Rep. Mark Rozzi

Maddy summaryThis bill allows teachers in Pennsylvania who have voluntarily placed their teaching certificates on inactive status for at least seven years to take college courses for free or at a 50% discount. The State Board of Education will create and update a list of approved colleges offering these specific tuition-reduced credits every three years. To fund this program, the state will reimburse colleges annually for the waived tuition costs, with reports on enrollment numbers submitted to the General Assembly each June.

Maddy summaryHB 2500 legalizes the adult use of cannabis in Pennsylvania by establishing a regulatory framework for its possession, sale, and consumption. The bill designates the Department of Agriculture as the primary agency responsible for overseeing the industry, including licensing businesses and enforcing rules on advertising, packaging, and laboratory testing. It creates two new funds to support the industry and promote social equity, while also imposing specific sales and excise taxes on cannabis products. Additionally, the legislation consolidates existing medical cannabis provisions and transfers certain regulatory powers from the Department of Health to the Department of Agriculture.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Maternal Care Access Program within the Pennsylvania Department of Health to improve maternal health outcomes by directing resources to underserved areas. The legislation defines specific terms like "maternity care desert" and "at-risk" zones based on the availability of obstetric care, birth centers, and medical providers. It authorizes the department to distribute funds to birth centers, obstetrician-gynecologists, certified nurse midwives, and hospitals located in designated zones that lack adequate care options. Additionally, the bill establishes criteria for identifying distressed hospitals and outlines various health and social indicators used to assess maternal vulnerability.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's eminent domain laws to clarify definitions, streamline condemnation procedures, and expand protections for property owners. It introduces new terms such as "blighted property" and "marginalized community" to ensure consistent legal interpretation and requires that replacement housing for displaced residents be affordable and located in areas with similar school districts and amenities. The legislation also mandates that title transfer only occurs after a court makes a final determination, while simultaneously allowing owners to recover limited costs for appraisals, legal fees, and engineering services. Additionally, the bill provides for compensation for the loss of business goodwill and ensures that mortgages and liens are addressed during the condemnation process.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits employers in Pennsylvania from punishing, disciplining, or retaliating against employees for refusing to attend meetings or listen to communications about religious or political topics. It defines "voluntary" participation as attendance that is not incentivized by benefits or threatened with negative employment consequences, ensuring employees can opt out without fear of reprisal. To enforce these protections, the law allows aggrieved workers to sue for remedies like reinstatement and back pay, while also requiring employers to post a notice explaining these rights. Additionally, the bill mandates that the Department of Labor and Industry investigate complaints and provides a framework for interested parties to report violations.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a minimum hourly wage of $20 or a living wage for education support professionals in Pennsylvania public schools, effective for the 2024-2025 school year. It requires schools to pay overtime at 1.5 times the standard rate and mandates that salaried workers be paid based on their actual hours worked to meet this threshold. For employees currently covered by existing contracts with lower wages, the law requires schools to make supplemental payments to bridge the gap until the contract expires or is renewed. The Department of Labor and Industry is tasked with calculating and annually adjusting the living wage based on inflation data, while the state provides funding to school districts to cover the cost of these wage increases. Additionally, the legislation updates procedures for school boards, requiring a majority vote and proper recording for certain decisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Pennsylvania's Air Pollution Control Act to address specific monitoring requirements for cement plants. It allows the state department to remove the mandate for opacity monitors at these facilities if they are already subject to federal particulate matter limits and have appropriate particulate monitors in place. The change applies only to cement plants regulated under specific federal hazardous air pollutant standards. The legislation takes effect 60 days after being passed.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Health Care Facilities Act to change licensing requirements specifically for abortion facilities. It removes the mandate that these facilities must have transfer agreements with nearby hospitals and eliminates the requirement for physicians and medical staff working there to hold admitting privileges at a hospital. Additionally, the legislation repeals an existing state regulation related to these licensing standards. These changes directly impact how abortion clinics are regulated and the operational requirements for their medical staff.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Human Services Code to update definitions related to child care and establish a new copayment system for families receiving subsidized child care. It clarifies terms such as "child care," "child-care center," and "family child-care home" to specify who is covered and under what conditions. Under the new rules, parents or caretakers must pay a portion of the child care cost based on their family's annual income, with a cap of fifteen percent. The legislation also provides special provisions for families where the parent or caretaker works as a child-care employee or a direct support professional, ensuring they remain eligible for subsidies regardless of income level while still requiring a capped copayment.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Health Insurance Core Benefits Coverage Act to require all individual and group health insurance policies in Pennsylvania to cover a specific set of essential services. These mandatory benefits include emergency care, hospitalization, prescription drugs, mental health treatment, and preventive services, ensuring that plans are at least as comprehensive as those first offered in the state in 2020. The Insurance Department is authorized to adjust these requirements through regulations by considering factors such as population health needs, potential discrimination, and medical advancements. Insurers that fail to comply with these coverage standards face penalties, while the law explicitly excludes limited policies like dental-only or accident-only plans from these mandates.