Rep. Clint Owlett

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Pennsylvania health care facilities, including emergency departments and urgent care centers, to adopt standardized protocols for identifying and assisting patients who may be victims of human trafficking. The Department of Health is tasked with creating these guidelines within 180 days, which will include trauma-informed screening questions, private interview procedures, and specific steps for referring individuals to support services even if they do not wish to involve law enforcement. To ensure staff are prepared, the law mandates that all clinical and patient-facing employees complete initial training upon hiring and undergo continuing education every two years. Additionally, facilities must annually report de-identified data on screenings and referrals to the Department of Health, which will then submit a summary report to the General Assembly.

Maddy summaryThis Pennsylvania bill creates a new criminal offense for interfering with religious worship, which would apply to individuals who intentionally disrupt religious services or block access to places of worship. The law defines interference as knowingly entering or remaining in a religious building after being asked to leave and disrupting activities, or using force, threats, or physical obstruction to harm or impede people exercising their religion. Violations would be classified as third-degree misdemeanors for simple disruption and second-degree misdemeanors for actions involving force or threats. The bill takes effect 60 days after passage and defines religious worship locations as buildings or grounds regularly used for religious activities.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the PA WORKS Scholarship Grant Program and a trade career-incentive tax credit for Pennsylvania residents pursuing specific skilled trade careers in higher education. The scholarship provides up to $5,000 per academic year to students enrolled in approved courses such as carpentry, welding, plumbing, or electrical work, provided they maintain satisfactory academic progress and have not yet earned a bachelor's degree. Recipients must agree to live and work in Pennsylvania for 36 months in an in-demand occupation after completing their degree, with the scholarship amount prorated based on years of service and requiring repayment if they fail to meet these requirements. Additionally, the bill establishes a tax credit for business firms that hire graduates from these trade programs, though specific credit amounts and eligibility details are not fully detailed in the provided text.

Maddy summaryHR 362 is a procedural resolution that directs the House to discharge the Committee on Education from further consideration of House Bill 158, allowing HB 158 to move directly to the full House floor for a vote. This action bypasses the committee's review process, which typically requires committee approval before a bill can be debated on the floor. The resolution was placed on the calendar under Rule 53 on October 29, 2025, signaling it will now proceed to a floor vote. This change affects the legislative workflow for HB 158 but does not alter the content or policy of HB 158 itself.

Maddy summaryHB 1375 requires Pennsylvania's Public School Employees' Retirement Board and State Employees' Retirement Board to livestream all public meetings and post unedited video and written records online for at least three years. The bill clarifies that certain sensitive investment details - like confidential financial information from alternative investments - can be withheld from public access under the Right-to-Know Law if disclosure would cause competitive harm or breach fiduciary duties. However, specific investment data must remain public, including the name, manager, and funding amounts for alternative investment vehicles. This bill directly affects how retirement boards manage transparency and public access to their investment decisions. It focuses on procedural transparency rather than changing benefit amounts or eligibility.

Maddy summaryHR 340 is a procedural resolution that removes Senate Bill 186 from the Committee on Environmental and Natural Resource Protection, requiring the committee to cease further consideration of the bill. This allows Senate Bill 186 to move directly to the full House for debate and a vote. The resolution was placed on the calendar under Rule 53 on October 8, 2025, as part of the legislative process to advance stalled bills. It does not change policy but addresses a procedural delay in the committee.

Maddy summaryHR 339 is a procedural resolution that removes the House Committee on Health from further consideration of Senate Bill No. 9, allowing the full House to directly debate and vote on that bill. This action bypasses the committee's usual role in reviewing legislation. The bill was added to the calendar for floor consideration under Rule 53 on October 8, 2025, moving it closer to a full vote. It does not change policy but alters the legislative process for Senate Bill No. 9.

Maddy summaryHB 2153 amends Pennsylvania's Taxpayer Relief Act to redirect property tax revenue from data centers toward tax relief for homeowners and farmers. It defines "data center" as facilities primarily housing AI infrastructure (including servers, power systems, and AI equipment) and requires school districts to use all revenue from data center property taxes to fund homestead and farmstead tax exclusions. In the first fiscal year data center taxes are fully collected, all revenue must cover these exclusions; in subsequent years, the amount equals the first year's revenue. School districts must itemize these exclusions on tax bills, showing the original tax, exclusion amount, and final payment. This directly affects school districts collecting data center taxes and homeowners/farmers receiving reduced tax bills.

Maddy summaryHB 2141 amends Pennsylvania's Fiscal Code to adjust how funds from oil and gas leases and forest land use are distributed. It changes the Oil and Gas Lease Fund to include specific rental payments from Commonwealth-owned land (excluding game/fish lands) and updates the allocation of fees from federal/State forest land use. The key provision requires a $3 annual per-acre charge on forest land, split as $1.20 from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and $1.80 from gaming revenue, to be distributed to counties, school districts, and townships where the land is located. This directly affects local governments receiving these payments from Commonwealth-owned forest properties.

Maddy summaryHB 2139 defines "cell-cultured protein" (lab-grown meat made from animal cells grown outside the animal) and prohibits its manufacturing, sale, delivery, holding for sale, or offering for sale in Pennsylvania. The bill directly affects companies developing or selling lab-grown meat products within the state. Key provisions establish a legal definition for this emerging food technology and ban all commercial transactions involving it. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment, creating a clear regulatory restriction on this specific food product type.