Rep. Jake Banta

Maddy summaryHB 89 requires Pennsylvania telecom companies to respond to equipment or infrastructure failures within 90 minutes if the failure prompts volunteer firefighters to deploy. If they fail to respond on time, the company must pay the volunteer fire company $1,000 for each hour the firefighters are actively deployed. This applies specifically to volunteer fire departments as defined under Pennsylvania law (35 Pa.C.S. § 7802). The bill creates a direct financial obligation for telecom companies when their failures disrupt emergency response, targeting infrastructure reliability for volunteer fire services.

Maddy summaryHB 113 amends Pennsylvania's Regulatory Review Act to require state agencies to analyze electricity cost impacts for certain regulations. Specifically, agencies must include in their regulatory analysis a review of how proposed rules affecting fuel, energy, or electricity might increase costs (even temporarily) and discuss negative effects on low-income residents. This applies directly to agencies drafting regulations in energy or utility sectors and affects low-income households through potential electricity rate changes. The bill adds this new requirement to the existing review process for proposed regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 110 amends Pennsylvania's 1970 law to allow minors aged 18 or older to consent independently to mental health treatment without parental permission, raising the age from 14. It also clarifies that minors aged 18+ control their mental health treatment records, while parents or legal guardians retain full access to all medical, dental, and health records for minors under 18. The bill includes provisions for minors to revoke consent for treatment and requires court review if a minor objects to continued inpatient care. These changes directly affect minors seeking mental health services and their parents, streamlining consent processes while balancing minor autonomy with parental access.

Maddy summaryHB 94 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to allow parents or guardians of school-aged children to opt their child out of school-imposed face covering or mask requirements. This applies when masks are required due to health department mandates (like those under the Disease Prevention and Control Law) or school board policies. Schools must provide a simple online opt-out form without requiring an excuse and must prohibit discrimination against students who opt out, including exclusion from activities or locations. The bill directly affects parents, guardians, and schools in Pennsylvania, changing how mask mandates are implemented in educational settings.

Maddy summaryHB 70 changes Pennsylvania's regular antlered deer hunting season to begin on the first Monday following Thanksgiving each year. This directly affects deer hunters across the state by establishing a fixed seasonal start date, overriding previous regulations. The bill amends Title 34 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to implement this specific opening date. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 114 establishes the Independent Energy Office within Pennsylvania's Independent Regulatory Review Commission to protect the state's electricity grid reliability and affordability. The office, led by an Energy Advocate appointed by the Consumer Advocate and confirmed by the Senate, will review state agency actions (like regulations or policies) to determine if they harm energy costs or grid stability. If an agency's action is found harmful, the office can require the agency to reverse it, and if the agency refuses, the office may block or reverse the action itself. This directly affects state agencies whose energy-related decisions are evaluated, with the goal of safeguarding consumer energy costs and grid operations.