Sen. Cris Dush

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution officially designates October 2024 as "Down Syndrome Awareness Month" within the state of Pennsylvania. The bill aims to highlight the lives and contributions of individuals with Down syndrome and their families through a formal state recognition. It does not alter any laws, allocate funding, or change existing policies, but rather serves as a symbolic gesture to increase public awareness. The measure was referred to the Rules and Executive Nominations committee for further processing.

Maddy summaryThis Pennsylvania bill updates laws governing boroughs to clarify how officials can be financially penalized for mistakes and to allow boroughs to hire professional managers. It limits surcharges against elected or appointed officials to the actual financial loss caused by their errors, unless those errors involve fraud or collusion, and protects officials who relied in good faith on legal opinions from their borough solicitor. The legislation also permits borough councils to create an office of borough manager through an ordinance, enabling them to hire individuals or entities to handle administrative duties under a contract that can last up to two years. Additionally, the bill clarifies that borough managers and other key officials can hold multiple non-conflicting roles and requires councils to prepare proposed budgets for public inspection before final adoption.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs Pennsylvania's Department of General Services to create a plan for selling three specific state-owned properties in White Haven, Hamburg, and Polk. The required plan must outline a three-year timeline for transferring ownership, detail past sales discussions, and estimate future costs for maintenance, demolition, and necessary repairs. The department is mandated to submit this comprehensive report to the Senate and House State Government Committees within six months of the bill taking effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Pennsylvania laws to adjust the time limits for filing lawsuits against state and local government entities. It directly affects individuals or groups seeking to sue Commonwealth or local parties by changing the specific deadlines for filing such claims. The key provision reduces the standard time window for initiating these legal actions, requiring plaintiffs to file their cases within two years for certain state claims and three years for others instead of the previous four-year period. By updating these statutory timelines, the legislation aims to clarify when legal proceedings against government units must be started to remain valid.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new chapter in Pennsylvania law to regulate the decommissioning of solar energy facilities, primarily affecting facility owners and the property owners who lease land for these projects. It requires solar facility operators to submit detailed decommissioning plans and provide financial assurance, such as an escrow account or bond, to cover the estimated costs of removing the facility after it stops producing electricity. The law mandates that this financial guarantee be updated every five years and fully funded within 25 years, with specific percentages required at different stages of the facility's life. Additionally, the bill ensures that these financial obligations remain tied to the facility even if ownership changes, preventing new owners from avoiding the decommissioning costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania law to prevent the chair of a vacancy board from voting to fill their own vacancy in an elective borough office. The change directly affects boroughs that need to fill empty seats for local government positions by adding a rule that the board chair must recuse themselves from that specific vote. By prohibiting the chair from casting a vote for their own appointment, the legislation aims to reduce the potential for conflicts of interest during the selection process. This adjustment applies only to the specific voting action regarding the chair's personal candidacy and does not alter other procedures for filling borough office vacancies.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires schools and athletic associations in Pennsylvania to accept cash as a valid form of payment for admission to school-sponsored activities. While the law mandates that cash must be accepted, it also allows these entities to charge admission fees and to accept other payment methods, provided they can refuse payments in denominations that are significantly larger than the fee amount. The legislation clarifies definitions for terms like "school entity," "nonpublic school," and "cash" to ensure consistent application across public and private institutions.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the laws governing how Pennsylvania second-class townships handle empty seats on their boards of supervisors. It creates a new "vacancy board" made up of the supervisors and one community member to fill vacancies within fifteen days if the supervisors do not act within the first thirty days. If the vacancy board cannot fill the seat or if most supervisor seats are empty at once, the court of common pleas will step in to appoint a replacement. The changes take effect sixty days after the bill is passed.

Maddy summaryThis resolution directs the Pennsylvania Senate to summon Patrick M. Browne, the Secretary of Revenue, to appear before the Senate for refusing to comply with a subpoena. The subpoena ordered the release of specific tax data related to Neighborhood Improvement Zone programs, which the Department of Revenue declined to provide despite a legal opinion stating the information is not confidential. The bill outlines the Senate's intent to determine if the Secretary is in contempt of the chamber for defying the committee's authority to investigate state agency operations.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates October 19, 2024, as "National Move Over Day" in Pennsylvania to raise public awareness about existing traffic safety laws. The bill does not create new rules but serves as a reminder that drivers must move over or slow down when passing emergency vehicles, road crews, and other workers with flashing lights or signs. It highlights the risks these workers face while performing their duties and aims to educate the public on the importance of following these safety requirements.