Sen. Cris Dush

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates September 2025 as "Military Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania. It does not create new laws or allocate funds but formally recognizes the need for increased awareness and support related to military suicide prevention. The designation aims to encourage community efforts and education during that month, directly affecting Pennsylvanians through heightened public focus on this issue.

Maddy summaryThis resolution directs Pennsylvania's Joint State Government Commission to study how four healthcare licensure compacts (medical, psychology, physical therapy, and nursing) affect the state. The study will analyze impacts on patient access to care, provider movement between states, licensing efficiency, and patient safety protections, including how complaints from other states are handled. It requires a report within six months with findings and recommendations for the General Assembly. The resolution focuses on evaluating existing compacts' effects on Pennsylvania and other states, not on advocating for policy changes.

Maddy summarySR 135 is a Senate resolution honoring Pennsylvania veterans on Veterans Day, November 11, 2025. It formally recognizes all Pennsylvania veterans who served during wartime and peacetime, acknowledging their contributions to national security. The resolution encourages communities across Pennsylvania to hold ceremonies on that date to honor approximately 700,000 current Pennsylvania residents who have served in the armed forces. As a commemorative resolution, it does not create new laws or policies but serves as a symbolic gesture of appreciation.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates the week of August 17-23, 2025, as "Social Media Safety and Parental Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania. It aims to raise awareness about online child exploitation, citing statistics such as a 192% increase in online enticement cases (546,000 in 2024) and 1 in 5 teens experiencing sextortion. The resolution encourages educational programming and public awareness efforts to protect minors from social media risks as students return to school, without creating new laws or enforcement mechanisms. It is a non-binding symbolic gesture focused on community education, not a policy change.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SR 119) is a non-binding request from the Pennsylvania Senate urging Congress to support the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 and amend federal law. It specifically seeks to change current requirements under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which currently restricts school milk options to fat-free or low-fat varieties. The resolution asks Congress to allow whole milk and 2% reduced-fat milk (flavored or unflavored) in Pennsylvania's elementary and secondary schools, and directs federal agencies to update dietary guidelines accordingly. This would permit schools to offer these milk types without risking federal funding, but the resolution itself does not alter any existing law or standards.

Maddy summarySB 942 sets professional certification standards for auditors in Pennsylvania's Department of the Auditor General. It requires employees conducting forensic audits to hold both Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) credentials, while fraud auditors must have a CFE. The bill mandates that new hires meet these qualifications immediately, allows current employees to continue existing audit work temporarily, and requires the department to support staff in obtaining necessary certifications through resources and financial incentives. These changes aim to ensure audits of state and federal funds meet professional standards and quality requirements.

Maddy summarySB 943 is a procedural bill proposing a constitutional amendment to Pennsylvania's Constitution. It would require all government branches to interpret the Constitution based solely on the original wording and meaning at the time of its writing. The amendment must pass twice in the General Assembly and then be approved by voters in the next eligible election. As a constitutional proposal, it does not directly affect policy or people but changes how future interpretations of the Constitution would be conducted.

Maddy summarySB 875 creates a "clean slate" provision for individuals who successfully complete Pennsylvania's motivational boot camp program. It allows their criminal history records to become "limited access" for 3 years (misdemeanors) or 5 years (felonies) after program completion, provided they have no new convictions, paid all restitution, and completed the program. This means most background checks would not reveal these records during the limited access period. The bill specifically applies to participants who meet eligibility criteria under the motivational boot camp program, excluding those with certain serious offenses or enhancements. The Department of Corrections must certify successful completion to courts to trigger this record access change.

Maddy summarySB 812 amends Pennsylvania's Election Code to strengthen oversight of electronic voting systems. It requires the Secretary of the Commonwealth to review these systems for security, functionality, and accessibility, including publicly demonstrating them 30 days before approval. Counties must report voting system malfunctions (e.g., ballot delays or tabulation issues) to the state within 60 days of elections, detailing causes and impacts. The bill also mandates that all review reports and public demonstration recordings be posted on the state’s website for public access.

Maddy summarySB 790 amends Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law to create a process for government agencies to seek relief from individuals making repeated or abusive public records requests. Agencies must petition the Office of Open Records with clear evidence that a requester's conduct is "vexatious" (e.g., overwhelming numbers of requests, repetitive identical requests, or requests intended to harass). If granted, the Office may limit an agency's obligation to respond to future requests from that individual for up to one year, while ensuring decisions remain content-neutral and include opportunities for the requester to respond or mediate. The bill includes exemptions for school-related requests, election-related inquiries, and cases where prior petitions were denied.