September 10, 2021

Hot Issues This Week: Secret Settlements, Curbside Alcohol, Kinetic Energy Projectiles, and More

Business New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signs AB 3350 , which makes Empire State contractors on construction projects jointly liable for wages owed to employees of their subcontractors. The law further allows contractors to demand payroll information from subcontractors and withhold payment to those entities if the information is not provided. The California Senate gives final approval to SB 9 , a bill that would...

September 10, 2021

Governors This Week: New Abortion Restrictions, New Prisons, Redistricting, and More

Noem Orders SD Abortion Restrictions : South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R)issued an executive order imposing significant restrictions on abortion in the Coyote State. Under Executive order 2021-12 , doctors not licensed in South Dakota are barred from prescribing abortion-inducing chemicals or delivering those products via courier, telemedicine or mail service. Abortion-inducing drugs are also barred from being dispensed...

September 10, 2021

Healthcare Roundup: Federal Funding for Health Staffing, Nurse Pay Hikes, Booster Shots, and More

WY Gov Allocates Federal Funds for Health Staffing : Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) announced he is allocating $30 million in federal funds to provide bolster heath care staffing across the state. The first $20 million will be utilized by facilities on a discretionary basis to stabilize staffing levels, with the remaining $10 million allocated for private hospitals and long-term care facilities for traveling medical staff...

September 07, 2021

Hot Issues This Week: NCAA Athletic Endorsements, Anti-Hazing Policies, Texas Abortion Law and More

Business California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signs AB 1480 , which expands a state law barring employers from using criminal detentions that did not result in a conviction as a factor in employment to include those already employed as nonsworn members of a criminal justice agency. Education California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signs SB 26 , which moved the effective date of the state’s groundbreaking name, image...

September 07, 2021

Governors This Week: Legal Weed Process, Governor Recalls, Voting Restrictions, and More

Hochul Kickstarts NY Legal Weed Process : After months of delay by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), the New York Senate acted quickly to confirm Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) two appointments to head the agencies that will oversee the Empire State’s legal marijuana cultivation, distribution, and sales program. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed the program into law back in March, but then never moved further to...

September 07, 2021

Insurance Week: Copay Waivers, Hurricane Ida, COVID-19 Liability Claims and More

Majority of Insurers No Longer Waiving Copays for COVID-19 Hospitalization: Seventy-two percent of the two largest insurers in each state are no longer waiving cost-sharing requirements for COVID-19 hospitalizations as they were early in the pandemic, according to analysis by the Peterson Center on Healthcare and the Kaiser Family Foundation . Another 10 percent of insurers will phase out their waivers by the end of...

September 07, 2021

Healthcare Roundup: Roadblock for Telemedicine, Nursing Home Staff Training Waivers in IA, CO Vaccine Mandate & More

Rollback of Out-of-State Medical Practice Restrictions Creating Roadblock for Telemedicine: During the darkest days of the pandemic, many states temporarily waived rules requiring licensed healthcare practitioners to hold a valid license where they treat patients. But states have been rolling back those waivers, which is increasing barriers for telehealth. For instance, Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore recently...

August 20, 2021

Hot Issues This Week: Business, Immigration and More

Business Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) signs SB 817 , a bill that bans discrimination in schools based on hairstyles historically associated with race, ethnicity, or hair texture braids, locks and twists. Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee (D) signs HB 5105b , which extends the pandemic-induced law that allows restaurants to sell limited amounts of liquor with take-out food orders through March 1, 2022. Rhode Island...

August 20, 2021

Governors This Week: NDA Reform, Eviction Moratoriums, Recall Election and More

IL Gov Okays NDA Reforms : Illinois Gov. Pritzker signed legislation earlier this month that makes significant changes in Prairie State law governing the use of non-disclosure and non-compete agreements between businesses and workers. Under SB 672 , employers will be prohibited from entering into non-competition agreements with employees who earn $75,000 per year or less and non-compete agreements with employees who...

August 20, 2021

Tech Week In Review: The War on Cybercrime, Self-Driving Vehicles, Anti-Trust, Metaverse and More

Signs of Progress on Combatting Cybercrime Although cybercrime isn’t going away any time soon, there appears to be some headway being made on combatting it. “We are seeing a new level of collaboration between the public and private sectors,” Christian Hoffman, Aon’s Cyber Solutions chief executive officer of North America, wrote in a new report. Hoffman attributed some of that recent progress...

August 20, 2021

Health Care Roundup: Long-Term Healthcare Costs of COVID-19, Medical Worker Vaccination Mandates Backlash & More

COVID-19 to Drive Healthcare Costs Higher Long-Term: The health implications of COVID-19 are likely to inflate healthcare costs and insurance premiums for decades, according to a report from Fitch Ratings. The ongoing treatment of chronic conditions associated with COVID-19, as well as diagnostic testing and treatment for other illnesses that was deferred during the pandemic, will require providers to expand outpatient...

August 13, 2021

Health Care Roundup: Nursing Home COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates, Anti-Vax Anti-Protest Bill & More

Nursing Home Staffing Worries Hinder COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates in KY: In late July and early August, the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities & Kentucky Center for Assisted Living conducted a survey of 283 skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, and personal care homes, asking if they would support a COVID-19 vaccination mandate if all other providers did the same. Of the 103 facility...

August 13, 2021

Governors this Week: A Less Toxic NY Gov’s Office, FL, and TX Mask Mandates, OR HS Grad Requirements, WI Cyberinsurance

Hochul Vows Less ‘Toxic’ NY Gov’s Office: New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said she is “fully prepared” to take over for the current Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) who announced he will step down on August 24 th . “I want people to know that I’m ready for this,” she told reporters in her first press conference since Cuomo’s announcement . “It’s not something...

August 13, 2021

Labor Week: Religious Considerations with Vaccine Mandates, Fight over Correctional Officer Vaccine Mandates in CA, AR Vaccination Privacy Bill & More

Vaccine Mandates Force Employers to Ponder Religion: The surge in COVID-19 cases across the United States largely due to the Delta variant has prompted a growing number of major companies, including Google parent Alphabet, Tyson Foods and Walmart, to implement vaccination mandates. Those requirements are obliging the companies to grapple with the sensitive issue of their employees’ religious beliefs. According...

August 06, 2021

Labor Week: CT Recruiting Older Workers, Hospitality Workforce Age Shift, Amazon Unionization Vote Redo & More

CT Eyes Older Workers to Fill Manufacturing Jobs: With up to 6,000 manufacturing jobs open in Connecticut, officials, educators, and others in the state are looking to workers 50 and older interested in making a career change to fill those positions. The state’s major manufacturers, such as jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney and helicopter maker Sikorsky Aircraft, have their own workforce development networks...

August 06, 2021

Health Care Roundup: COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates for Medical Workers, Review of FDA Drug Approval Process & More

CA Vaccination-or-Test Requirement to Apply to Private-Sector Healthcare Workers: Under a new rule taking effect in California next month, an estimated 246,000 state employees and at least 2 million public- and private-sector health care workers and long-term care workers will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or be subject to weekly COVID-19 testing. The vaccination-or-test requirement comes a little...

August 06, 2021

Governors: Impeachment, Immigration, Eviction, and Mask Mandates

Cuomo Likely to Face Impeachment : In the wake of a damning report from the state attorney general’s office, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is almost surely going to face an impeachment vote over allegations he sexually harassed at least 11 women and retaliated against one that reported him. The report from Attorney General Letitia James accused the governor and his aides of cultivating a “hostile work...

July 29, 2021

Insurance Week: Tougher Cyber Policies, Natural Disaster Losses, Rising FL Property Claims, AIG

Cyber Insurers Toughening Policy Requirements : Cyber policies are relatively new to the insurance business. But over the past decade the cyber insurance sector has taken off, with premiums more than doubling between 2015 and 2019 , from $1.4 billion to $3.1 billion. Now, with cyberattacks coming one after another, cyber insurers are rethinking the way they do business. U.K.-based Hiscox Ltd. said it is “refining”...

July 29, 2021

States Aim to Improve Banking Access for Legal Cannabis Industry

STATE NET ® THOUGHT LEADERSHIP SERIES States Aim to Improve Banking Access for Legal Cannabis Industry Legal cannabis is one of the fastest-growing industries in America. But due to the continued treatment of marijuana as a banned substance akin to heroin under federal law, legal cannabis businesses have been unable to access the banking and financial services that other industries take for...

July 29, 2021

Tech Week in Review: CA Broadband, Reporting Cyberattacks, Antitrust, Surveillance, Apple’s Remote Work, Netflix Gaming

CA to Spend $6B on Broadband: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill ( SB 156 ) last week committing the state to spending $6 billion over the next three years on expanding broadband access, particularly in underserved and rural communities. Over half of the funding, $3.25 billion, will go toward middle-mile infrastructure, linking internet providers with local access points like schools and hospitals. Another...

July 29, 2021

Health Care Roundup: Opioids, Hospital Prices, Pregnant Prisoners, Nursing Home Vaccinations, Health Worker Burnout

$26B Opioid Settlement Awaits Approval by States, Municipalities : A group of state AGs unveiled a $26 billion proposed settlement with major drug makers over their alleged role in the national opioid epidemic. Under the terms of the deal - the second-largest ever, after the $246 billion tobacco settlement agreement in 1998 - the nation’s three biggest drug distributors, McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and...

July 15, 2021

Hot Issues This Week

Business VERMONT Gov. Phil Scott (R) vetoes SB 79 , legislation that would have set up a rental registry, and statewide system to enforce property safety standards. Scott said he feared the bill would lead to less housing inventory “at a time when we are grappling with a critical housing shortage.” FLORIDA Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signs SB 1120 , a telemarketing regulation measure that, among several things...

July 15, 2021

Tech Week In Review: Google Lawsuit, Right-to-Repair, Consumer Data Privacy

Google Hit with Another Multistate Lawsuit: A bipartisan group of attorneys general from 36 states and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging its Android app store, Google Play, is in violation of antitrust laws. The suit specifically targets the 30 percent commission Google intends to charge all developers who sell apps on Google Play, where, the suit also claims, 90 percent of Android...

July 15, 2021

Health Care Round-Up: Surprise Billing, Pharmacy Working Conditions, Essential Care Worker Shortage

Big Question Remains with New Federal Surprise Billing Law: The federal No Surprises Act, passed late last year as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (HR 133), will allow providers to bill patients for out-of-network care under certain conditions and only after completing a strict “notice and consent” process. The law, which takes effect in January 2022, makes it clear that patients can’t...

July 15, 2021

Insurance Week: Ransomware Payouts, Wildfire Season, Windstorms, Safety Inspections

Will Cyber Insurers Stop Reimbursing for Ransomware Payouts?: For a while now the prevailing wisdom in the cyber insurance industry has been that victims should just pay off the hackers and seek reimbursement from their insurer because it’s just less costly for everyone. But with ransomware cases having shot up 400 percent last year and cyber insurance payouts now topping 70 percent of premiums, that may not...