Sen. Greg Rothman

Maddy summaryThis bill requires parental consent before schools can offer specific types of virtual mental health services to students. It defines these services as online peer support groups, counseling from non-licensed individuals, and behavioral health support provided by artificial intelligence. The law also clarifies that it does not protect unlicensed individuals from legal penalties if they provide services outside of their professional scope. While the bill establishes these consent rules, it does not change the list of licensed professionals who can currently provide mental health care.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates a specific bridge on Pennsylvania Route 72 in Swatara Township as the Senator David J. Arnold, Jr., Memorial Bridge to honor his service. The legislation officially names the structure after the late state senator, who previously served as Lebanon County's district attorney and later as a state senator. To implement this change, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is required to install and maintain signs displaying the new name for drivers traveling in both directions. The act will become effective 60 days after being signed into law.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the state's Tax Reform Code to modify how sales and use tax is calculated. Specifically, it changes a single word in the statute to alter the conditions under which discounts are applied. The text requires the Finance and Appropriations committees to review the change before it can become law.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Pennsylvania food safety laws to set stricter standards for water used in food establishments and bottled water production. It requires any business serving or selling water for drinking to use sources that meet state safe drinking water requirements or standards that are at least as strict. The law also mandates that bottled water products follow specific federal labeling and recall rules while removing any conflicting state regulations. These changes apply to all food establishments regardless of the size of the containers they use.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Liquor Code to allow the removal of citations issued to liquor store and restaurant owners for failing to follow COVID-19 safety rules. It specifically targets violations of health orders, quarantine guidelines, and other pandemic-related directives that occurred while the state's disaster emergency proclamation was active in 2020. Under the new provision, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board must erase these penalties and notify the affected businesses within 30 days of the bill's effective date, ensuring no fines are charged for these past infractions.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals the realty transfer tax provisions within Pennsylvania's Tax Reform Code of 1971, effectively eliminating the tax on the transfer of real estate titles. The legislation also includes minor editorial corrections to the existing tax code. By removing these specific tax requirements, the bill directly affects individuals and entities that previously paid fees when transferring ownership of land or property.

Maddy summaryThis Pennsylvania bill updates the state's Workforce Development Act to improve how local workforce boards use data and measure their performance. It requires the creation of a user-friendly digital tool called a data dashboard, which will display information on new hires, unemployment claims, and wages to help local officials track program effectiveness. The legislation also mandates that the state provide free technical assistance to help these boards interpret the data and allows for the sharing of sensitive employment records for specific evaluation purposes, while maintaining strict confidentiality rules. Local workforce development boards will be responsible for using this information to assess eligibility and research job training needs, though they can request exemptions from certain data usage duties.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the expiration date for Pennsylvania's fire and emergency medical services grant programs from 2034 to 2029. It repeals specific provisions related to temporary COVID-19 recovery grants and establishes new rules for how these funds are awarded and reported annually. The legislation directly affects fire companies and emergency medical services organizations by defining the timeline for their financial support and requiring them to submit yearly reports on the use of funds.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Pennsylvania's eminent domain laws to require government agencies to provide property owners with at least 30 days of written notice before filing a condemnation declaration. The notice must include specific details about the proposed project, contact information for agency representatives, and an explanation of the legal process, including how just compensation is determined and how owners can challenge the taking. Additionally, the bill mandates that agencies post this notice on their websites and at their main offices within 24 hours of issuing it to the property owner. These changes directly affect property owners, mortgage holders, and lienholders by ensuring they receive advance information and guidance before their property is taken for public use.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the existing Pharmacy Audit Integrity and Transparency Act to impose stricter rules on pharmacy benefit managers and the pharmacies that work with them. The legislation prohibits PBMs from forcing pharmacies to accept lower reimbursement rates to join their networks, banning retroactive money take-backs, and outlawing hidden fees or practices that steer patients toward specific pharmacies solely for cost savings. Additionally, it requires PBMs to respond to pharmacy network requests within 30 days, mandates quarterly reporting on drug rebates, and tasks a state department with regulating PBMs and ensuring pharmacies are reimbursed at least the cost of the drugs they dispense.