Sen. Rosemary Brown

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Pennsylvania laws regarding sexual offenses and child safety by replacing the term "child pornography" with "child sexual abuse material" to better reflect modern digital content. It specifically addresses the creation and sharing of sexually explicit images generated by artificial intelligence, defining these new technologies and expanding legal protections to include them. The legislation also clarifies penalties for transmitting such images, adjusting some offenses from felonies to misdemeanors while introducing new categories for the abuse of minors and the unlawful dissemination of intimate images.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the state's Workers' Compensation Act to update a specific reference within the law. The change removes a citation to section 307 from the text, which is a technical adjustment to the statute's language. By making this edit, the legislation ensures the legal code accurately reflects current sections without altering the core rules for injured workers or employers. The bill was signed into law by the Governor on October 29, 2024, and became Act No. 126 of 2024.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution designates November 2024 as "Care at Home Month" in Pennsylvania to honor the work of home care, hospice, and home health professionals. The measure highlights the importance of these workers who help individuals with disabilities and older adults receive essential support and medical services in their own homes. It also acknowledges the growing demand for such care as the state's population ages and notes the significant number of jobs currently held in this sector. By passing this resolution, the Senate aims to express gratitude for the dedication of these caregivers without changing any laws or policies.

Maddy summaryThis bill restructures the membership of Pennsylvania's State Planning Board by increasing the number of appointed members and adding representatives from the state legislature. It establishes a board composed of fifteen members appointed by the Governor, two members appointed by the Senate President pro tempore, two members appointed by the House Speaker, and eight ex officio members who serve by virtue of their current state offices. The legislation also sets the term length for Governor-appointed members at four years and specifies that fourteen members must be present to conduct official business.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Fiscal Code to update investment rules for state funds and establish a new retirement savings initiative called the Keystone Saves Program. The program allows eligible employers to facilitate automatic contributions from employee paychecks into Individual Retirement Accounts, with specific definitions provided for who qualifies as an employer and employee. Additionally, the legislation sets a new expiration date for the Treasury Department's authority to invest state moneys and adjusts the effective date for the electric vehicle road user charge.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Public School Code of 1949 to change Holocaust, genocide, and human rights education from optional to mandatory for Pennsylvania public schools. It requires school districts to integrate this instruction into social studies and language arts courses by the 2025-2026 school year, with the Department of Education providing curriculum guidelines and teacher training. The legislation also mandates a study to assess current teaching practices and establishes a rule requiring all schools to offer the instruction if fewer than ninety percent currently do so.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to establish a new grant program that provides funding for career and technical education equipment. It directs the Department of Education to calculate the distribution of these grants using the most recent available data, with the calculation date set for June 1st of the year before the school year begins. The law also requires the department to update its calculations if the initial data is later found to be incorrect. These changes directly affect public schools by creating a mechanism to allocate financial resources specifically for purchasing equipment used in vocational training programs.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution designates the week of October 21 through 25, 2024, as "School Bus Safety Week" throughout Pennsylvania. The measure encourages motorists, parents, and students to follow traffic laws regarding school buses, such as stopping when red lights flash, and thanks school bus drivers for their work. It is a commemorative resolution that raises awareness about bus safety statistics and existing regulations rather than creating new legal requirements.

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.