Rep. Jake Banta

Maddy summaryHB 1373 requires Pennsylvania high schools to administer the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Test as a civic knowledge assessment to students in grades 7-12 starting in the 2026-2027 school year. Students must score at least 60% on this test to meet a high school graduation requirement. Schools must report compliance data, including participation and passing rates, to the state education department every other year. The bill specifically exempts students with individualized education programs (IEPs) if their IEPs indicate they are not required to take the test.

Maddy summaryHB 1362 establishes Pennsylvania's Taxpayer Dividend Program to return a portion of the state's budget surplus to individual taxpayers. The program would pay eligible residents up to $1,000 each, calculated as the lesser of $1,000 or a per-person share of the General Fund surplus (as of June 30, 2025). To qualify, taxpayers must have filed a 2024 individual or joint tax return and paid their taxes on time. The Department of Revenue would identify eligible taxpayers and calculate payments, then forward details to the State Treasurer for disbursement.

Maddy summaryHB 1353 clarifies when Pennsylvania Game Commission officers can enter private property for hunting enforcement. It specifies that landowners can prohibit entry by giving actual notice, posting visible signs, fencing, or using purple paint marks (8-inch vertical lines, 3-5 feet high, 100 feet apart). This directly affects hunters and landowners who use these notice methods to restrict officer access. The bill amends existing laws to define enforcement boundaries more precisely, focusing on property access rules rather than new penalties.

Maddy summaryHB 1316 amends Pennsylvania's sales tax filing rules to adjust deadlines based on a business's previous year's tax liability. It requires businesses with annual tax bills between $25,000 and $100,000 to file monthly returns starting in 2025, including a 50% prepayment of their expected tax for the month. Businesses with bills over $100,000 follow similar monthly filing rules with the same prepayment requirement. This change replaces quarterly filings for these businesses and adds a 5% penalty for late payments on the prepayment amount. The bill affects businesses meeting specific tax liability thresholds under Pennsylvania's Tax Reform Code.

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 1134 requires food products containing specific synthetic colors (Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, or Yellow 6) to display a warning label on the front of the package. The warning must state: "WARNING: This product contains synthetic colors, which may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children," in bold type at least as large as the "serving size" declaration. This law directly affects food manufacturers and retailers selling products with these dyes in Pennsylvania. The requirement applies to all such products sold within the state and takes effect one year after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 1131 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to prohibit public schools from selling or offering competitive foods containing specific artificial dyes during the school day. The bill bans six dyes (Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6) in foods sold on school grounds that compete with federally reimbursable meals like school lunches. It defines "competitive food" as any food sold during school hours that competes with National School Lunch Program meals. The prohibition applies to all public schools in Pennsylvania and takes effect July 1, 2027. This is a direct policy change restricting certain food additives in school food sales, not a health recommendation.

Maddy summaryHB 1133 amends Pennsylvania's food protection laws to require a specific cancer warning on food products containing Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA). The bill mandates that any food bearing BHA (identified by CAS number 25013-16-5) must display the warning "WARNING: This product contains BHA, which may cause cancer" in bold type on the principal display panel, using a font size no smaller than the required "serving size" declaration. This directly affects food manufacturers and retailers selling products with BHA, requiring them to update labeling to comply with the new rule. The policy change focuses on enhancing consumer transparency about a specific ingredient's potential health risk through mandatory labeling.

Maddy summaryHB 1130 requires food manufacturers to report "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) substances used in food to Pennsylvania's Department of Agriculture, including safety data. This affects companies adding GRAS substances to food products, with exemptions for small businesses and certain FDA-approved substances. The bill mandates a searchable public database on the state website where all submitted reports will be accessible to consumers. It creates new transparency requirements for substances deemed safe without full FDA food additive approval, aligning with federal GRAS reporting standards.

Maddy summaryHB 1201 amends Pennsylvania's Milk Sanitation Law to allow dairy permit holders to sell raw milk and dairy products containing raw milk. It directly affects licensed dairy producers by removing a prior restriction under 7 Pa. Code § 59a.402(b), which had limited such sales. The bill adds a new provision requiring the Secretary of Agriculture to permit these sales, effective 60 days after enactment. This change specifically updates regulatory handling of raw milk products under existing dairy permits.