Sen. Katie Muth

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Pennsylvania's Medical Practice Act to formally define and regulate the practice of midwifery by nurse-midwives and certified midwives. It establishes specific conditions under which nurse-midwives can prescribe medications, allowing those with advanced pharmacology training to dispense certain controlled substances for acute pain, opioid use disorder, and gynecologic health issues. The legislation also clarifies the scope of practice for nurse-midwives working in hospitals and birth centers versus those in other settings, requiring collaborative agreements with physicians in the latter case. Additionally, the bill grants nurse-midwives authority to order medical devices, immunizing agents, and laboratory tests while maintaining their responsibility for patient care decisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania state law to ensure that veterans' benefit payments are not counted as income when determining eligibility for various state-run programs. It defines "veterans' benefit payments" as compensation related to service-connected disabilities or benefits provided by state agencies, and it explicitly excludes these funds from income calculations for programs that require income verification. The legislation also extends this protection to unmarried surviving spouses of veterans for any compensation they receive based on the veteran's service. Additionally, the law prevents these payments from being considered as financial resources when assessing eligibility for specific human services programs.

Maddy summaryThis Pennsylvania bill updates the state's Workforce Development Act to improve how local workforce boards use data and measure their performance. It requires the creation of a user-friendly digital tool called a data dashboard, which will display information on new hires, unemployment claims, and wages to help local officials track program effectiveness. The legislation also mandates that the state provide free technical assistance to help these boards interpret the data and allows for the sharing of sensitive employment records for specific evaluation purposes, while maintaining strict confidentiality rules. Local workforce development boards will be responsible for using this information to assess eligibility and research job training needs, though they can request exemptions from certain data usage duties.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the expiration date for Pennsylvania's fire and emergency medical services grant programs from 2034 to 2029. It repeals specific provisions related to temporary COVID-19 recovery grants and establishes new rules for how these funds are awarded and reported annually. The legislation directly affects fire companies and emergency medical services organizations by defining the timeline for their financial support and requiring them to submit yearly reports on the use of funds.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the existing Pharmacy Audit Integrity and Transparency Act to impose stricter rules on pharmacy benefit managers and the pharmacies that work with them. The legislation prohibits PBMs from forcing pharmacies to accept lower reimbursement rates to join their networks, banning retroactive money take-backs, and outlawing hidden fees or practices that steer patients toward specific pharmacies solely for cost savings. Additionally, it requires PBMs to respond to pharmacy network requests within 30 days, mandates quarterly reporting on drug rebates, and tasks a state department with regulating PBMs and ensuring pharmacies are reimbursed at least the cost of the drugs they dispense.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a State Advisory Board to guide the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. The board will include members representing various groups, such as pediatric physicians and breastfeeding experts, to ensure diverse perspectives in their work. Its primary purpose is to increase awareness of breastfeeding services and improve access to WIC-authorized stores for program participants. By adding specific roles focused on nutrition and lactation support, the legislation aims to strengthen the program's ability to assist eligible families.

Maddy summaryThis law creates a new section within Pennsylvania's administrative rules to better support children involved in abuse investigations. It allows the Department of Human Services to assign trained advocates to explain legal processes and help children cope with emotional stress during proceedings. Additionally, the bill permits children to testify using alternative methods, such as having a comfort person present or using video, to reduce trauma while they provide their statements. These changes apply specifically to cases where a child is a witness or subject in an abuse or exploitation report handled by state agencies.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Pennsylvania's Public School Code to clarify how school districts that span multiple counties or municipalities must manage their property tax revenues. It requires these districts to ensure a uniform tax rate across all areas they cover, offering several options to achieve this consistency, such as adjusting tax rates individually in each county or using a single uniform rate if local assessment methods align. The legislation also provides specific instructions on how to calculate market values for properties when a district crosses county lines, allowing school directors to choose the most appropriate valuation method for their situation. Ultimately, the law aims to create a fairer and more predictable system for taxing real estate within multi-jurisdictional school districts.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the rules for disabled veterans seeking a real estate tax exemption in Pennsylvania. It establishes a rebuttable presumption that applicants earning $75,000 or less annually need the tax break, while explicitly excluding federal disability benefits from their income calculation. Additionally, the law requires the state commission to automatically adjust this income threshold every two years based on changes in the Consumer Price Index. The changes take effect 60 days after the bill is passed.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Pennsylvania prisons and county jails to provide free voice communication services to all inmates, ensuring access levels match those available as of January 1, 2023. The law mandates a specific ratio of operable phones to inmates in housing units and recreational yards while prohibiting any fees for making or receiving calls. To fund these services, the state will appropriate $16.5 million annually, with 70% going to the Department of Corrections and 30% distributed to counties based on their inmate populations. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that these communication tools cannot replace in-person visitation programs and must not limit existing face-to-face contact.