a consumer data privacy framework that defines the responsibilities of data controllers and processors while setting penalties for non-compliance. It clarifies that controllers are entities that determine how personal information is used and requires them to implement reasonable safeguards to protect collected data. The legislation specifies that publicly available information and certain mathematical representations of data are excluded from the definition of personal information, and it includes exemptions for financial institutions. Additionally, the bill outlines procedures for consumers to opt out of data processing and grants them a 60-day window to correct errors in their data requests.