Rep. Aaron Bernstine

Maddy summaryHB 1368 amends Pennsylvania's child protective services laws by adding two key definitions to Title 23. It defines a "General protective services report" as one concerning risks from non-abuse circumstances (like lack of parental care or truancy), and specifies what makes such a report "valid" based on six concrete conditions (e.g., abandonment, school truancy, or a child under 10 committing a crime). This bill directly affects child welfare workers who file reports and families subject to these reports. The changes clarify when reports meet legal standards, aiming to standardize how child safety concerns are assessed under Pennsylvania law.

Maddy summaryHB 1369 amends Pennsylvania's child protective services laws to change how certain reports are handled in the Statewide database. It extends the retention period for unfounded reports and general protective services reports from 1 year to 30 years before they must be removed, with an exception: reports involving children remain in the database until the youngest child identified turns 23. The bill repeals an old provision that allowed expungement of records for perpetrators under 18 at the time of abuse. It directly affects families who had reports deemed unfounded or related to general protective services, as their records will now stay in the system longer before being removed. The changes apply to all such reports processed by county child protective agencies and the state database.

Maddy summaryHB 1356 prohibits Pennsylvania state and local government agencies from requiring REAL ID-compliant identification to access public buildings or receive government services. Instead, it allows standard driver's licenses, non-driver photo IDs, or other similar identification to be accepted as valid alternatives. The bill clarifies that agencies cannot demand identification if it is not otherwise necessary for a service or building access. This directly affects all state and local government services and the residents who use them.

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 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 1355 would increase tax discounts for businesses that file and pay Pennsylvania sales tax on time. Currently, businesses receive $25 for monthly filings, $75 for quarterly filings, and $150 for semiannual filings. The bill would double these amounts to $50, $150, and $300 per return, respectively. This change directly affects businesses required to collect and remit sales tax under Pennsylvania’s Tax Reform Code.

Maddy summaryHB 1351 prohibits Pennsylvania public school teacher preparation, induction, and professional development programs from incorporating culturally relevant and sustaining education - teaching methods that reflect students' backgrounds and experiences. The bill directly affects educators and school staff who participate in these training programs. It achieves this by amending the Public School Code to ban such education and repealing related regulations (22 Pa. Code §§ 49.1, 49.13-49.17) that previously addressed the topic. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryHB 1354 requires Pennsylvania public school districts to allow private school students who reside in the district to participate in after-school sports, clubs, and other extracurricular activities if their private school does not offer the same activity and they meet all participation requirements. The law directly affects private school students seeking access to public school programs and public school districts managing extracurricular offerings. It mandates inclusion only when the private school does not provide equivalent opportunities, without changing funding or administrative requirements. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.

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.