Rep. Andrea Verobish

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new fee in Pennsylvania courts to help fund support services for children who are victims of specific sexual offenses and crimes against minors. When a person is convicted, pleads guilty, or enters a diversion program for these crimes, they must pay a fee ranging from $250 to $1,000 depending on the severity of the offense. The collected money goes into a state fund that the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency uses to provide grants to children's advocacy centers. Courts are required to allow defendants who cannot afford the fee to pay it in installments, and the bill ensures that any restitution owed to victims is paid before this fee is collected.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's Insurance Company Law to require health insurers and managed care plans to include specific clinical review criteria in their medical policies. The key provision mandates that these policies cannot exclude, restrict, or delay coverage for prescription drugs solely because they received expedited FDA approval for serious or life-threatening conditions. Directly affecting insurance companies and managed care organizations, the law aims to ensure access to newly approved treatments without artificial barriers based on the speed of regulatory approval. The changes become effective 60 days after the bill is enacted.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates a specific bridge in Northern Cambria Borough as the Sgt. Elwood Eugene Rumbaugh Memorial Bridge in honor of a Vietnam War veteran. The legislation officially names the structure, which carries State Route 4009 over Fox Run, after Sergeant Rumbaugh, who was declared missing in action during the conflict and received the Purple Heart. To implement this change, the bill requires the Department of Transportation to install and maintain signs displaying the new name for traffic traveling in both directions. The act is set to take effect 60 days after being signed into law.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires telecommunications companies to promptly repair damaged lines or remove tree limbs that interfere with road safety after being notified by local governments or state agencies. The law prohibits carriers from passing these repair costs onto customers who do not use the specific infrastructure that caused the issue. Violations of these requirements could result in penalties enforced by the state commission, and the commission will create rules to ensure proper implementation.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates a specific bridge in Altoona, Pennsylvania, as the Vietnam War Veteran Sgt. Calvin G. Maguire Memorial Bridge. The legislation formally names the structure, which carries State Route 4013 over the Norfolk Southern Railroad and 8th Avenue, to honor Sgt. Maguire, a local resident who was killed in action during his service in Vietnam. To implement this change, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is required to install and maintain signs displaying the new name for traffic traveling in both directions. The act will take effect 60 days after being signed into law.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates a specific railroad crossing bridge in Allegheny Township, Cambria County, as the Technician 5th Grade Bernard C. Strohmier Memorial Bridge. The legislation honors Bernard C. Strohmier, a local resident who served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was a prisoner of war during the Battle of the Bulge. Under the bill, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is required to install and maintain signs displaying the new name on the bridge for traffic in both directions. The act takes effect 60 days after being signed into law.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Pennsylvania gaming laws by adding specific definitions for school entities and school property. It requires interactive gaming and sports wagering operators to use geospatial technology to block registered players from accessing games on their own devices while they are inside licensed facilities or on school grounds. The legislation aims to prevent minors and students from participating in online gambling through personal computers at these locations. The changes will take effect 60 days after the bill is passed.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Pennsylvania's existing tax credit programs for private school scholarships by increasing the maximum credit percentage for businesses from 75% or 90% to 99% for most contributions. It also establishes a new Pennsylvania Learning Investment Tax Credit and creates a Displaced Student Scholarship Fund to support students who must move due to natural disasters or other emergencies. The legislation raises the annual funding cap for these programs from $590 million to $790 million and adjusts how funds are allocated among different types of scholarship organizations.

Maddy summaryHB 2599 amends Pennsylvania's firearm laws to require a valid license for anyone carrying a concealed firearm on their person or inside a vehicle, with specific exceptions for those who already hold a valid license from another state or the federal government. The bill establishes that carrying a concealed firearm without a license is a third-degree felony for those with a prior criminal record, while reducing the penalty to a first-degree misdemeanor for first-time offenders. It also clarifies that individuals must present their license or proof of eligibility to law enforcement upon request and sets the law into effect 60 days after passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Pennsylvania's Public School Code to clarify attendance rules for charter and cyber charter schools while protecting students from unfair penalties. It requires cyber charter schools to define how students are marked present for online classes, specifically mandating that students be visible on camera during live lessons and complete weekly benchmarks for independent work. The legislation also prohibits school districts from counting absences as unexcused when students miss school due to a lack of transportation or when they arrive late to a single class, and it establishes a formal appeal process for parents to contest these determinations. Additionally, the bill strengthens reporting requirements, mandating that cyber charter schools submit data on student attendance and weekly benchmark completion to the state department.