Sen. Art Haywood

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania law to criminalize the act of photographing, filming, or viewing intimate parts of another person without their knowledge and consent for sexual gratification. The legislation specifically includes images created using artificial intelligence and defines intimate parts to include genitals, pubic areas, buttocks, and female nipples. It also clarifies that the offense occurs in places where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as changing rooms or private residences. The law applies to anyone who knowingly records or views these images, regardless of whether the person is wearing clothing. This measure takes effect 60 days after it is passed.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Pennsylvania State Capitol to install a bronze monument of the Braille Flag in the East Wing to honor veterans and their families. The Department of General Services is tasked with coordinating with The Moose organization to select a site and oversee the monument's installation. The monument will feature the Pledge of Allegiance written in braille, recognizing the legacy of blind veterans and those who served with lasting disabilities.

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 summaryThis Senate Resolution directs the Uniform Construction Code Review and Advisory Council to study whether Pennsylvania's building codes should allow single-exit stairways in multifamily buildings up to six stories tall. Currently, the state follows the International Building Code, which requires two separate stairways for structures taller than three stories, a rule that increases construction costs and limits design options. The study must evaluate safety factors such as water supply, fire department response times, and other measures needed to protect public health and welfare. The Council is tasked with issuing a report with recommendations for modifying the code before the next version is adopted, while also receiving input from the Office of the State Fire Commissioner.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires licensed health care, child care, and drug treatment facilities in Pennsylvania to create and maintain written emergency preparedness plans for residents, staff, and visitors. These plans must include procedures for accounting for people during emergencies, identifying an on-site coordinator, and providing essential facility information like layout and utility shutoffs to local emergency responders. Facilities must share these plans with fire departments, police, and medical services annually or whenever significant changes occur, and state health departments will enforce compliance as a condition of licensure.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new tax credit for small businesses in Pennsylvania that help employees pay for health insurance. To qualify, a business must have 50 or fewer employees and contribute up to $1,000 per employee toward premiums for qualified health plans purchased through the state health exchange. The credit is calculated based on the first $1,000 of contributions made for each eligible employee and can be used to reduce the business's state tax liability. Companies claiming the credit must submit a specific application form to the Department of Revenue that includes detailed information about their employees and the insurance providers they hired.

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 summaryThis bill establishes a formal regulatory framework in Pennsylvania for shared equity agreements, which are financial contracts where a provider gives a homeowner money in exchange for a stake in the property's future value. It directly affects financial institutions and investors offering these nonrecourse loans, requiring them to obtain a license from the Department of Banking and Securities to operate legally. The legislation defines specific terms like "shared equity provider" and outlines the duties of the state department to oversee these transactions, while also setting penalties for noncompliance. By creating new chapters in the state statutes, the bill aims to bring transparency and oversight to this growing area of residential finance without altering existing reverse mortgage rules.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution formally condemns the Russian Federation for its invasion of Ukraine and specifically denounces the illegal abduction and forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia. The measure declares that these actions violate the Genocide Convention and amounts to genocide, asserting that Russia aims to erase Ukrainian culture and identity by removing its next generation. By stating these findings, the resolution holds the Russian government responsible for the wrongful removal and indoctrination of children while highlighting the severe risks these minors face, such as exploitation and trauma. As a non-binding legislative statement, this bill directly affects the Senate's official record and expresses the state's stance on the humanitarian crisis without imposing new laws or penalties.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection Act by updating the legal definition of "awaiting testing" for sexual assault evidence. The change clarifies that evidence awaiting testing includes items collected by law enforcement that have not yet undergone DNA or forensic analysis and are part of an ongoing criminal investigation. This definition update directly affects how law enforcement agencies and the Department of Health classify and manage sexual assault evidence in the state. The amendment ensures consistency in terminology used across the existing evidence collection program without altering other operational procedures.