Sen. Jay Costa

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Pennsylvania's First and Second Class County Property Tax Relief Act to expand tax relief for longtime owner-occupants in specific residential areas. It allows local governments to grant property tax deferrals or exemptions to homeowners who have lived in their primary residence for at least ten years, or five years if they received government housing assistance, provided the tax increase is due to new construction or renovations in established neighborhoods. The legislation also clarifies that cities in second-class counties can create these programs independently of their counties and permits the use of past data to apply these benefits retroactively to November 1984.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the state's laws governing electronic funds transfers and payroll card accounts to include specific consumer protections. It directly affects financial institutions and employers who use these systems to pay employees, requiring them to adhere to new safety and transparency standards. The legislation also modifies a reference in an existing 1975 law to align with current legal requirements for electronic payments. By clarifying rules for how money is moved electronically, the bill aims to ensure that digital payment methods are secure and reliable for workers.

Maddy summarySB 1171 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to allow trained nonmedical school employees to voluntarily administer emergency anti-seizure medication to students with epilepsy when a licensed nurse is not present. The bill requires that this participation be entirely voluntary, ensuring schools cannot force staff to provide medical assistance, and mandates that training be provided by licensed health care professionals. Additionally, the legislation outlines a process where parents can request these services, prompting schools to inform families about their rights to create a 504 plan or individualized education program to address the student's unique needs. By defining specific medications and establishing clear guidelines for training and consent, the measure aims to ensure the safety of students with seizures while respecting the professional boundaries of school staff.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new paid family and medical leave program in Pennsylvania, allowing eligible employees to take time off work with wage replacement for specific personal and family reasons. The program is administered by the Department of Labor and Industry, which will manage the Family and Medical Leave Fund financed by employer contributions, while also offering an option for employers to use private insurance plans instead. Eligible workers can receive benefits for various needs, including caring for a sick family member, bonding with a new child, or addressing violence against vulnerable adults, with protections ensuring their jobs remain secure during leave. The legislation includes provisions for self-employed individuals to opt into the program, sets rules for benefit amounts and duration, and creates an advisory board to oversee the initiative.

Maddy summarySB 82 updates Pennsylvania's Dog Law by clarifying definitions and strengthening regulations for dog kennels and licensing. The bill establishes specific criteria for what constitutes a commercial kennel versus a service dog kennel, which is defined as a nonprofit organization exclusively breeding and training dogs to assist people with disabilities. It mandates stricter health protocols for imported dogs, requiring a 14-day quarantine unless the animal has recent negative tests for heartworm and parasites along with updated vaccinations. Additionally, the law expands the grounds for revoking kennel licenses to include convictions for animal cruelty and assault against service or guide dogs.

Maddy summaryThis law updates the state's Real Estate Tax Sale Law to clarify how properties are handled after tax auctions. It specifically directs that properties acquired by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency should be treated in a certain way, though the provided text cuts off before detailing the full scope of this instruction. Additionally, the bill establishes a county-level fund dedicated to demolition and rehabilitation projects related to these tax sale properties. The legislation was signed into law in July 2024 and becomes effective upon approval by the Governor.

Maddy summaryThis law allows police officers in Pennsylvania to choose whether to buy back pension credit for their previous time working with a police department, rather than requiring them to do so. It specifically changes state statutes to give officers the option to apply for this service credit under the municipal pension system. The change applies to those seeking to purchase credit for prior service as part of their retirement benefits calculation.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Pennsylvania vehicle registration rules by clarifying how to handle lost, stolen, damaged, or illegible plates and expanding where farm vehicles can be driven. It mandates free reissuing of specific special plates for veterans and military families if they become illegible, while allowing standard plates to be reissued with a new design at no cost. Additionally, the legislation creates a new Pennsylvania Sportsman plate available for a $40 fee and establishes a dedicated account to fund youth hunting and fishing education programs. Funds collected from the new plate fee are split evenly between the Game Commission and Fish and Boat Commission, which must use the money solely for educational activities rather than salaries or administrative costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's insurance laws to require health insurance policies to cover medically necessary telemedicine services provided by participating network providers. It explicitly prohibits insurers from denying coverage or reimbursement solely because a service is delivered remotely via video, audio, or asynchronous methods. The legislation also prevents contracts from conditioning reimbursement on the use of specific proprietary technology or vendors, ensuring providers can use various telemedicine tools. By defining terms like telemedicine and remote patient monitoring, the law standardizes how these services are treated under existing insurance plans and managed care programs.

Maddy summaryThis Pennsylvania bill updates the legal definition of an abandoned vehicle and establishes a new reporting process for private property owners. It clarifies that vehicles left on private property without consent for more than 24 hours are considered abandoned, while also setting specific timeframes for vehicles on salvage yards and wholesale auctions. Under the new rules, property owners and authorized dealers must file a report with local police before removing or processing these vehicles to legally clear titles and sell them. The legislation also outlines how wholesale auctions can handle unclaimed vehicles, including limits on storage fees and procedures for issuing branded titles to indicate the vehicle's history.