Rep. Tarik Khan

Maddy summaryHB 545 creates a new legal process for individuals wrongfully convicted in Pennsylvania to seek compensation. It establishes eligibility for those whose convictions were overturned due to actual innocence (including overturned convictions, acquittals after retrial, or pardons), excluding accomplices or those who committed perjury. The bill adds a new subchapter (8581-8586) to Title 42, outlining procedures for filing claims, determining compensation amounts, and requiring notice to the Treasury. It also modifies sovereign immunity laws to ensure these claims cannot be blocked by government immunity defenses. This directly affects wrongfully convicted individuals or their heirs who meet specific innocence-based criteria.

Maddy summaryThis Pennsylvania House Resolution (HR 65) establishes a task force to study social media platforms and websites that encourage suicide. The task force, chaired by the Attorney General and including health officials, legislative committee leaders, and appointed experts in psychology, cyberbullying, and suicide prevention, will examine how to address such content. It must issue a report within two years with recommendations for legislative or executive actions to prevent suicides linked to these online spaces. The resolution focuses on gathering evidence and advice to inform future policy, without creating new laws or regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 534 amends Pennsylvania's Election Code to provide braille absentee ballots for voters who are blind, visually impaired, or disabled. It requires these voters to submit a written request to their county board of elections at least 45 days before an election, including specific details like their address and a request for braille format. The Department of State will handle ballot preparation, distribution, and create accessible voting guides in multiple formats. This change directly affects eligible voters with visual or mobility disabilities, ensuring they can independently access absentee ballots.

Maddy summaryHB 536 amends Pennsylvania law to clarify how adoptees can access noncertified copies of their original birth records. The bill defines a "noncertified copy" as a summary photocopy containing only basic birth details (parent names, birth date/location, and child's birth name) with a disclaimer that it is not certified. Adoptees aged 18 or older, or descendants of deceased adoptees, can request this copy from the Department of Health within 45 days. Additionally, birth parents can now submit a notarized redaction request form to have their name removed from the adoptee's record, with the option to later reverse this decision, and the Department must post clear guidelines about this process online.

Maddy summaryHB 542 amends Pennsylvania's Election Code to strengthen campaign finance transparency and accountability. It requires the Secretary of the Commonwealth to biennially adjust contribution limits for candidates and political committees, and adds detailed definitions clarifying what constitutes campaign expenditures, independent spending, and corporate political activity. The bill mandates that businesses disclose political contributions and expenditures, including those by "chief executive officers" of corporations, and defines "affiliate" committees to prevent circumventing contribution rules. These changes directly affect candidates, political committees, corporations, and business entities engaging in election-related spending within Pennsylvania.

Maddy summaryHB 324 amends Pennsylvania's 1956 Poultry Technician Licensure Law to modernize requirements for professionals collecting poultry samples and conducting disease surveillance. It expands technicians' duties to include "regulatory sampling and testing procedures" for poultry diseases (beyond just pullorum testing), requires applicants to prove legal work authorization in the U.S. (replacing citizenship requirements), increases the license fee from $5 to $10, and allows Spanish-language training via quarantine orders. The bill directly affects poultry technicians seeking or renewing licenses to legally collect samples or conduct on-site disease monitoring. Key provisions update eligibility, fees, and the Secretary of Agriculture's authority to oversee licensing and enforce standards.

Maddy summaryHB 495 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to change enrollment rules for charter schools and cyber charter schools. It prohibits school boards from imposing enrollment caps on these schools, except as explicitly agreed upon in the school's written charter. For charter schools located in a specific district, the bill allows a limited cap on students residing within that district, but only with approval from the local school board. This cap does not prevent charter schools from enrolling students from outside their district.

Maddy summaryHB 512 amends Pennsylvania law to set a clear maximum for veterans' temporary financial assistance. The bill specifies that payments cannot exceed $2,500 or the veteran's documented need, whichever is less. This change directly affects Pennsylvania veterans eligible for temporary financial aid under Title 51. The key provision simplifies the existing rule by removing outdated language and establishing a fixed cap, ensuring assistance aligns with actual documented need.

Maddy summaryHR 57 is a non-binding House Resolution designating June 2025 as "Gun Violence Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania. It does not create new laws or policies but formally recognizes gun violence as a public safety and health issue through symbolic acknowledgment. The resolution memorializes lives lost to gun violence in the Commonwealth, using statistics from the preamble to highlight the issue's severity. As a commemorative resolution, it has no enforcement mechanism or direct impact on residents, officials, or gun laws.

Maddy summaryThis resolution recognizes January 27, 2025, as "International Holocaust Remembrance Day" in Pennsylvania. It symbolically aligns Pennsylvania with the United Nations' 2005 designation of January 27 as a day to honor Holocaust victims, educate about genocide prevention, and condemn hate based on ethnicity or religion. The resolution has no binding effect or policy changes - it is a formal statement of recognition. It directly affects Pennsylvania by designating this date for state-level commemoration.