Rep. Seth Grove

Maddy summaryHB 483 strengthens confidentiality protections for personal information provided during Pennsylvania firearm purchases. It makes all buyer details - including name - confidential, barring disclosure except when the buyer faces criminal prosecution related to the purchase. The bill imposes civil penalties of $1,000 per violation or three times actual damages (whichever is greater) on dealers, agencies, or individuals who illegally disclose this information. This directly affects firearm buyers, licensed dealers, and state/local agencies handling firearm transaction data. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 452 removes disciplinary actions and refunds penalties for retail food facilities that were penalized for not following specific COVID-19 health protocols during Pennsylvania's state of emergency (March 6, 2020, to when the emergency ended). It covers violations related to the Disease Prevention and Control Law, Governor's orders, and health department guidance about the novel coronavirus. The bill requires health authorities to erase these records from official files and refund any penalties paid during the emergency period. This applies only to violations tied to the pandemic response, not general health code compliance.

Maddy summaryHB 451 reinstates licenses suspended or revoked for failing to comply with Pennsylvania's pandemic-related health orders during the state's emergency period (March 6, 2020, to when the Governor's proclamation ended). It directly affects healthcare professionals and other licensed workers whose licenses were disciplined for non-compliance with specific COVID-19 protocols, including Governor proclamations, health department orders, or pandemic guidance. The bill automatically removes these disciplinary actions from records without requiring new applications or hearings. It takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 450 amends Pennsylvania's Liquor Code to remove disciplinary actions against liquor licensees who had their licenses suspended or revoked for not following pandemic-related health protocols during the state's emergency period (March 2020 to when the emergency ended). The bill requires the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to automatically reinstate licenses or remove penalties for non-compliance with Governor's orders, health department directives, or official guidance specifically related to COVID-19. This applies only to actions taken during the declared disaster emergency, not for ongoing violations. The policy directly affects bars, restaurants, and other businesses holding liquor licenses that faced penalties during the pandemic.

Maddy summaryHB 454 repeals Pennsylvania's requirement for a license to carry a firearm (openly or concealed) for most individuals, making it legal to carry without a license statewide, including in Philadelphia where previous restrictions on public streets and property are removed. The bill also repeals provisions about proof of license and related exceptions, while maintaining existing prohibitions for convicted felons and other restricted locations like schools. Additionally, it includes a new provision for a sportsman's firearm permit and specific regulations for antique firearms. The changes directly affect law-abiding Pennsylvanians who previously needed a license for general firearm carry.

Maddy summaryHB 440 prohibits Pennsylvania's Medicaid managed care organizations from paying for "provider-preventable conditions" as defined by federal regulations. This directly affects Medicaid managed care plans (like those providing physical or behavioral health services) and healthcare providers who cause these avoidable errors. The bill adopts federal standards, requiring conditions to meet specific criteria: they must be reasonably preventable through evidence-based guidelines, cause patient harm, be auditable, and include examples like wrong-site surgeries, wrong-patient procedures, or incorrect invasive treatments. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment, changing payment rules for these specific preventable incidents.

Maddy summaryHB 403 preempts Pennsylvania municipalities from adopting policies that block law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. It prohibits local governments from restricting officers from complying with federal immigration requests, assisting ICE, allowing ICE access to county jails, inquiring about immigration status of people in custody, or sharing release information. The bill establishes an "Immigration Cooperation Fund" to support this cooperation, though specific funding mechanisms are not detailed in the provided text. This directly affects all Pennsylvania cities, towns, counties, and their law enforcement officers, judicial staff, and correctional personnel.

Maddy summaryHB 394 modifies Pennsylvania's existing tax credit program for municipal fire and emergency medical services volunteers. It allows the tax credit to offset current and future state tax liabilities, and requires municipalities to establish an alternative benefit (like a cash payment) for volunteers who owe no state tax. The credit remains in effect until the local government repeals it. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 395 allows Pennsylvania to grant provisional certification to emergency medical responders (EMRs) who already hold valid national certification from the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT). This applies to individuals certified as EMRs, first responders, EMTs, AEMTs, or paramedics. The provisional certification is valid for three years and automatically converts to standard Pennsylvania certification after completing the regular triennial registration process. This change eliminates redundant certification requirements for nationally certified EMTs working in Pennsylvania.

Maddy summaryHB 397 (Pennsylvania) allows volunteer fire companies to directly bill insurers for emergency medical services provided by certified EMT firefighters during dispatched emergencies. It affects volunteer fire companies and insurers covering emergency medical services under health insurance policies. The bill enables fire companies to submit separate claims for services rendered at emergency scenes, prohibits insurers from requiring contracts for payment, and imposes fines for false claims ($100 for first offense, $1,000 for repeat). This amendment to the 1921 Insurance Company Law clarifies billing procedures for EMT firefighters without changing existing insurance coverage requirements.