Rep. Nikki Rivera

Maddy summaryHB 1231 amends Pennsylvania's 1987 Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors Act to revise the composition of the State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors. The bill specifies that the 13-member board must include exactly five licensed social workers (with at least one being a clinical social worker), two licensed marriage and family therapists, two licensed professional counselors, one member who rotates between marriage/family therapy and counseling roles, two public members, and the Commissioner of Professional and Occupational Affairs. This change directly affects the licensing oversight board and the professionals regulated under this law, including social workers, marriage therapists, and counselors seeking or maintaining licensure in Pennsylvania.

Maddy summaryHB 1222 amends Pennsylvania's Funeral Director Law by removing a requirement that applicants must be U.S. citizens. The bill changes qualification standards to require only that applicants are at least 21 years old and hold a Pennsylvania high school diploma or equivalent education. This change directly affects individuals seeking funeral director licenses in Pennsylvania who previously faced citizenship barriers. The amendment takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 1225 amends Pennsylvania's Nursing Home Administrators License Act to clarify specific requirements for licensure and temporary permits. It explicitly states that candidates must be U.S. citizens (or have declared intent to become citizens) and meet age, moral character, and education standards under Section 6(a). The bill also clarifies that temporary permits for nursing home administrators require proof of citizenship, age, and good moral character, as outlined in Section 14(a). These changes affect individuals seeking nursing home administrator licensure or temporary permits in Pennsylvania.

Maddy summaryHB 1224 removes a citizenship requirement from Pennsylvania's pharmacist licensing rules. The bill amends the 1961 Pharmacy Act to delete the phrase "and is a citizen of the United States" from the eligibility criteria for pharmacists. This change directly affects individuals applying for pharmacist licenses in Pennsylvania who previously needed U.S. citizenship. The key provision modifies Section 3(a)(1) of the Pharmacy Act to allow licensure based solely on age (21+) and other existing requirements, without requiring U.S. citizenship. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.

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 1134 requires food products containing specific synthetic colors (Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, or Yellow 6) to display a warning label on the front of the package. The warning must state: "WARNING: This product contains synthetic colors, which may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children," in bold type at least as large as the "serving size" declaration. This law directly affects food manufacturers and retailers selling products with these dyes in Pennsylvania. The requirement applies to all such products sold within the state and takes effect one year after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 1131 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to prohibit public schools from selling or offering competitive foods containing specific artificial dyes during the school day. The bill bans six dyes (Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6) in foods sold on school grounds that compete with federally reimbursable meals like school lunches. It defines "competitive food" as any food sold during school hours that competes with National School Lunch Program meals. The prohibition applies to all public schools in Pennsylvania and takes effect July 1, 2027. This is a direct policy change restricting certain food additives in school food sales, not a health recommendation.

Maddy summaryHB 1132 prohibits Pennsylvania public schools from selling or offering "unhealthy ultra-processed foods" as competitive foods during the school day. It defines "ultra-processed food" as items containing specific additives like artificial colors, stabilizers, non-nutritive sweeteners, or flavor enhancers (excluding natural seasonings), and "unhealthy" as failing FDA standards for the term "healthy" on labels. Competitive foods - such as vending machine snacks or cafeteria items sold alongside school meals - are banned if they contain these unhealthy items. The law takes effect July 1, 2027, directly affecting public school food vendors, students, and school nutrition programs across Pennsylvania.

Maddy summaryHB 1133 amends Pennsylvania's food protection laws to require a specific cancer warning on food products containing Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA). The bill mandates that any food bearing BHA (identified by CAS number 25013-16-5) must display the warning "WARNING: This product contains BHA, which may cause cancer" in bold type on the principal display panel, using a font size no smaller than the required "serving size" declaration. This directly affects food manufacturers and retailers selling products with BHA, requiring them to update labeling to comply with the new rule. The policy change focuses on enhancing consumer transparency about a specific ingredient's potential health risk through mandatory labeling.

Maddy summaryHB 1130 requires food manufacturers to report "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) substances used in food to Pennsylvania's Department of Agriculture, including safety data. This affects companies adding GRAS substances to food products, with exemptions for small businesses and certain FDA-approved substances. The bill mandates a searchable public database on the state website where all submitted reports will be accessible to consumers. It creates new transparency requirements for substances deemed safe without full FDA food additive approval, aligning with federal GRAS reporting standards.