March 31, 2026

Approval for Bank-to-Bank Stablecoin Use in ND & More

ND Regulators Approve Bank-to-Bank Stablecoin Use North Dakota’s Industrial Commission approved the use of the state bank’s planned stablecoin, the Roughrider Coin, for bank-to-bank transactions. Ten banks have expressed interest in participating in the North Dakota Banks’ pilot program for the stablecoin, which will be tied to the value of the U.S. dollar. ( NORTH DAKOTA MONITOR ) Protection from...

March 31, 2026

NY Chatbot Bill Drawing Tech Resistance

Tech Group Pushing Back on NY Chatbot Bill A tech industry group is opposing a New York bill ( SB 7263 ) aimed at preventing chatbots from impersonating a variety of licensed professionals, including veterinarians. The Consumer Technology Association, representing over 1,200 tech companies, argues the measure would hinder chatbots from providing basic information and expose operators to frivolous lawsuits. ( PLURIBUS...

March 31, 2026

Passage of KS Bill Imposing Dispensing Fee on PBMs & More

KS Lawmakers Pass PBM Bill A bill aimed at tightening regulations on PBMs ( SB 360 ), but which appeared unlikely to move forward this session, was inserted into another bill ( SB 20 ) during a conference committee hearing and passed by the House and Senate. Opponents of the measure attempted to send it back to conference committee over a $10.50 dispensing fee the bill would require PBMs to pay pharmacies on all prescriptions...

March 31, 2026

States Battle Feds over Prediction Markets

Who could have predicted this? Prediction markets have emerged as one of the biggest stories of 2026. The online platforms and apps, which allow users to bet on anything from who will win the Oscar for best actor to the temperature in Los Angeles tomorrow, have grown from an obsession of the gambling industry press to an obsession of the mainstream media in short order, with countless stories about the disruptive business...

March 25, 2026

Trump Administration’s Proposed State-Preempting National AI Policy Framework & More

New White House Policy Framework Calls for Blocking State AI Laws The Trump administration released a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence that, among other things, urges Congress to “preempt state AI laws that impose undue burdens to ensure a minimally burdensome national standard,” instead of “fifty discordant ones.” “States should not be permitted to regulate AI development...

March 25, 2026

AI in Healthcare Privacy Bill in VT & More

VT Bill Addresses Privacy of AI in Healthcare The Vermont House passed a bill ( HB 814 ) to bolster privacy protections around the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare. The bill would establish “neurological rights” to protect individuals’ data from being used without their consent. The bill now goes to the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare. ( VTDIGGER , LEXISNEXIS STATE NET) States...

March 25, 2026

Legislators Continue to Focus on Forever Chemicals

Nearly two years after the Environmental Protection Agency set drinking water limits for so-called forever chemicals, the synthetic compounds remain a focus for state legislators. Formally known as per- and polyfluorinated substances or PFAS, the chemicals are used to make coatings and products that resist heat, stains, oil, grease and water, such as Teflon. A growing body of research also indicates they may be dangerous...

March 19, 2026

CA’s Spreading Homeowners Insurance Crisis

CA’s Wildfire-Driven Insurance Crisis Spreads to Lower-Risk Homes Insurers have stopped covering homes in some California neighborhoods at lower risk of wildfire damage, forcing thousands of homeowners to turn to the state’s insurer of last resort, known as the FAIR Plan. That coverage was intended to be a backstop for those unable to obtain insurance on the private market because they live in areas at high...

March 19, 2026

WA’s New Ban on Employee Microchipping

WA Enacts Ban on Microchipping Workers Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) signed a bill ( HB 2303 ) prohibiting companies from requiring their workers to get microchip implants. The new law allows workers to bring civil lawsuits against employers who require them to do so. There haven’t been any reports of the practice in Washington, but a company in Wisconsin offered implants to its employees in 2017. And as...

March 19, 2026

NJ Gov’s Plan to Offset Medicaid Costs & More

NJ Gov Wants Big Employers to Help Cover Cost of Medicaid New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) unveiled a state budget plan that proposes generating $145 million in funding for Medicaid by requiring large employers to pay up to $725 a year for each employee covered by the public health insurance program. Massachusetts has a similar program, and the idea has also been considered elsewhere. ( NEW JERSEY MONITOR ) MS Lawmakers...

March 18, 2026

State Officials’ Focus on Affordability Includes Prescription Drugs

When Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) spoke about the need for affordable healthcare and housing last month , she joined a chorus of governors of both major parties who have made affordability a focus of their annual state of the state addresses. “Affordability is our highest priority,” said Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) . “Affordability has become one of the most talked-about issues in national...

February 18, 2026

Proposed Stock Buyback Ban for Tax Break Recipients in MI

MI to Weigh Ban on Stock Buybacks for Companies Receiving Tax Breaks Michigan Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D) introduced a bill ( SB 783 ) that would prohibit publicly traded companies receiving economic incentives through the Michigan Strategic Fund from repurchasing their own stock. Violators would have to repay any incentives they received and pay a 10% penalty. ( YAHOO! FINANCE , LEXISNEXIS STATE NET) —Compiled...

February 18, 2026

VA’s Paid Sick Leave Bill

VA House Passes Paid Sick Leave Bill Virginia’s House of Delegates approved a bill ( HB 5 ) that would expand the state’s current paid sick leave law, which applies only to a small segment of workers, to include all public and private sector employees. If enacted, workers could earn an hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours they work. ( VIRGINIA MERCURY , LEXISNEXIS STATE NET) —Compiled by SNCJ...

February 18, 2026

VA Prescription Drug Affordability Board Measure & More

VA Lawmakers Okay Prescription Drug Affordability Board Virginia lawmakers have passed legislation ( SB 271 / HB 483 ) that would create a prescription drug affordability board to review drug prices and set limits on how much state-regulated health plans can pay for drugs. The legislation is similar to that enacted in other states, but Virginia’s would be the first linking the board’s activity to drug price...

February 18, 2026

New Privacy Concern for State Lawmakers: Geolocation Data Privacy

Geolocation data has become a new frontier in privacy protection. This year, Virginia could join Maryland and Oregon as the first states to prohibit the sale of information that provides the precise geographic location of a device, object or user through GPS , IP address tracking , Wi-Fi triangulation or cellular network signals , among other means . Maryland’s and Oregon’s bans were only recently enacted...

February 11, 2026

Controversial Insurance Bill in FL & More

Insurance Bill Raises Concerns in FL A fast-moving bill ( SB 1028 ) in Florida, sponsored by Sen. Joe Gruters (R), chairman of the Senate’s Banking and Insurance Committee, would require Citizens Property Insurance, the state’s insurer of last resort, to set up a clearinghouse for commercial property coverage. But Florida Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky said setting up a clearinghouse could cost...

February 11, 2026

PBM Reform Bill in MS & More

MS House Passes PBM Reform Bill Mississippi’s House of Representatives passed a bill ( HB 1665 ) that would prohibit pharmacy benefit managers from employing clawbacks when patients’ copayments exceed the actual cost of their drugs. The bill would also require PBMs to reimburse independent pharmacists within 7 days of receiving electronic claims from them. ( MAGNOLIA TRIBUNE ) NM Enacts Interstate Doctor...

February 11, 2026

Momentum Around Data Center Legislation Grows

In June, Kansas became the 37th state to offer tax incentives to data centers, underscoring how the massive warehouse-like facilities that support the internet have become a priority for states and state legislators across the country. Indeed, the National Conference of State Legislators predicts that a litany of issues surrounding data centers will be big in 2026, from tax incentives and prevailing wage requirements...

February 04, 2026

VA’s Consumer Geolocation Data Privacy Bill & More

States Target Sale of Consumer Geolocation Data Virginia’s Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology advanced a bill ( SB 338 ) that would amend the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act to prohibit the sale of consumers’ precise geolocation data. The chamber unanimously passed a similar measure last year but it was not advanced in the House, according to a press release from Consumer Reports . In...

February 04, 2026

States’ Course Change on Certificate of Need Laws & More

States Easing Up on Certificate of Need Laws Over a dozen states have introduced or are considering legislation this year to scale back their certificate of need (CON) laws requiring healthcare providers to obtain government approval before building or expanding facilities. At least a dozen states have already repealed or allowed their CON laws—formerly a ubiquitous strategy for controlling healthcare costs—to...

February 04, 2026

Top Compliance Issues for Insurance Industry in 2026

Across the board, the insurance industry will face structural upheaval in 2026, predicts attorney Karen C. Yotis , content manager for insurance on the Practical Guidance team for LexisNexis®. Just like in early 2025 , we asked Yotis, a frequent contributor to the State Net® Capitol Journal™, to outline for us what she believes will be the top compliance issues for the insurance industry this year. She...

January 27, 2026

FL Addresses How to Round Penny-Free Cash Transactions

Bill Setting Rounding Rules for Cash Transactions Advances in FL The Florida Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee advanced a bill ( SB 1074 ) that would direct retailers how to round cash transactions now that pennies have stopped being minted. Under the provisions of the measure, in-person cash transactions ending in 1 or 2 cents would be rounded down to zero cents, those ending in 3 or 4 cents would be rounded up...

January 27, 2026

NH to Consider Banning Political Discrimination in Workplace

NH Bill Aimed at Banning Political Discrimination in Workplace New Hampshire Rep. Terry Roy (R) has introduced a bill ( HB 1464 ) that would prohibit employers from refusing to hire, barring from employment, firing or discriminating against a person because of “that person’s political affiliation or opinion.” The measure would also criminalize harassing, annoying or alarming another person based on...

January 27, 2026

ACA Health Plan Enrollments Down

ACA Health Insurance Enrollments Down by More Than 800,000 About 830,000 fewer Americans have signed up for Affordable Care Act health insurance plans than last year, according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. As of Jan. 3, about 22.8 million people had registered for individual market health insurance coverage since the start of the 2026 ACA marketplace open enrollment period on November 1, 2025...

January 26, 2026

States Reconsider Coverage of Weight-Loss Drugs

What a difference a year makes. In March of last year, we reported that many states were considering requiring insurers to cover popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Victoza. But not anymore. California and New Hampshire stopped covering glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) prescriptions for obesity treatment under Medicaid at the start of this year. Michigan, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South...