Rep. Andrew Kuzma

Maddy summaryHB 155 requires voting system vendors in Pennsylvania to annually disclose known defects in electronic voting systems by January 1 of odd-numbered years, including the defect's impact and corrective measures. Vendors must also report new defects within 30 days. The Department of State can suspend sales, leases, or election use of defective systems and impose a $25,000 civil penalty plus investigation costs for failures to disclose or cure defects. This bill directly affects voting system vendors, the Department of State, and county election boards, which may request investigations into suspected defects. The law aims to ensure transparency and accountability in electronic voting system safety without altering voter eligibility or ballot counting procedures.

Maddy summaryHB 169 creates a program allowing local and regional police departments in Pennsylvania to purchase used pursuit vehicles (police patrol vehicles) from the state at fixed prices. The Department of General Services must allocate up to 10% of the Pennsylvania State Police's used pursuit vehicle inventory for this program, requiring payment via organization check before purchase. Police departments must submit a form detailing desired vehicles, and the state will notify them when matching vehicles become available. The bill specifies that prices are set by the department and not subject to negotiation, with rules for administration to be developed by the department. This applies only to existing state-owned patrol vehicles, not new purchases.

Maddy summaryHB 181 requires all political subdivision authorities (like water districts or housing boards) in Pennsylvania to maintain a publicly accessible website with specific transparency details. The bill mandates that these websites include each board member's name, term length and expiration date, contact email, the appointing official's name and office, and links to the governing government entity's website. It directly affects every authority created by a local government, ensuring residents can easily identify leadership and accountability structures. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment, requiring authorities to update their public information practices.

Maddy summaryHB 119 permanently prohibits Pennsylvania from observing daylight saving time, requiring all timekeeping in the state to follow Eastern Standard Time year-round. The bill amends an 1887 law to remove the existing provision allowing daylight saving time (which previously shifted clocks forward between April and October) and declares Eastern Standard Time as the sole legal standard. This directly affects all residents, businesses, and government operations across Pennsylvania, eliminating the need for biannual clock changes. The policy change would take effect 60 days after the bill's passage.

Maddy summaryHB 163 amends Pennsylvania's 1980 law to prohibit entities from "countries of concern" (including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Belarus, and Venezuela) and foreign governments from acquiring agricultural land, except through inheritance or as security for debt. It requires title companies to verify compliance with the law, imposing a $1,000 civil penalty for willful failure to do so, and authorizes the Attorney General to investigate violations. Violating entities must forfeit the land to the Commonwealth, which will sell it at auction; proceeds cover sale costs, reimburse the Attorney General for investigation expenses, pay lienholders, and then fund the General Fund. The law defines agricultural land broadly (including cropland and livestock operations) but excludes mineral rights and non-farm zoning.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HB 122) prevents Pennsylvania state and local government entities from enforcing any rules, fees, taxes, or mandates issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations (UN), or World Economic Forum (WEF). It directly affects all Pennsylvania agencies, municipalities, and government bodies by prohibiting them from implementing or enforcing any requirements from these international organizations. The law explicitly states these organizations "shall have no jurisdiction or power" within Pennsylvania, blocking enforcement of their policies by any state or local entity. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 56 amends Pennsylvania's terroristic threats law (Title 18, §2706) to increase penalties for certain threats. It reclassifies specific terroristic threats as felonies of the third degree instead of misdemeanors if they cause diversion from normal operations (e.g., in buildings or public transit) or target protected locations like schools, churches, government buildings, or community centers. The bill directly affects individuals who make threats against these specific places or disrupt public activities. The key change is upgrading the offense severity for threats against vulnerable locations or causing operational disruptions, without altering the basic definition of terroristic threats.

Maddy summaryHB 116 amends Pennsylvania's aggravated assault law to specifically include assaults against individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder. The bill adds a new provision making it a felony of the second degree to intentionally or knowingly cause bodily injury to such individuals or attempt to do so, regardless of their age. It defines "intellectual disability" as significantly subaverage intellectual functioning with limitations in adaptive skills and "autism spectrum disorder" as defined in existing law. This change directly affects people with these conditions by strengthening legal protections and increases penalties for offenders targeting them.

Maddy summaryHB 50 amends Pennsylvania's Water Services Act by updating the definitions of "authority" and "city" to clarify which entities are subject to the law. It specifies that an "authority" must provide water or sewer services to at least 50% more residents outside a city's boundaries than inside, and defines "city" as a city of the third class with a population of 30,000 or less. These changes help determine which municipal authorities and cities must follow the Act's requirements for water and sewer service approvals. The bill does not alter existing service rules but ensures the law applies consistently to relevant entities.

Maddy summaryHB 117 requires insurers to include a clear, separate notice with reimbursement payments for emergency medical services provided by non-network EMS agencies. This notice must explain the service details (date, agency), clarify that the recipient is responsible for the EMS bill, and detail payment options - including whether the insurer already paid the agency or if the recipient owes copays/deductibles. The notice must be printed on red paper with "STOP" in 24-point bold and "Read this notice before depositing payment" in 18-point bold, using at least 10-point font size. The bill directly affects insurers sending such payments and the covered persons receiving them, ensuring transparency about billing responsibilities.