Rep. Dave Zimmerman

Maddy summaryHB 326 repeals Pennsylvania's current law on "drug delivery resulting in death" and replaces it with a new offense covering both death and serious bodily injury caused by drug delivery. It classifies causing death as a first-degree felony (with a maximum 40-year prison sentence) and causing serious injury as a third-degree felony, while adding a defense for those who delivered drugs without receiving payment. The bill also increases fines for arson committed for profit and updates the definition of "crime of violence" to include the new drug delivery offense. These changes directly affect individuals who distribute drugs leading to harm and impact how courts prosecute such cases.

Maddy summaryHR 20 is a House Resolution directing Pennsylvania's Joint State Government Commission to study truck parking shortages. It requires the Commission to analyze challenges, identify high-demand areas, examine solutions from other states, and develop recommendations to expand parking capacity within 12 months. The study will specifically address the shortage of approximately 4,400 truck parking spaces, which leaves about 1,000 trucks parked on highway shoulders nightly. This resolution affects truck drivers, transportation systems, and communities by focusing on safety, congestion, and infrastructure needs. It does not enact new law but will inform future policy decisions.

Maddy summaryHB 312 requires Pennsylvania's Department of Highways to resurface all state highways with two- or three-digit route numbers at least once every 25 years. The bill mandates the department to create a 25-year resurfacing plan for each engineering district, prioritize overdue highways during the final year of each plan, and publish a public list by county showing the last resurfacing year for each highway. This amendment standardizes maintenance schedules and increases transparency about highway upkeep. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 310 proposes a constitutional amendment to end Pennsylvania school districts' authority to levy property taxes after June 30, 2029. It requires the state to fund school districts annually with amounts equal to their 2029 property tax revenue (minus debt service) through new state and local taxes on retail sales, income, and earned income. These new tax revenues would be deposited into a dedicated "Stabilization of Education Fund" exclusively for school support, prohibiting any future property taxes on school districts. The amendment would replace property tax reliance with a statewide funding mechanism for school district budgets.

Maddy summaryHB 284 requires Pennsylvania voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote for the first time. Acceptable documents include birth certificates, passports, naturalization papers, driver's licenses showing citizenship verification, or other federal-issued proof as listed in the bill. County election offices must verify this documentation before finalizing voter registrations for federal, state, and local elections. The bill applies to all new registrants and aligns with federal voter registration requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 302 amends Pennsylvania's Taxpayer Relief Act to provide school districts with additional funds to reduce property taxes for homeowners with farmstead or homestead properties. School districts receive $1,000 for each qualifying property (farmstead or homestead) within their boundaries, which they must use to lower the real estate tax bill for each such property by up to $1,000 or 50% of the tax due, whichever is less. Property owners with farmstead or homestead status directly benefit from this tax reduction, while school districts must report qualifying property counts and tax reduction amounts to the Department of Education for verification. This bill creates a new funding mechanism to provide targeted property tax relief without changing existing tax rates or eligibility rules.

Maddy summaryHB 313 amends Pennsylvania's vehicle registration law to create new exemptions for farm vehicles based on weight. Type A vehicles (under 10,000 lbs) can travel between farms up to 50 miles apart or to businesses within 50 miles for buying/selling agricultural goods or repairs. Type B vehicles (10,000-17,000 lbs) have stricter limits, allowing travel between farms up to 25 miles apart or to businesses within 25 miles for agricultural transactions. All exempt vehicles must operate between sunrise and sunset. This directly affects Pennsylvania farmers using heavy equipment for farm operations, reducing registration requirements for specific on-farm and short-distance agricultural activities.

Maddy summaryHB 311 amends Pennsylvania vehicle laws to expand exemptions for agricultural vehicles. It adds a new exemption (Section 1302(2.3)) allowing commercial farm equipment to operate without registration when transported within 50 miles of the owner's business to a nearby farm. This exemption automatically waives the requirement for an official vehicle inspection certificate under Section 4703(b)(2.2). The bill directly affects farmers and agricultural businesses transporting equipment for farm use within the specified distance. The changes take effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryHB 297 amends Pennsylvania's vehicle registration law to create new exemptions for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) used by emergency services. It allows police, fire, and emergency medical agencies to operate ATVs without registration when primarily used off-highway and only incidentally on public roads. The bill specifies different highway travel limits: up to 2 miles in higher-class counties (1st-3rd class) and up to 15 miles in lower-class counties (4th-8th class). These ATVs must still comply with visual/audible signal requirements for emergency vehicles. The change directly affects emergency departments in specific county classifications across Pennsylvania.

Maddy summaryHB 262 amends Pennsylvania's Public Employe Relations Act to strengthen rights for public-sector union members. It guarantees equal voting rights in unions, prohibits sudden fee increases without member approval (requiring secret ballot votes), and ensures members can pursue legal action or communicate with legislators without union restrictions. The bill also mandates that unions provide all members with copies of collective bargaining agreements upon request. These changes apply to most public employees (excluding police/firefighters under separate law) and take effect 60 days after enactment.