Rep. Mandy Steele

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law to ban government agencies from signing nondisclosure agreements related to data centers. The law prohibits any contract that restricts the public from accessing information about the construction, development, or location of these facilities. If an agency signs such an agreement, the contract is considered void and unenforceable. The bill defines a data center as a facility used to process, store, or transmit data using computers and software.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Broadcast Freemarket Agreement Act, prohibits employers in the radio, television, and digital media industries from enforcing non-compete clauses in employment contracts. It declares such agreements void if they stop workers from moving to other companies or performing services within a specific geographic area after leaving their current job. The law also ensures that employees cannot be forced to sign away these protections, while still allowing employers to maintain confidentiality agreements regarding trade secrets.

Maddy summaryThis bill grants school administrators in Pennsylvania's first-class cities and school districts the right to engage in collective bargaining with their employers. It allows these administrators to negotiate terms regarding pay, working hours, benefits, and dispute resolution through designated representatives. The Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board will handle any disagreements about these bargaining items using the same process applied to other public employees. The changes apply immediately upon the bill's enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Pennsylvania schools to offer optional hunting and trapping education courses to students in grades six through twelve by July 1, 2027. The program must include firearm safety instruction taught by certified instructors, covering topics like safe handling and maintenance, while strictly prohibiting actual firearms or ammunition from entering school buildings. Parents can request to excuse their children from these classes without penalty, and completing the course satisfies the state's basic hunter-trapper education requirement for obtaining a hunting license.

Maddy summaryHB 1239 updates Pennsylvania's rules for condominiums and planned communities under Title 68. It clarifies definitions for these properties and strengthens the authority of homeowners' associations (HOAs) to manage common areas and enforce rules. The bill directly affects residents in condominiums and planned communities by giving their HOAs clearer powers over maintenance, finances, and governance. These changes aim to streamline management without altering core ownership rights or adding new taxes or fees.

Maddy summaryThis resolution directs the Joint State Government Commission to study suicide prevention and data collection efforts in Pennsylvania and provide recommendations for improvement. The study will specifically examine how well the state has met eight existing suicide prevention goals and analyze the Pennsylvania Violent Death Reporting System to identify barriers like lack of mandatory reporting and insufficient funding. The commission is tasked with proposing legislative actions to ensure medical examiners, coroners, and law enforcement agencies consistently report violent death data to the Department of Health.

Maddy summaryThe context provided does not include the specific provisions, definitions, or benefit changes proposed in HB 151. While the bill title indicates it amends the Children in Foster Care Act regarding definitions and benefits, the details of these amendments are not described in the available information. Without knowing the exact changes to definitions or the nature of the benefits being provided, a factual summary of the bill's policy impact cannot be created. The referral to the Children & Youth committee indicates it relates to foster care policy, but concrete provisions remain unspecified in the provided context.

Maddy summaryHB 2006 requires developers of artificial intelligence applications designed for companionship (such as chatbots for elderly care or mental health support) to implement specific safety standards. It directly affects technology companies creating these AI tools by mandating safeguards against harmful outputs or privacy breaches. The bill establishes a penalty system, including fines, for developers who fail to meet the required safety measures. This legislation aims to protect users interacting with AI companions through concrete regulatory requirements, not speculative outcomes.

Maddy summaryThis Pennsylvania House resolution designates September 27, 2026, as "Gold Star Mother's and Family's Day" within the state. The measure honors families of military service members who died in the line of duty, acknowledging the grief and sacrifice experienced by parents, siblings, and children. By setting a specific date, the bill aims to create an official day of recognition for these families, following the national tradition established by Congress and the White House.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new regulatory framework in Pennsylvania to manage water use by large commercial entities, specifically targeting data centers and other facilities that consume significant amounts of water without returning it to natural sources. It requires these "extraordinary" nonmunicipal users to register with the state and submit detailed reports on their water consumption, while also imposing a new fee on their usage. The collected fees will be placed into dedicated funds to support watershed monitoring, critical water planning areas, and environmental restoration projects, and the bill establishes a process to ask voters if the state should be allowed to take on debt for water-related environmental initiatives. Additionally, the Department of Environmental Protection will be given specific duties to enforce these rules, including requiring preconstruction notifications from major water users, and the act includes penalties for non-compliance.