Rep. Mike Jones

Maddy summaryHB 399 amends Pennsylvania's Human Services Code to give the Department of Human Services expanded authority to manage public assistance programs. It authorizes the department to set eligibility standards, modify benefits, establish payment rates for providers, use AI for fraud detection, prioritize job training for certain recipients (like able-bodied medical assistance users), and require data sharing between health programs. The bill also includes strict budget constraints, requiring the department to ensure program spending doesn't exceed annual appropriations and prohibiting new consulting contracts without cost-effectiveness justification. This directly affects Pennsylvania residents receiving public assistance, healthcare coverage, and job training services through state-administered programs.

Maddy summaryHB 277 allows victims of sex trafficking to sue individuals or entities that recruit, profit from, or advertise for sex trade activities. The bill amends Pennsylvania's criminal code to create a civil legal pathway for victims to seek remedies in court, specifically targeting those who recruit victims, maintain them in sex trade acts, or cause bodily harm during such acts. It directly affects victims of sex trafficking and those who exploit them through recruitment, advertising, or financial gain. The law does not change criminal penalties but adds a civil remedy for victims to pursue compensation.

Maddy summaryHB 340 adds a specific 2.05-mile segment of the Susquehanna Trail T-956 (formerly Legislative Route 333) in York County to Pennsylvania's state highway system. This route, running from the Manchester Township municipal line to State Route 297, will become a state-maintained highway once the bill is published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. The change directly affects York County residents and travelers using this corridor, as it shifts responsibility for maintenance from local authorities to the state Department of Transportation.

Maddy summaryHB 293 requires dealers who buy electronic devices (like phones or tablets) from the public for resale to obtain a $50 annual license from their county sheriff. It mandates dealers to verify sellers' identities with photo ID, keep detailed transaction records for 180 days, and share copies with the district attorney within 24 hours. Dealers must also retain purchased devices unaltered for five business days to allow law enforcement inspections. The bill directly affects pawn shops, thrift stores, and other resellers of used electronics, not new-device retailers or charities. Violations may result in penalties, though specific penalties are not detailed in the provided text.

Maddy summaryHouse Resolution 24 designates January 23, 2025, as "Maternal Health Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania to honor women who have died from pregnancy or childbirth complications. The resolution aims to raise public and healthcare awareness about maternal mortality, particularly highlighting racial disparities where Black women in Pennsylvania face a maternal mortality rate of 163 deaths per 100,000 live births - over twice the rate of other groups. It does not create new laws or funding but encourages community and healthcare engagement through designated awareness activities. This symbolic gesture aligns with Pennsylvania’s existing Maternal Mortality Review Committee efforts established under Act 24 of 2018.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates February 2025 as "Career and Technical Education Month" in Pennsylvania. It does not create new laws or funding but formally recognizes the importance of career and technical education (CTE) programs through a state-wide observance. The resolution highlights CTE's role in providing students with skills, credentials, and pathways to stable careers, noting that approximately 68,576 students (12% of high school grades) participated in CTE programs in 2024. It directly affects Pennsylvanians by raising public awareness of CTE's value to students, businesses, and the state's economy.

Maddy summaryHB 246 prohibits Pennsylvania public and state-related institutions of higher education from requiring students to complete diversity training or diversity courses to graduate or earn credit. It specifically bans programs based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, or oppression are inherent in U.S. institutions, as defined in the bill. The law applies to community colleges, rural regional colleges, state universities, state-related institutions, and Thaddeus Stevens College. It does not ban all diversity-related content but targets courses or training explicitly founded on the specified theories. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 252 requires Pennsylvania school entities (like districts, charter schools, and cyber schools) to obtain written parental permission before students can access or use any mental health services digital platform. Schools must provide parents a 30-day written notice detailing the platform’s purpose, structure, and practices before implementation, including clear information on how to grant or withdraw consent. Parents can revoke permission anytime in writing, and schools must immediately stop facilitating platform access upon receipt of withdrawal. The bill also ensures parents may request to be present during their child’s use of the platform (unless documented cause for exclusion exists) and access or delete student data collected via the platform per federal privacy laws.

Maddy summaryHB 217 amends Pennsylvania's tax code to require businesses to deduct start-up costs (like initial expenses for new ventures) entirely in the year incurred, rather than spreading deductions over multiple years as permitted under federal rules. This change affects new businesses and entrepreneurs with start-up expenses by altering how they calculate state personal income tax. The bill also allows business net losses to offset other income in the same tax year. These provisions apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 224 requires Pennsylvania's Department of Education to create an online comparison tool for higher education institutions. The tool must allow users to search colleges by major and compare high-priority occupations in Pennsylvania, including county-level data on required education, wages, and job demand. Pennsylvania colleges must annually submit relevant data (via existing federal reports) to the Department by January 1st to update the tool. This bill directly affects public and private colleges in Pennsylvania and students seeking education-to-career pathways.