Sen. Jarrett Coleman

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Pennsylvania's Minimum Wage Act to establish state-level preemption, meaning the state government sets the minimum wage rules that apply to all employers across the state. It prevents local cities and counties from passing their own minimum wage laws that differ from the state standard, with two exceptions: local rules adopted before January 1, 2006, remain valid, and new local rules can still be passed after the bill takes effect. The legislation will become active 60 days after it is signed into law.

Maddy summarySB 357 repeals Pennsylvania's requirement for a license to carry a firearm, removing Section 6106 which previously mandated licenses for concealed carry. It requires counties to provide free lockers for checking firearms at court facilities and updates rules for convicted persons to relinquish firearms and licenses. The bill also repeals Philadelphia-specific restrictions on carrying firearms on public streets and revises provisions related to firearms in vehicles and hunting. These changes primarily affect firearm owners, law enforcement, and court facility users by altering licensing, carrying, and storage requirements. The bill makes technical amendments across multiple statutes but does not create new licensing requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Pennsylvania's Public School Code to standardize how student residency is verified and how enrollment changes are reported for both traditional and cyber charter schools. It requires parents to submit a specific annual form by March 1 using a standardized list of acceptable documents, such as utility bills or leases, to prove their address, while exempting homeless students from these requirements. Additionally, the law mandates that cyber charter schools and parents notify the student's local school district within 10 business days of enrollment or any change in residence. These changes aim to streamline administrative processes and ensure consistent documentation across different types of school districts.

Maddy summarySB 1150 amends Pennsylvania's open meetings law to allow state agencies to add items to a meeting agenda during the meeting, provided a majority of attendees approve and the reason for the change is announced. After adding an item, agencies must post the updated agenda on their public website (if available) and at their main office within one business day. This rule applies to all public meetings except executive sessions or working sessions. The bill directly affects state agencies holding open meetings, requiring them to follow these transparency steps for agenda changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Administrative Code to establish a cabinet-level Department of Aging dedicated to improving the well-being of older citizens. It mandates that the department eliminate program duplication and promotes the growth of independent clubs and associations for seniors. The legislation also requires the department to provide comprehensive training for area agency employees on topics such as abuse detection, investigative techniques, and financial exploitation. Additionally, the bill prohibits the department from entering into contracts that limit oversight by the General Assembly or the Auditor General.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code of 1949 to allow the Secretary of Education to temporarily waive a requirement that career and technical education programs must end by twelfth grade. The change directly affects students in vocational and technical education programs and gives the state education secretary the authority to approve programs that extend beyond high school graduation. The waiver is limited to three years or until final regulations are issued, whichever happens first, and does not prevent existing programs from ending in twelfth grade. Students already enrolled in these programs before the waiver expires will not be affected by the change.

Maddy summarySB 1088 would amend Pennsylvania's laws to establish "First Defenders Day" as an official legal holiday, observed annually on the first Monday of May. This change would directly affect state employees and businesses that typically close on designated legal holidays, requiring them to observe this new day off. The bill's key mechanism is adding the holiday to Title 38 of Pennsylvania's Consolidated Statutes, creating a formal, recurring observance without altering other holiday schedules. The bill is currently in the referral stage and has not yet advanced to a vote.

Maddy summarySB 576 amends Pennsylvania's tax code for mutual thrift institutions, such as credit unions, by adjusting their annual tax rates on taxable net income. Starting in 2025, the tax rate will gradually decrease from 7.95% to 4.99% over seven years, with specific rates set for each year through 2031. The bill also revises the net loss carryover rule, allowing institutions to deduct losses from the previous ten years (instead of three) when calculating current tax, but the deduction cannot exceed the current year's net income. Mutual thrift institutions must report and pay taxes annually by April 15 under these updated rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's tax code by eliminating the existing incentive program for computer data center equipment and replacing it with a new system that transfers taxes collected from the sale of such equipment into a restricted account within the Motor License Fund. The legislation defines specific types of equipment eligible for this transfer, including servers, cooling systems, power generation tools, and software used to operate data centers. By redirecting these tax revenues, the bill aims to create a dedicated funding source for motor license-related expenses rather than providing direct tax breaks to businesses.

Maddy summarySB 128 requires Pennsylvania public schools, charter schools, cyber charters, and other school entities to post online, on their public websites, details about their curriculum starting with the 2025-2026 school year. This includes links to textbooks used, course syllabi, written summaries of courses, and state academic standards for each course. Schools must update this information within 30 business days of any changes to their curriculum materials. The law explicitly states it does not override copyright or intellectual property rights held by curriculum creators.