HB79 establishes a state-run Medical Debt Relief Program in Pennsylvania that uses public resources to purchase and cancel medical debt for low-income residents. It places new mandates on hospitals to create standardized financial assistance forms, assist patients in applying for aid, and align their policies with government health programs. The program also requires ongoing administrative oversight, including annual reports, and exempts forgiven debt from taxation, raising concerns about expanding government involvement in healthcare and long-term costs to taxpayers.

HB79

Medical Debt Relief with Increased Administrative Mandates Act

HB1144 increases monthly pensions for blind, amputee, and paralyzed veterans in Pennsylvania from $150 to $200 and updates eligibility definitions to include more veterans, such as those from the National Guard and reserves. It clarifies disability criteria, ensures recipients were honorably discharged, and tasks the Adjutant General with administering the program. The law takes effect 60 days after passage

HB1144

PA Promise to Disabled Veterans Act

This bill establishes a new state entitlement called the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit, which grants low- to moderate-income workers a refundable credit worth 30% of their federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), beginning in the 2025 tax year. Individuals may receive government-issued cash payments because the credit is fully refundable, even if they owe no state taxes. The program expands the Department of Revenue’s responsibilities and could increase long-term costs by creating a new mechanism for direct cash transfers through the tax system.

HB820

Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit Act

Changes state law to let non-teaching school staff, such as bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and custodians, receive unemployment benefits during summer and holiday breaks, even if they have a “reasonable assurance” of returning to work in the next term. Previously, that assurance made them ineligible.

HB265

Unemployment Compensation Eligibility for School Support Staff Act

Increases the annual transfer from the state’s General Fund to the PHARE (Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement) Fund from $100 million to $110 million starting in fiscal year 2028–2029. The PHARE Fund supports state-run affordable housing programs, including grants for rental assistance and housing rehabilitation

HB643

PHARE Cap Raise and Tax Code Update Act

This bill updates a law from 1961 about making stuffed toys safe in Pennsylvania. It adds definitions, requires manufacturers to register, ensures safe materials are used, sets enforcement measures, mandates labeling with material info and anti-labor abuse certification.

HB1333

Mandating Labeling Promising Safe Manufacturing and Anti-Labor Abuse Certification

This bill aims to protect minors on social media, but it includes overreaching regulations. This bill prohibits “hateful conduct” that incites violence or promotes hate based on factors like race, religion, or sexual orientation. This bill also requires users to verify their age. If users are under the age of 16, they must receive parental consent to open the account.

PA HB2017

Limiting Free Speech on Social Media

This bill sets water and energy regulations on: Dishwashers, faucets, gas fireplaces, commercial ovens and more.  The aim of these regulations is to save energy and water in Pennsylvania.

HB1615

Energy Regulations on Appliances

Under this bill, employers can't ask about or base someone's pay on their previous salary. They can't punish employees for talking about their pay either. The bill also gives more power to the Department of Labor to enforce these rules and imposes bigger fines on companies that break them.

HB98

Removing Employers Hiring Rights

This bill changes certain rules so that before an election, the county election board must meet at least 7 days before the election to start preparing all the received ballots. Second, it removes the requirement that the counting of ballots must start at 7 a.m. on election day and continue until all received by that time are counted.

HB847

Removing Requirements for the Timeframe of which Ballots Must be Counted

This bill amends the tax code in the state of PA. It provides that different income levels should be taxed differently. This bill ensures that the state will not tax income types that are not taxed by the federal government.

HB2119

State Tax Bracket

This bill is all about regulating firearms and firearm parts without serial numbers. It introduces new laws that make it illegal to sell or buy certain firearm parts without proper serial numbers registered with a Federal firearms licensee. If someone sells or transfers these parts without the right serial numbers, it's a felony. Similarly, if someone buys these parts with the intention of making a firearm but without the proper serial numbers, that's also a felony.

HB777

Banning Firearms Without Serial Numbers

This bill says that if you own a place where food is sold, like a restaurant or a store, you have to make sure your staff knows about food allergies. You need to put up posters telling them about allergies and what to do if a customer has one. You also have to tell customers about allergens in the food and ask if they have any allergies. These rules will be enforced by the Department of Agriculture, and they follow guidelines from the FDA.

HB1869

Mandatory Food Allergy Awareness for Businesses

This bill changes the rules about who can get unemployment benefits when there's a work stoppage. Normally, if you quit your job voluntarily, you can't get unemployment benefits. But this bill says if you're out of work because there's a work stoppage, like a strike, you can still get those benefits. It also gets rid of some conditions that used to apply to this situation.

HB1481

Expanding Unemployment Benefits During a Strike

This bill changes a law about unfair trade practices and consumer protection. It adds a new rule about advertising prices for goods or services. It says that if a business advertises a price, like for event tickets or hotel rooms, it has to show the total price upfront, including all fees.

HB636

Regulations to Show Total Price Upfront

This bill says that the state should have a database of DNA samples from people convicted of certain serious crimes, like sex offenses and other specified crimes, both adults and juveniles. It also defines what these "other specified offenses" are. The bill says that people convicted of these crimes must provide a DNA sample. It also talks about expunging DNA records in certain cases, like when a juvenile's offense is eligible for expungement. Additionally, it adds a mandatory cost of $250 for anyone convicted, adjudicated delinquent, or granted ARD for certain serious offenses, with the money going to a fund.

HB841

Mandated DNA Database

This bill enacts a red flag law (extreme risk protection order) for citizens who pose substantial risk to themselves or others “with a firearm”.

HB1018

Enacting Red Flag Laws

This bill changes the law regarding the sale of firearms in Pennsylvania. Currently, private sales of certain guns don't require a background check if they meet specific criteria, like the length of the barrel or the overall size of the firearm. This bill would remove those exemptions, meaning all private sales would require a background check, just like sales through licensed gun dealers.

HB714

Removing Exemptions from Firearm Backround Checks

This bill allocates more money to the Department of Education and creates a program called the Grow-Your-Own Educators Grant Program. This program helps schools and colleges work together to train new teachers and support staff. They can apply for grants to start or expand programs that help people become educators in four different ways. The grants will be distributed fairly across the state, and some money will also go to another grant program called the Talent Recruitment Grant Program.

Joe Kerwin

Pennsylvania | District 125

72.73

Lifetime Key Issues Score

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American Culture

66.67%

Big Tech & Free Speech

N/A

Border Security

N/A

Election Integrity

N/A

Medical Freedom

N/A

School Choice

N/A

Second Amendment

66.67%

Taxes and Spending

57.14%

Votes

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RioSlum Studio

72.73

Lifetime Key Issues Score

Learn More About Joe Kerwin

American Culture

66.67%

Big Tech & Free Speech

N/A

Border Security

N/A

Election Integrity

N/A

Medical Freedom

N/A

School Choice

N/A

Second Amendment

66.67%

Taxes and Spending

57.14%

Votes

Vote Key

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