Sen. Lisa Baker

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's parole board membership rules by clarifying how board vacancies are handled when a member's term expires. It requires the Governor to nominate a replacement within six months of a term ending, even if the current member stays on the board temporarily. The changes apply to all current and future Pennsylvania Parole Board members and will take effect 60 days after passage. The legislation focuses on administrative procedures for board composition rather than altering parole eligibility or release standards.

Maddy summarySB 1133 amends Pennsylvania's Pharmacy Act to adjust the composition of the State Board of Pharmacy. The bill increases the number of pharmacist members from five to six, requiring two to be appointed from acute care institutional pharmacies (previously one), and specifies that pharmacy technician members must have at least five years of experience. All board members serve six-year terms, with the technician limited to one term and other members to two consecutive terms. Appointments require the Governor's nomination and Senate approval.

Maddy summarySB 746 gives residents of manufactured home communities in Pennsylvania the right to purchase their community when it's sold. When a community owner plans to sell, they must notify all residents, the resident association (if one exists), and local housing agencies at least 90 days in advance, detailing the sale price and terms. Residents represented by a group owning at least 25% of spaces can then submit a competing offer within 90 days, forcing the owner to pause other sales for 120 days while they prepare their offer and negotiate in good faith. The bill also adds legal remedies, allowing residents to seek court action to stop non-compliant sales within 90 days of the transfer. This directly affects manufactured home residents and community owners across Pennsylvania.

Maddy summaryThe bill SB 1061 amends Pennsylvania's military affairs statutes to address accreditation requirements for the State Veterans' Commission and the Deputy Adjutant General for Veterans' Affairs. It directly affects state veterans' agencies and their personnel by establishing or modifying accreditation standards. The bill's key provision focuses on "further providing for accreditation," though the specific accreditation process or standards are not detailed in the provided context. This amendment would impact how veterans' services are structured and certified within the state's military affairs framework. The bill is currently in the referral stage with the Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness committee.

Maddy summarySB 1400 modifies Pennsylvania's sentencing laws for murder to establish a mandatory life imprisonment term for second-degree murder involving unborn children or law enforcement officers. For other second-degree murder cases, the bill sets a standard minimum sentence of 35 years but allows for a reduced minimum of 10 years if the defendant proves they were not the primary actor, did not cause the death, and did not use a deadly weapon. The legislation also creates a specific pathway for courts to impose life imprisonment without parole for second-degree murder if the crime involved a child under 13, rape, a prior violent conviction, or serious injury to another victim. Additionally, the bill updates definitions for motivational boot camps and expands the role of victims in parole hearings for those sentenced to life for second-degree murder.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Pennsylvania's Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act to clarify who must register as a contractor and what work counts as home improvement. It expands the definition of a contractor to include independent workers hired by large retailers and raises the monetary threshold for required registration from $500 to $1,000. The legislation also adjusts the net worth threshold for exempt large retailers from $50 million to $50 million and adds specific exclusions for certain landscaping services and commercial conversions. Additionally, the bill introduces new requirements for out-of-state contractors to provide proof of good standing from their home jurisdictions.

Maddy summarySB 730 amends Pennsylvania law regarding end-of-life medical decisions, affecting patients, their designated surrogates, and healthcare providers, including emergency medical services. The bill introduces and integrates "Pennsylvania orders for life-sustaining treatment" (POLST) into the existing framework, alongside advance health care directives and out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate (OOH-DNR) orders. It updates definitions for various healthcare roles to align with current state law and modifies criminal penalties for actions like falsifying or interfering with these medical orders. Additionally, the bill clarifies the applicability of emergency medical services in situations without an OOH-DNR order and standardizes the issuance of OOH-DNR orders, bracelets, and necklaces by physicians.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as Alice's Law, strengthens protections for older adults in Pennsylvania by creating a statewide registry to track individuals who have abused or neglected elderly people. It requires facilities to immediately remove employees from duty if they are accused of abuse and to terminate staff members who appear on the new registry. The legislation also clarifies rules for reporting suspected abuse, ensuring that reports are sent to both the department and the coroner while maintaining confidentiality for the identity of the person who made the report. Additionally, the bill expands immunity for agencies and workers acting in good faith and increases administrative fines for facility owners or administrators who fail to comply with these new reporting and safety requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public schools and universities in Pennsylvania to explicitly label their athletic teams as male, female, or coed, while prohibiting female teams from allowing male participation. It protects schools from facing complaints or investigations for maintaining separate sports for girls and allows students to sue for damages if they are harmed by violations of these labeling and separation rules. The law also permits schools to sue if they are penalized by outside organizations for following these guidelines, and it applies to all public education and higher education institutions in the state.

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.