Rep. Joe Hamm

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.

Maddy summaryThis procedural bill removes the Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Operations from further consideration of House Resolution 278. It allows House Resolution 278 to move directly to the full House for debate and voting under Rule 53, bypassing the committee review process. The bill itself does not change policy but alters the legislative path for another resolution.

Maddy summaryHB 1380 amends Pennsylvania’s Conservation and Natural Resources Act to require the Chief Forest Fire Warden to submit an annual report by March 1 each year. The report must include wildfire activity locations, prevention actions, prescribed burn data (including information shared by other entities), firefighter manpower by district, and wildfire equipment inventories. This report is submitted to specific legislative committees in both the Senate and House of Representatives. The bill focuses on improving transparency and data collection for wildfire management, without altering forest management practices. It takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 1379 creates a dedicated "Forest Fire Warden Fund" within the Pennsylvania state treasury to reimburse local forest fire wardens for approved activities. The bill establishes that funds from this new account will cover expenses related to controlled burns, fire investigations, public safety events, training, and mutual aid requests made to emergency management agencies. It directly affects local forest fire wardens and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources by providing a clear funding mechanism for their operational costs. This procedural change streamlines reimbursement processes under the existing Conservation and Natural Resources Act without altering forest management policies.

Maddy summaryHB 2094 amends Pennsylvania's 1929 Administrative Code to update how the state handles revenue estimates in its budget process. It requires the Department of Revenue and Budget Secretary to jointly prepare revenue estimates that separately show State revenues, Federal funds, and other sources when creating the budget. The bill also sets rules for the Governor to veto spending that exceeds the official revenue estimate plus unused budget funds, and allows adjustments if new laws change revenue projections during the fiscal year. These changes apply to all state budget decisions after the law takes effect.

Maddy summaryHB 2093 requires Pennsylvania state agencies to report unspent budget funds annually to the Auditor General. Specifically, agencies must submit detailed financial data by November 15 each year, and the Auditor General must analyze these reports and submit a comprehensive written report to the legislature by December 30. The report must break down unspent funds by agency and budget line item, summarize totals by fund type, and provide recommendations to prevent waste, inefficiency, or fraud. This applies to all Commonwealth agencies, including departments, boards, universities (like Penn State and Pitt), and entities such as the Gaming Control Board and Turnpike Commission. The bill aims to improve fiscal transparency and accountability for state spending.

Maddy summaryHB 2097 requires Pennsylvania's Governor to create and publish an annual Commonwealth capital improvement plan by February 1 each year. The plan must detail proposed capital projects (like building construction or major equipment) for the next three years, their costs, funding methods (including bond issuance), and a review of past projects, with public posting for comment. It also establishes a debt limit for capital projects and prohibits exceeding this limit, requiring legislative oversight to monitor compliance. This affects state agencies managing capital projects and the Governor's office in planning and reporting state spending.

Maddy summaryHB 2091 requires Pennsylvania state agencies to submit detailed pre-acceptance reports to the Governor, General Assembly, Auditor General, and other oversight bodies before taking federal funds. These reports must include program details, performance goals, funding timelines, cost breakdowns (personnel, maintenance, etc.), and analysis of how federal requirements impact state operations. Agencies must also establish a public transparency portal showing daily federal spending and use federal funds to offset existing state costs - rather than creating new programs - while ensuring no budget deficit if federal funding ends. The bill mandates quarterly updates to oversight bodies and requires reporting of fraud to state and federal agencies like the Attorney General and U.S. Inspector General.

Maddy summaryHB 2066 repeals Pennsylvania's inheritance tax system by removing Article XXI ("Inheritance and Estate Tax Act") from the 1971 Tax Reform Code. This eliminates the state-level inheritance tax that would have applied to property transferred upon death. The bill directly affects individuals who would have owed this tax on estates or gifts, removing a layer of state taxation on inherited assets. The repeal is comprehensive, striking the entire framework of definitions, exemptions, and procedures related to inheritance tax from the tax code.