Rep. Rob Kauffman

Maddy summaryHB 182 designates Bridge Key 8377 on Pennsylvania Route 53 over Bear Rock Run in Lilly Borough, Cambria County, as the Corporal James D. Sloan Memorial Bridge. The bill requires the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to install and maintain signs on the bridge, based on the General Assembly's findings that Corporal James D. Sloan, a Marine Corps veteran who died by suicide in 1971 due to post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in the Vietnam War, received multiple military medals including the Purple Heart and Combat Action Medal. This is a naming resolution with no direct policy changes or affected populations beyond the bridge signage.

Maddy summaryHB 130 proposes a constitutional amendment requiring Pennsylvania to fund public education by allocating state resources directly to individual students, allowing them to attend schools that meet their needs. This would shift funding from the current district-based system to a per-student allocation model, mandating that education spending follow students to their chosen schools. The amendment also requires the state to maintain a thorough and efficient public education system. It would directly affect all public school students and the state's education funding structure.

Maddy summaryHB 164 requires health care facilities in Pennsylvania to handle fetal remains (from a fetal death) through cremation or burial per existing vital records rules, without needing a name on permits. Parents must cover costs if they choose a disposal location outside the facility’s usual practice, but facilities must provide disposition services if parents don’t claim remains. The bill ensures parent information remains confidential and clarifies that facilities aren’t required to issue stillbirth certificates. It does not change the definition of fetal death or mandate cremation/burial unless requested by the parent.

Maddy summaryHB 161 amends Pennsylvania's Prevailing Wage Act by adding specific definitions to clarify which construction projects are covered. It defines "public work" to exclude school safety and security improvements, such as projects funded under the Public School Code for safety upgrades. This directly affects construction contractors working on public projects costing over $25,000, as school safety projects will no longer require prevailing wage rates. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 119 permanently prohibits Pennsylvania from observing daylight saving time, requiring all timekeeping in the state to follow Eastern Standard Time year-round. The bill amends an 1887 law to remove the existing provision allowing daylight saving time (which previously shifted clocks forward between April and October) and declares Eastern Standard Time as the sole legal standard. This directly affects all residents, businesses, and government operations across Pennsylvania, eliminating the need for biannual clock changes. The policy change would take effect 60 days after the bill's passage.

Maddy summaryHB 163 amends Pennsylvania's 1980 law to prohibit entities from "countries of concern" (including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Belarus, and Venezuela) and foreign governments from acquiring agricultural land, except through inheritance or as security for debt. It requires title companies to verify compliance with the law, imposing a $1,000 civil penalty for willful failure to do so, and authorizes the Attorney General to investigate violations. Violating entities must forfeit the land to the Commonwealth, which will sell it at auction; proceeds cover sale costs, reimburse the Attorney General for investigation expenses, pay lienholders, and then fund the General Fund. The law defines agricultural land broadly (including cropland and livestock operations) but excludes mineral rights and non-farm zoning.

Maddy summaryHB 127 amends Pennsylvania's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law to require businesses to accept cash payments for in-person retail transactions under $500. This directly affects Pennsylvania retailers (like stores and service providers) and consumers who pay with cash for qualifying purchases. The bill defines refusing such cash payments as an unfair or deceptive practice, unless the business has a visible written policy stating it won't accept cash above a specific denomination (e.g., $100 bills) and posts this policy before the transaction. Exceptions allow businesses to set high-denomination cash limits if properly disclosed, but they cannot refuse cash outright for transactions under $500.

Maddy summaryHB 154 amends Pennsylvania's Election Code to establish new requirements for voting machine certification and operation. It requires the Secretary of the Commonwealth to examine and approve machines, including testing software, fail-safes, and equipment reliability, and mandates that newly approved machines after 2026 must use open-source software, be manufactured in the U.S., and comply with federal Voluntary Voting System Guidelines. County election boards must publicly test machines 35 days before elections, with notices published online and video recordings shared publicly. Existing machines purchased before 2026 are exempt from new requirements. The bill directly affects county election boards, voting machine vendors, and election security processes across Pennsylvania.

Maddy summaryHB 152 amends Pennsylvania's Tax Reform Code to exclude housing allowances provided by churches or religious organizations to ordained, commissioned, or licensed clergy from personal income tax. This applies to individuals who conduct religious worship, perform sacerdotal duties, and administer sacraments under their church's tenets, regardless of whether the housing is on church-owned property. The change affects clergy members receiving such housing allowances, making those amounts non-taxable for income tax purposes. The exclusion takes effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2023.

Maddy summaryHB 120 requires parental or guardian consent for most minors to receive vaccines in Pennsylvania. Specifically, it mandates that individuals under 18 who haven't graduated high school, aren't pregnant, and aren't legally emancipated cannot consent to vaccines without a parent or guardian's permission. The bill also overrides any local laws (such as city or county rules) that might allow minors to consent to vaccines without parental approval, making those local rules invalid. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment.