Rep. Rich Irvin

Maddy summaryHB 1858 amends Pennsylvania's Emergency and Law Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits Act to extend death benefits to surviving spouses, children, or parents of corrections officers. Currently, the law provides benefits to families of certain emergency and law enforcement personnel, but corrections officers were excluded from coverage. This bill explicitly adds corrections officers to the eligible group, ensuring their families receive financial support if a corrections officer dies while on duty. The bill also includes minor editorial changes to update the law's language.

Maddy summaryThe provided context does not include the specific provisions or content of HB 1693. While the bill's title mentions amending Title 29 regarding "immigration compliance and public safety," no details about its concrete mechanisms, affected groups, or policy changes are included in the given information. Without the bill's text or explanatory summary, a factual description of its provisions cannot be provided. The only verifiable detail is that it was referred to the Judiciary committee on July 2, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1619 establishes a new regulatory program within the Department of Revenue to oversee "skill gaming" (games where skill determines outcomes, not chance). It requires businesses offering such games to obtain licenses, comply with specific zoning rules for where they can operate, and follow new operational standards. The bill imposes both criminal penalties for serious violations and civil penalties for lesser breaches. This directly affects skill gaming businesses, local governments managing zoning, and the Department of Revenue, which gains authority to issue licenses and enforce rules.

Maddy summaryHB 1499 updates Pennsylvania's child custody laws under Title 23. It clarifies definitions, establishes clearer rules for awarding primary physical custody, and requires courts to consider criminal convictions when making custody decisions. The bill also mandates parenting plans and specifies factors judges must evaluate, directly affecting parents, judges, and child welfare agencies involved in custody cases. The legislation was recently referred to the Judiciary Committee on May 28, 2025.

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 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 1310 amends the Human Services Code to modify how medical assistance payments are determined for institutional care in nursing facilities. The bill specifically adjusts the application of a "revenue adjustment neutrality factor" to payment rates for county and nonpublic nursing facilities. Beginning July 1, 2025, the factor for nonpublic facilities must be equal to or greater than 0.90, while for county facilities, it will be 1.00 plus the percentage rate of change applied to nonpublic facilities. This change directly affects these nursing facilities and the eligible individuals receiving care within them.

Maddy summaryHB 1170 allows Pennsylvania corrections officers to use electronic control gloves - gloves with electrodes emitting under 500 volts to temporarily immobilize individuals - in specific prison units. It requires these gloves only for officers assigned to units housing inmates who received disciplinary sanctions and are segregated from the general population. The department must create public policies on glove use, training, and maintenance, and officers must complete department-approved training before use. The bill also mandates compliance with existing use-of-force laws (18 Pa.C.S. § 508) and defines the gloves’ technical specifications.

Maddy summaryHB 1037 amends Pennsylvania's Municipalities Planning Code to allow municipalities to permit the replacement of demolished one- or two-family homes with structurally similar residential buildings using the original property's setback standards. This provision directly affects homeowners seeking to rebuild single-family or duplex properties and local governments issuing building permits. The key mechanism requires municipalities to provide these original setback standards to applicants when approving such replacements, streamlining the rebuilding process while maintaining consistent lot coverage. The bill does not change zoning requirements but offers flexibility for residential reconstruction within existing development patterns.

Maddy summaryHB 1035 amends Pennsylvania's Solid Waste Management Act by adding specific definitions for "advanced recycling" and related terms. It clarifies that plastic waste and waste tires processed through advanced recycling (using methods like pyrolysis) are no longer classified as "municipal waste" or "residual waste" under the law. This change directly affects facilities using advanced recycling technology, reducing their regulatory burden under existing waste management rules. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.