Sen. Wayne Fontana

Maddy summarySB 935 (the "PrEP for Pennsylvania Act") mandates that all health insurance policies sold in Pennsylvania must cover the cost of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) HIV prevention medication. This directly affects insurance providers, who must include PrEP in standard coverage without moving it to a higher-cost specialty tier, and people who rely on insurance for HIV prevention. The law also prohibits requiring unnecessary specialist counseling to access PrEP. It takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summarySB 936, the "PEP for Pennsylvania Act," requires all health insurance policies sold in Pennsylvania to cover the cost of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) HIV medication - FDA-approved drugs taken after potential HIV exposure to prevent infection. It mandates this coverage for all qualifying health insurance plans (excluding dental, vision, or limited benefit policies) starting 60 days after the law takes effect, and prohibits insurers from placing PEP medications in higher-cost specialty tiers solely for profit. The bill also prevents insurers from requiring unnecessary counseling from infectious disease specialists to access PEP, unless medically needed. This directly affects Pennsylvania residents with health insurance by ensuring access to critical HIV prevention medication without financial barriers.

Maddy summarySB 815 adds an exclusion to Pennsylvania’s state real estate transfer tax for first-time home buyers purchasing single-family residences. It directly affects individuals who have never owned a single-family home (including mobile homes or condos) in Pennsylvania or another state and will reside in the property. The bill defines "first-time home buyer" as someone living in Pennsylvania, domiciled in the home, and without prior ownership of similar properties. This exclusion applies only to the state tax, not local real estate transfer taxes, and takes effect 60 days after enactment. The bill is currently pending in committee.

Maddy summarySB 478 establishes Pennsylvania's Office of Employee Ownership within the Department of Community and Economic Development to support employee-owned businesses. It creates an Employee Ownership Advisory Board and a Main Street Employee Ownership Grant Program to provide technical assistance, financial aid, and education to businesses meeting specific employee ownership criteria (like worker cooperatives, employee stock ownership plans, or broad profit-sharing programs). The Office will track employee-owned businesses statewide, identify barriers to their growth, and submit annual reports to legislative committees. This bill directly affects businesses seeking to convert to or maintain employee ownership structures across Pennsylvania.

Maddy summarySB 811 establishes Pennsylvania's SBIR/STTR Matching Funds Program to support small businesses with federal research grants. It provides state matching funds (up to $50,000) to Pennsylvania-based businesses that receive Phase I awards under the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. To qualify, businesses must conduct at least 51% of their Phase II research in Pennsylvania, submit a Phase I report, and avoid duplicate state funding. The program aims to foster economic growth by helping small businesses advance federal-funded research projects.

Maddy summarySB 934 requires cyber charter schools and parents to notify a student's school district of residence within 10 days of enrollment and provide proof of residency by November 1 and March 1 each school year using a standardized form. If a school district disputes residency, the department must review the case within 15 days, and cyber charter schools must return funds to the district if a student is confirmed not to reside there. Homeless students are exempt from providing home address information under federal guidelines. This bill directly affects cyber charter schools, parents, and school districts in Pennsylvania by clarifying enrollment rules and dispute resolution processes.

Maddy summarySB 416 allows licensed organizations in Pennsylvania (like charities or community groups) to accept electronic payments - such as credit cards, debit cards, or mobile payments - for raffle tickets. It requires these organizations to verify buyers are at least 18 years old and comply with federal gambling laws. The bill specifically prohibits mobile payment services for certain gaming licensees under Chapter 9. It also removes an outdated regulation (61 Pa. Code § 901.506) that conflicted with these new payment rules.

Maddy summaryThis Pennsylvania Senate resolution (SR 116) urges Congress to support H.R. 2102, the Major Richard Star Act, which would eliminate a rule reducing retirement pay for medically retired service members. Currently, veterans with less than 20 years of service and a disability rating under 50% lose $1 in retirement pay for every $1 in disability benefits they receive. The resolution highlights that an estimated 50,000 veterans are affected by this offset, with average monthly reductions of about $1,900. It specifically calls for removing this restriction to allow medically retired service members to receive full retirement pay and VA disability benefits simultaneously.

Maddy summarySB 790 amends Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law to create a process for government agencies to seek relief from individuals making repeated or abusive public records requests. Agencies must petition the Office of Open Records with clear evidence that a requester's conduct is "vexatious" (e.g., overwhelming numbers of requests, repetitive identical requests, or requests intended to harass). If granted, the Office may limit an agency's obligation to respond to future requests from that individual for up to one year, while ensuring decisions remain content-neutral and include opportunities for the requester to respond or mediate. The bill includes exemptions for school-related requests, election-related inquiries, and cases where prior petitions were denied.

Maddy summarySB 932 amends Pennsylvania's Second Class Township Code to clarify procedures for filling vacancies on township boards of supervisors. It requires boards to fill vacancies within 30 days, or the vacancy board (composed of supervisors plus one appointed registered elector) must act within 15 days. If the vacancy board fails to fill the position, the chairperson or remaining members must petition the court of common pleas. The bill also specifies that if a majority of board seats become vacant, the court can fill vacancies upon petition by remaining supervisors or 15 registered electors. These changes apply directly to second-class townships across Pennsylvania.