Rep. Andrew Kuzma

Maddy summaryHB 1352 amends Pennsylvania's criminal code to expand the offense of "unlawful contact with a minor." It directly affects individuals who intentionally contact minors (or law enforcement posing as minors) for specific prohibited activities, including sexual offenses, human trafficking involving minors, incest, or sexual exploitation. The bill adds new categories to the existing law, such as human trafficking with sexual servitude involving minors, endangering a child's welfare through sexual contact, and expanded corruption of minors offenses. These changes clarify that contact for these activities - whether initiated by the adult or the minor - is a criminal offense within Pennsylvania. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 1298 amends Pennsylvania's Election Code to allow certain absentee voters to apply for a ballot after the standard 15-day deadline (by 5 PM on the fifteenth day before an election) if they face unexpected circumstances like sudden illness, unforeseen work obligations, or last-minute travel plans that prevented timely application. Voters must submit a sworn declaration explaining their situation and confirming eligibility under the new provisions, under penalty of perjury. The bill does not change the existing application rules for mail-in ballots, which require applications to be received 50 days before an election and processed by the 15th day prior.

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 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 273 allows Pennsylvania counties to adopt a property maintenance code (either by referencing a nationally recognized standard or creating their own) to address neighborhood blight. It requires counties to follow specific notice and publication procedures for adopting the code and permits them to appoint inspectors who can collect fees for enforcement. Counties may only enforce their code in areas where municipalities lack their own property maintenance ordinance, and must have a formal agreement with a municipality to enforce it within that municipality. The bill also establishes a Municipal Codes Enforcement Grant Program and a municipal neighborhood mitigation fund to support blight-reduction efforts.

Maddy summaryHB 1273 repeals Pennsylvania's requirement that taxpayers make payments of $15,000 or more electronically for personal income tax, along with related penalties for non-compliance. It replaces these rules by adding a new provision requiring the Department of Revenue to accept all payment methods without penalties for taxpayers. This bill directly affects individuals and businesses paying Pennsylvania personal income tax, removing a specific electronic payment mandate and associated fines. The changes take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, making all payment methods equally acceptable without penalty.

Maddy summaryHB 1268 allows Pennsylvania drivers to voluntarily add up to two emergency contacts and specific medical conditions (like hearing impairment, autism, or certified communication disorders) to their driver's license records. The program, accessible during license renewal or vehicle registration, requires medical conditions to be certified by a healthcare provider and listed on a department-maintained public website. Participation is free, and the information is protected from public disclosure under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law. This directly affects drivers who choose to enroll, providing law enforcement with critical health information during emergencies. The bill prohibits fees, restricts medical condition listings to defined categories, and allows drivers to opt in or out at any time.

Maddy summaryHB 1238 requires Pennsylvania public schools (including charter and cyber charter schools) to adopt policies restricting student mobile device use during instructional time. School boards must create written policies specifying secure storage options (like lockboxes), retrieval procedures, and parent-communication methods during class. Exceptions allow device use for medical needs, disability accommodations, language learning, volunteer emergency duties, or teacher-approved educational purposes. The bill defines "instructional time" as class periods, excluding breaks or lunch, and prohibits school-owned devices from being covered under this restriction. This policy applies to all students in school buildings during instructional hours.

Maddy summaryHB 1218 amends Pennsylvania's Election Code to enhance election oversight. It creates an "independent prosecutor" appointed 90 days before primaries to review election complaints (Section 1778), requires the Secretary of the Commonwealth to maintain a fraud hotline and share reports with this prosecutor (Section 201(i)), and mandates county boards to cooperate with election integrity officers (Section 302(n.1)). The bill also requires counties to provide authorized representatives meaningful access to observe absentee ballot canvassing, record meetings with audio-visual recordings (available only after polls close), and investigate concerns (Section 1308(j)). These changes directly affect state election officials, county boards, and election integrity officers by adding new reporting duties, oversight mechanisms, and transparency requirements for election processes.

Maddy summaryHB 1235 updates Pennsylvania's Election Code to strengthen oversight of electronic voting systems. It adds definitions for "ballot set" (different ballot types like mail-in or in-person) and "ballot style" (specific candidate arrangements per district), and requires county election boards to conduct mandatory pre-election logic and accuracy testing. This testing ensures voting machines are properly programmed, ballot layouts match official designs, and equipment accurately counts votes before each election. The bill directly affects county election boards, which must complete these tests and document results for all voting equipment used in upcoming elections.