Rep. Roni Green

Maddy summaryHB 1307 allows homeless minors aged 16 or older who are self-supporting without parental financial or physical support to legally enter contracts for housing, employment, medical care (including domestic violence services), bank accounts, and automobile insurance. It requires parental consent (expressed or implied through actions like barring the minor from home or refusing support) or provider verification that returning home would cause harm. Minors’ consent for these services is binding like an adult’s and cannot be disaffirmed later, with providers protected from liability if they follow the consent procedures. The bill directly affects vulnerable homeless youth in Pennsylvania seeking independent access to essential services.

Maddy summaryHB 1321 creates a new "Military Spouse Leave and Employment Protection Act" in Pennsylvania law. It requires employers with 20+ employees to provide up to 14 paid days per year of leave for employees when their spouse is deployed to a combat zone or during a declared emergency, and up to 14 unpaid days for training deployments. The law prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who request this leave and mandates that employers maintain an employee's position, title, and accrued benefits during the leave. This directly affects Pennsylvania employees with military-connected spouses working at qualifying employers.

Maddy summaryHB 1302, the Medical Debt Interest Act, caps the interest rate on unpaid medical bills at 6% for healthcare providers (like hospitals and doctors) and medical debt collectors in Pennsylvania. The bill prohibits charging more than 6% interest on medical debt and classifies violations as unfair business practices under existing consumer protection law, allowing individuals to seek court enforcement. It takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 1323 amends Pennsylvania's Professional Nursing Law to establish a formal certification process for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs). It requires the Board of Nursing to issue certificates to nurses holding a master's or higher degree who are already licensed as nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, or nurse anesthetists. Certified APRNs may use the title "Advanced Practice Registered Nurse" and "A.P.R.N.," and the Board must maintain a public online registry of all certified APRNs. This bill directly affects nurses seeking APRN certification in Pennsylvania and clarifies their title usage and public recordkeeping.

Maddy summaryHB 1297 amends Pennsylvania's Real Estate Appraisers Certification Act to require bias and discrimination training for appraisers before certification or renewal, covering topics like housing discrimination history, fair housing laws, and implicit bias. The bill prohibits appraisers from basing property valuations on protected characteristics such as race, gender, disability, or source of income, with penalties including voided appraisals, license suspension, and fines. It also mandates an annual statewide audit of appraisal practices to identify discrimination patterns and requires the board to report findings to the legislature and state agencies. This directly affects licensed real estate appraisers and aims to address systemic bias in property valuation.

Maddy summaryHB 1295 allows Pennsylvania school buses to install extended stop signal arms on the left side, with specific size limits: the front extension cannot exceed 78 inches from the vehicle's left side (minimum 36 inches above ground), and the rear extension cannot exceed 32 inches (also minimum 36 inches above ground). These extensions must include flashing red lights and are permitted only when the bus is stopped for loading or unloading students. The bill permits these extended arms to temporarily exceed standard vehicle width limits during such stops. The Department of Transportation will create implementing regulations for this change, which takes effect in 60 days.

Maddy summaryHB 1327 amends Pennsylvania's Election Code to strengthen penalties for election bribery and create a new offense for paying to induce voter registration. It makes offering money, goods, or lottery chances to influence voting a felony (with penalties up to $15,000 or seven years), while paying someone to register to vote becomes a misdemeanor (up to $10,000 or five years). This bill directly affects individuals who attempt to bribe voters or pay for registration to influence election participation. The provisions aim to deter improper election practices by criminalizing financial incentives tied to voting behavior or voter registration.

Maddy summaryHB 269 amends Pennsylvania's Controlled Substance Act to improve access to overdose response information. It requires the Department of Health to develop free online training materials, posters, and pamphlets about recognizing opioid overdoses and using reversal medications (like naloxone), with the materials available in multiple languages upon request. Specific public entities - including Commonwealth agencies, transit authorities, municipalities, and local transportation organizations - must display the poster in conspicuous public locations, such as bathrooms or lobbies. The Department covers all printing and distribution costs, and entities already displaying equivalent materials may substitute them with prior notice. This bill focuses on education and resource accessibility, not changing drug laws or medication access.

Maddy summaryHB 643 modifies Pennsylvania's realty transfer tax provisions to establish fixed annual transfers of tax revenue. It requires $100 million in transfers for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2027, and $110 million for all subsequent fiscal years. This change directly affects individuals and entities paying real estate transfer taxes in Pennsylvania, as the specified amounts are deducted from the tax revenue pool. The bill specifies the exact dollar amounts and effective dates without altering the tax rate or adding new exemptions.

Maddy summaryHB 316 allows Pennsylvania municipalities to deny building permits to property owners with specific unpaid debts or unaddressed violations. It directly affects owners of real property, particularly corporations or LLCs, who owe unpaid taxes, water/sewer bills, or have serious uncorrected code violations (like failing to fix blight) after six months of notification. The bill requires municipalities to specify the property address and court details in denial notices, prohibits denying permits needed to correct violations, and imposes a $1,000 fine on corporations that fail to disclose such delinquencies when applying for permits. It aims to prioritize blight remediation by linking permit access to property maintenance compliance.