Sen. Cris Dush

Maddy summarySB 9 requires public schools and colleges in Pennsylvania to explicitly label athletic teams as "male," "female," or "coed" based on students' sex assigned at birth. It prohibits male students from participating on teams designated for females, directly affecting student-athletes and school athletic programs. The bill creates legal causes of action allowing students to sue institutions for denying athletic opportunities or causing harm due to violations, and protects schools from penalties for maintaining sex-segregated teams. It also permits schools to sue entities that unfairly target them for enforcing these designations, with all claims needing to be filed within two years of the harm.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Pennsylvania State Capitol to install a bronze monument of the Braille Flag in the East Wing to honor veterans and their families. The Department of General Services is tasked with coordinating with The Moose organization to select a site and oversee the monument's installation. The monument will feature the Pledge of Allegiance written in braille, recognizing the legacy of blind veterans and those who served with lasting disabilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Pennsylvania's parole board membership rules by clarifying how board vacancies are handled when a member's term expires. It requires the Governor to nominate a replacement within six months of a term ending, even if the current member stays on the board temporarily. The changes apply to all current and future Pennsylvania Parole Board members and will take effect 60 days after passage. The legislation focuses on administrative procedures for board composition rather than altering parole eligibility or release standards.

Maddy summarySB 599 amends Pennsylvania's Election Code to clarify procedures for absentee and mail-in voting. It updates rules for how voters can obtain and return ballots, allowing county boards to provide absentee ballots to designated representatives or deputies (via judges) if voters cannot visit offices themselves. The bill also specifies that completed absentee ballots must be returned to the county board's primary office at the county seat. These changes directly affect voters using absentee or mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania elections, streamlining their voting process while maintaining security protocols.

Maddy summarySB 857 amends Pennsylvania's 1929 Administrative Code to require county approval before the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Game Commission, or Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission can purchase, trade, or accept gifts of land. It directly affects these three state agencies and local governments by mandating that county governing bodies must approve land acquisitions and providing 30 days' notice to affected municipalities and residents for public comment. The key provisions establish new procedural requirements for land transactions, aiming to improve coordination and reduce fiscal burdens on local governments. The bill is pending legislative action as of June 2025.

Maddy summarySB 225 adds a new provision to Pennsylvania's eminent domain law, allowing business owners whose property is taken (or partially taken) to seek compensation for "loss of goodwill" - meaning the loss of customer loyalty, reputation, or community value tied to their location. It directly affects small businesses or property owners operating on land subject to eminent domain proceedings, requiring them to prove the loss was caused by the taking and not already covered in other compensation. Key mechanisms include allowing agencies to challenge claims if relocation was feasible, prohibiting additional goodwill during leaseback agreements, and permitting the use of confidential business tax returns to verify compensation amounts. The law applies retroactively to takings filed on or after January 1, 2024.

Maddy summarySB 743 amends Pennsylvania's 1936 Unemployment Compensation Law to require the Department of Labor and Industry to submit an annual report by March 1st evaluating the unemployment fund's financial health. The report must include specific, detailed unemployment statistics - such as the percentage of long-term unemployed individuals, job losers, discouraged workers, and marginally attached workers relative to the civilian labor force. This requirement applies directly to the state department, which must also post the report online. The bill does not change benefit eligibility or funding but adds standardized data collection for transparency and program oversight. (This is a procedural reporting change, not a substantive policy shift.)

Maddy summarySB 829 designates *Hynerpeton bassetti*, an early four-legged vertebrate discovered in Pennsylvania's Red Hill fossil site, as the state's official fossil. It repeals a 1988 law that previously designated a different fossil. This is a ceremonial update to Pennsylvania's state symbols with no new policies, funding, or regulatory changes.

Maddy summarySB 1400 modifies Pennsylvania's sentencing laws for murder to establish a mandatory life imprisonment term for second-degree murder involving unborn children or law enforcement officers. For other second-degree murder cases, the bill sets a standard minimum sentence of 35 years but allows for a reduced minimum of 10 years if the defendant proves they were not the primary actor, did not cause the death, and did not use a deadly weapon. The legislation also creates a specific pathway for courts to impose life imprisonment without parole for second-degree murder if the crime involved a child under 13, rape, a prior violent conviction, or serious injury to another victim. Additionally, the bill updates definitions for motivational boot camps and expands the role of victims in parole hearings for those sentenced to life for second-degree murder.

Maddy summarySB 111 requires correctional officers working in Pennsylvania state prisons to reside within 50 miles of their assigned facility. This directly affects all state correctional officers employed at prisons across Pennsylvania. The bill amends existing law to establish this residency requirement, replacing previous standards. The change aims to ensure officers live close enough to their workplace to respond promptly to facility needs.