Rep. Andrew Kuzma

Maddy summaryHB 1436 amends Pennsylvania's civil procedure law to clarify how damages are assigned in negligence cases when a plaintiff shares fault. It specifies that if a plaintiff is found comparatively negligent, each defendant is only liable for their proportionate share of damages (several liability), not the full amount. However, if the plaintiff is not found at fault, a defendant found liable must pay the full damages (joint and several liability). This change directly affects personal injury and negligence lawsuits involving multiple defendants in Pennsylvania courts.

Maddy summaryHB 1437 creates a temporary sales tax exemption in Pennsylvania for specific personal items during an annual window. It excludes clothing accessories, footwear, school supplies, computers/software, and certain bedding items from sales tax when purchased by individuals for nonbusiness use during the first Friday in August through the following Sunday. The Department of Revenue must post a list of qualifying items online by July 10 each year. This policy change directly affects individual consumers shopping for these items during the defined exclusion period.

Maddy summaryHB 771 amends Pennsylvania's Election Code to clarify acceptable identification for voting. It specifies that voters must present a photo ID matching their name in the voter registry, including state driver's licenses, military IDs, student IDs, or employee IDs. Voters with religious objections to photo ID may use non-photo IDs like a without-photo driver's license or utility bills. Absentee and mail-in voters must provide either a driver's license number, last four digits of their Social Security number, or a copy of an acceptable non-photo ID. This bill directly affects all Pennsylvania voters required to show ID when casting ballots.

Maddy summaryHB 1444 creates new regulations for association health plans (AHPs) under Pennsylvania's insurance code. It defines key terms like "association" (groups of employers in the same industry or profession) and sets requirements for coverage, rates, and insurer filings. The bill directly affects employers forming AHPs, health insurers offering these plans, and individuals enrolled in them. It adds enforcement mechanisms and penalties for non-compliance, while repealing outdated sections of the insurance code.

Maddy summaryHB 1419 amends Pennsylvania's domestic relations law to strengthen penalties for repeatedly violating protection-from-abuse orders. It creates tiered misdemeanor fines based on prior contempt violations: $500 minimum for a second offense, $500 for a third, and $500 for three or more offenses. The bill also removes jury trial rights for first-time violators (while guaranteeing legal counsel) and requires fines to fund domestic violence programs without replacing existing funding. This directly affects individuals who repeatedly disregard court-ordered protection from abuse. The changes aim to increase accountability for violating protective orders.

Maddy summaryHB 977 amends Pennsylvania's Municipalities Planning Code to clarify recording requirements for zoning hearing boards. It adds a definition for "recording device" (including cameras, audio recorders, and future technologies) and updates rules for hearing documentation. The bill requires boards to maintain either a stenographic record or a high-quality audio/video recording, with costs for recordings split equally between applicants and boards. Transcription costs are covered by the board if ordered by them, or by the appellant if appealing a decision. This affects local zoning hearing boards and participants in municipal zoning proceedings across Pennsylvania.

Maddy summaryHB 1394 proposes to repeal the inheritance tax in Pennsylvania, directly affecting estates and beneficiaries who would no longer be subject to this tax on inherited assets. The bill also modifies procedures for taxpayers to petition for a reassessment of taxes. Additionally, it updates existing provisions related to how government-issued obligations are treated for tax purposes.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates new felony offenses for assaulting emergency responders (like police, EMTs, or firefighters) by exposing them to fentanyl or its derivatives. Intentionally throwing fentanyl at a responder while they are on duty (and knowing they are a responder) is a felony of the second degree. Unlawfully possessing fentanyl and causing a responder to come into contact with it is a felony of the third degree. The law defines "emergency responder" using existing Pennsylvania law and takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 1367 requires Pennsylvania's Department of Human Services to implement a new child welfare case management subsystem within its enterprise case management system by December 31, 2027. This subsystem will replace current processes, creating a unified digital platform for managing child welfare cases across state agencies, counties, and service providers. It directly affects child welfare workers, county offices, and service agencies handling foster care, abuse investigations, and family support services. The bill sets a specific deadline for this technical upgrade but does not change eligibility rules or funding for child welfare programs.

Maddy summaryHB 1369 amends Pennsylvania's child protective services laws to change how certain reports are handled in the Statewide database. It extends the retention period for unfounded reports and general protective services reports from 1 year to 30 years before they must be removed, with an exception: reports involving children remain in the database until the youngest child identified turns 23. The bill repeals an old provision that allowed expungement of records for perpetrators under 18 at the time of abuse. It directly affects families who had reports deemed unfounded or related to general protective services, as their records will now stay in the system longer before being removed. The changes apply to all such reports processed by county child protective agencies and the state database.