Rep. Dave Zimmerman

Maddy summaryHB 2165 amends Pennsylvania's definition of "delinquent act" in juvenile court proceedings. It specifically excludes certain serious crimes from being classified as delinquent acts when committed by minors aged 15 or older, including murder, rape, robbery with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, and aggravated assault. The bill also excludes repeat offenses where a minor was previously adjudicated delinquent for similar violent crimes, summary offenses, and crimes already handled in criminal court. This change directly affects minors aged 15+ accused of these excluded offenses, shifting their cases to criminal court instead of juvenile court. The policy change takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 172 amends Pennsylvania's utility billing rules to require public utilities to provide customers with clear payment deadlines: 20 days for residential customers and 15 days for nonresidential customers without late fees. It mandates itemized bills showing separate charges for basic service, taxes, and fuel adjustments, and specifies how fuel adjustment costs must be calculated for bimonthly or quarterly billing cycles. The bill also prohibits utilities from billing for service older than 12 months, except in cases of fraud, meter tampering, or pending commission proceedings. These changes directly affect residential and commercial utility customers across Pennsylvania.

Maddy summaryHR 278 is a Pennsylvania state resolution designating September 12, 2025, as "The Day of the Bible" within the state. It is a commemorative resolution with no legal effect or policy changes, solely intended to recognize the Bible through a symbolic designation. The bill does not impose obligations on individuals, institutions, or the government, nor does it alter existing laws. It was referred to committee and reported as amended in 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 2155 would prohibit Pennsylvania municipalities from requiring a minimum number of parking spaces for new developments. This affects all local governments in the state (including cities, boroughs, townships, and counties) that currently enforce parking minimums in zoning codes. The bill amends state law to remove this requirement, except where mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The change would take effect one year after the bill is signed.

Maddy summaryHB 2158 amends Pennsylvania's Controlled Substance Act by adding specific kratom-related compounds to Schedule I, the most restrictive category for controlled substances. The bill prohibits possession, sale, or distribution of any product containing 7-hydroxymitragynine at 2% or more of total alkaloids, or synthetic versions of kratom alkaloids like mitragynine. This change directly affects businesses selling kratom products and individuals who use such substances, making them illegal without medical authorization. The policy change aligns with existing Schedule I criteria of high abuse potential and no accepted medical use.

Maddy summaryHB 2153 amends Pennsylvania's Taxpayer Relief Act to redirect property tax revenue from data centers toward tax relief for homeowners and farmers. It defines "data center" as facilities primarily housing AI infrastructure (including servers, power systems, and AI equipment) and requires school districts to use all revenue from data center property taxes to fund homestead and farmstead tax exclusions. In the first fiscal year data center taxes are fully collected, all revenue must cover these exclusions; in subsequent years, the amount equals the first year's revenue. School districts must itemize these exclusions on tax bills, showing the original tax, exclusion amount, and final payment. This directly affects school districts collecting data center taxes and homeowners/farmers receiving reduced tax bills.

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 2140 limits water and wastewater rate increases for residential customers in Pennsylvania. It caps rate hikes at the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the northeast region, preventing increases exceeding inflation. The bill also requires utilities to stop charging for completed infrastructure projects once costs are recovered and mandates that the Public Utility Commission prioritize service affordability over non-essential capital costs when reviewing rate cases. This directly affects residential households and water/wastewater utilities operating in Pennsylvania.

Maddy summaryHB 2137 creates a new "Military Event License Exemption" program for eligible military personnel and veterans in Pennsylvania. It exempts qualifying individuals (veterans with 30%+ service-connected disability, active/reserve members or veterans with Purple Heart, plus one assistant per person) from hunting license fees during approved events. Events must be hosted on private land with landowner approval, last no more than seven days, include no more than 10 participants, and require 14-day advance applications with documentation. The bill also modifies regulated hunting grounds permits to allow labeled packaging instead of tagging for birds killed under permit authority. (Bill: HB 2137, Section 2701(d) and 2928(f.1))

Maddy summaryHB 2142 repeals a 1936 law that imposed an 18% tax on liquor sold by Pennsylvania's state-run liquor stores (operated by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board). The repealed law defined "liquor" and required the Board to collect the tax from customers and remit it to the state treasury, with specific reporting procedures. This bill eliminates the tax requirement and its associated administrative rules, meaning the state will no longer collect this specific tax from liquor sales at state stores. The repeal affects the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's operations and the state's revenue system for this historical tax.