Sen. Art Haywood

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates June 2025 as "Migraine and Headache Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania. It symbolically recognizes the impact of headache disorders - such as migraine, cluster headache, and related conditions - on millions of people, including disproportionate effects on women, veterans, and underserved communities. The resolution encourages Pennsylvanians, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to support awareness, research, and improved access to care for those living with these conditions. It does not create new laws or funding but serves as a formal acknowledgment of the issue.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates May 29, 2025, as "College and Career Savings Day" in Pennsylvania to raise public awareness about the state's existing 529 College and Career Savings Program. It directly affects Pennsylvania residents who use the program, which currently serves over 314,000 families by offering tax-advantaged savings for education expenses. The resolution does not create new policy or change program rules - it simply recognizes the program's purpose of helping families save for college, vocational training, or other qualified educational costs through tax benefits and fee reductions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires most Pennsylvania employers to provide paid sick leave to employees, directly affecting workers and their families who need time for medical care, family health needs, or public health emergencies. Employees earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked (max 56 hours/year), with rules on accrual, carryover, and usage. Employers with existing equivalent paid leave policies (covering the same purposes and conditions) are exempt. The bill mandates employers to provide written notice of leave policies and prohibits retaliation against employees using sick leave, with pay calculated at the employee's regular rate or minimum wage.

Maddy summarySB 798 creates a new misdemeanor offense for knowingly possessing a firearm or dangerous weapon in a municipal building when a local ordinance bans such items. It directly affects individuals entering municipal buildings (like town halls or courthouses) and requires municipalities to post clear notices and provide free, no-cost firearm check facilities within 30 days of adopting a ban. The bill specifies penalties: third-degree misdemeanors for basic possession, first-degree for possession with criminal intent, and summary offenses for certain licensed carriers who fail to check firearms. Exceptions include law enforcement, municipal officials, veterans groups on ceremonial duty, and attorneys with authorized exhibits.

Maddy summarySB 788 prohibits solitary confinement in Pennsylvania prisons and jails by banning the practice of confining inmates alone for 20+ hours daily with severely restricted activity. It directly affects all inmates in state and county correctional facilities, including juvenile facilities and those held under federal contracts. The bill requires prisons to use alternatives like limiting visits, restricting commissary privileges, or assigning additional unpaid work - each capped at 14 days - instead of solitary confinement. These alternatives must be used for disciplinary purposes, with no more than 14 days of any single penalty. The law would take effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summarySB 787 establishes new rules for solitary confinement in Pennsylvania prisons and detention facilities. It defines solitary confinement as confinement alone for 20+ hours daily and prohibits its use for vulnerable populations - including youth, the elderly, pregnant individuals, LGBTQ+ people, and those with mental health or developmental disabilities - without specific medical evaluation. The bill limits solitary confinement to 15 consecutive days or 20 days in a 60-day period, requires a hearing within 72 hours of placement, and mandates daily clinical evaluations to identify vulnerable inmates who must be removed immediately. Facilities must also provide basic necessities, daily outside time, and prohibit 24-hour cell lighting without medical justification.

Maddy summarySB 769 requires firearm owners in Pennsylvania to store guns safely when not in use, directly affecting all gun owners who store firearms outside of immediate personal carry. The bill mandates storage using a lockable device, a built-in firearm lock, or a securely locked container. Violations are minor offenses for first-time violations, misdemeanors for repeat offenses, and felonies if the unsecured firearm is used in a crime causing injury or death. The bill is pending in the Judiciary Committee and has not yet been voted on.

Maddy summaryPennsylvania's SB 768 requires firearm owners living with someone who cannot legally possess a firearm (such as a convicted felon or someone under a restraining order) to store their guns securely. This means using a lockable device, built-in firearm lock, or locked container - except when the gun is carried on the person or within immediate reach. Violating this rule is a minor offense for a first violation, a misdemeanor for repeat offenses, and a felony if the improperly stored gun is used in a crime causing injury or death. The law directly affects households with gun owners and prohibited individuals, aiming to prevent unauthorized access. It takes effect 60 days after passage.

Maddy summarySB 771 amends Pennsylvania's self-defense laws to clarify when deadly force is legally justified. It removes the duty to retreat from one's home or workplace before using force (unless the person was the initial aggressor), creating a "stand your ground" provision in those locations. The bill specifies that deadly force is only justified to prevent death, serious injury, kidnapping, or sexual assault, and requires the person using force to believe it was immediately necessary. It also prohibits using deadly force against a police officer acting in their official duties, and exempts the "stand your ground" rule if the attacker has a weapon. This directly affects Pennsylvanians using force in self-defense, particularly in home or workplace settings.

Maddy summarySB 767 defines "discount points" as fees paid by consumers that directly reduce their mortgage interest rate or time-price differential. It permits mortgage lenders to charge these points alongside interest, origination fees, and delinquency charges. The bill repeals outdated definitions of "discount points" and related provisions from Pennsylvania’s 1974 Loan Interest and Protection Law to align with the new clarity. This directly affects mortgage lenders (by clarifying permissible fees) and consumers (by standardizing fee disclosures).