November 20, 2023

Four-Day Work Week Bill in MA & Financial Benefit of Remote Work

MA Lawmakers to Weigh Four-Day Work Week The Massachusetts House Labor and Workforce Development Committee scheduled a hearing last week on legislation ( HB 3849 ) that would provide tax credits to businesses that join a pilot program to test a four-day work week. The bill specifies that a four-day work week is one in which “employees receive a meaningful reduction in actual work hours without any reduction in...

November 20, 2023

Long-Term Care and Prescription Drug Reforms in MA & Lawmakers Address Health Worker Licensing Backlog in IL

Bills to Overhaul Long-Term Care and Control Prescription Drug Costs on Move in MA The Massachusetts House unanimously passed a bill ( HB 4178 ) that would overhaul the long-term care industry, while the Senate unanimously approved a measure ( SB 2492 ) addressing the growing costs of prescription drugs. The House measure would expand the long-term care workforce, provide for the development of “small house”...

November 20, 2023

Ouster of OpenAI CEO, Social Media Protection Bill in FL & More

OpenAI Ousts CEO Sam Altman The board of directors of OpenAI, developer of ChatGPT, announced on the company’s blog last week that its CEO Sam Altman would be stepping down. The blog post said the company had conducted “a deliberative review process” and “concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities...

November 20, 2023

Good Year for Labor on Picket Line and in State Legislatures

For more than half a year, labor strife has swept the country. First, Hollywood writers went on strike in May. Then actors joined them in walking off the set a couple months later, in July. Detroit auto workers began a series of escalating strikes in mid-September. Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses, ER technicians, and pharmacists participated in the largest health care labor dispute in U.S. history...

November 13, 2023

End Near for IL’s Nuclear Power Plant Moratorium & AL’s Planned Bill to Restrict Underage Access to Porn Sites

IL Lawmakers Approve Bill Lifting Moratorium on Nuclear Power Plants: The Illinois General Assembly passed legislation ( HB 2437 ) that, as amended, will lift a nearly four-decades-old moratorium on new nuclear power plants, opening the door for cutting-edge small, modular reactors and potentially allowing the state to meets its goal of using only carbon-free electricity by 2045. Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) was expected to...

November 13, 2023

End of Hollywood Actors’ Strike, Hotel Workers’ Union Win in Vegas & More

Actors Reach Deal with Hollywood Studios The actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, reached a tentative contract agreement with Hollywood studios last week. In July, actors joined the strike initiated by screenwriters in May over streaming-service pay and concerns about rapidly developing artificial intelligence technology. The Writers Guild of America reached an agreement with studios and ended its strike in late September...

November 13, 2023

Passage of Pharma Immunity Shield Repeal Bill in MI, FL Senate’s Healthcare Focus in 2024 & More

MI Lawmakers Pass Bill to Repeal Pharma Immunity Shield The Michigan Legislature passed a bill ( SB 410 ) that would repeal a law passed in 1995 preventing lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies. Bloomberg Law reported that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) was “likely to sign” the measure. ( MICHIGAN ADVANCE , BLOOMBERG LAW , STATE NET ) FL Senate to Focus on Healthcare System Next Year Florida Senate President...

November 12, 2023

State Legislation to Curb Workplace Violence Raises Compliance Concerns

Workplace violence has drawn plenty of attention from state lawmakers this year, most notably in California, where a significant measure addressing the issue was enacted. But some HR experts worry such legislation could increase employers’ liability exposure. Since the beginning of the year, over 100 bills mentioning “workplace violence” have been introduced in 27 states, according to LexisNexis®...

November 06, 2023

Biden’s AI Executive Order, Sam Bankman-Fried’s Conviction & More

Biden Issues Executive Order on AI President Biden issued a sweeping executive order last that week aimed at managing the risks associated with artificial intelligence. Among other things the order requires AI developers to share safety test results with the U.S. government, directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop standards for AI systems to meet before being released to the public, and...

November 06, 2023

Uber, Lyft Wage Theft Settlement; Passage of COVID-19 Vaccine Ban in TX & More

Uber, Lyft Reach $328M Wage Theft Settlement with NY Uber and Lyft agreed to pay a combined $328 million to settle wage theft claims in New York. The state attorney general’s office said the ridesharing companies improperly deducted sales tax and contributions to a driver injury fund from their drivers’ pay and also failed to provide paid sick leave as required by state and local law. ( PLURIBUS NEWS , SHRM...

November 06, 2023

Medicare Cuts for Doctors, Hospitals; GOP Govs’ Opposition to Long-Term Care Staffing Requirements & More

CMS Cutting Payments to Doctors, Hospitals Doctors will see a 1.25% reduction in Medicare reimbursements next year due to a final rule issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Some hospitals are also facing $7.8 billion in CMS cuts over 16 years to reimburse safety-net hospitals hit by previous cuts to a discount drug purchasing program struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. ( KFF HEALTH NEWS , MODERN...

November 05, 2023

Will Other States Follow California’s Lead on Industry-Specific Minimum Wage Hikes?

With inflation cooling , thousands of Californians got a double dose of good news in the last month with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) signing of two high-profile bills raising the minimum wage of health care and fast-food workers. SB 525 , by Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D), increases the minimum wage for health care workers to $25 an hour over the coming years. Meanwhile, AB 1228 , by Assemblyman Chris Holden (D), raises...

October 20, 2023

TX’s Proposed COVID-19 Vaccine Ban & Many U.S. Employers’ Lack of Abortion Coverage

TX Weighs COVID-19 Vaccine Ban In their 3rd special session of the year, Texas lawmakers are considering a bill ( SB 7 c ) that would bar private employers from requiring their workers to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Employers that take “adverse action” against workers or contractors who refuse to be vaccinated would be subject to a $10,000 fine under the measure, which was passed by the Senate on Oct. 12...

October 20, 2023

CA’s New Crypto Business Laws, AI Bills in MI & More

CA Enacts Measures Regulating Crypto Businesses California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed legislation ( AB 39 ) requiring “digital financial assets businesses” to be licensed by the state. The governor also signed a measure ( SB 401 ) prohibiting “digital financial asset transaction kiosks” from accepting or dispensing over $1,000 per customer per day. ( PLURIBUS NEWS ) MI Bills Target AI in...

October 20, 2023

MI Moves Step Closer to Repealing Drug Immunity Law, CA Enacts $25 Healthcare Worker Minimum Wage & More

MI Senate Passes Measure to Repeal Drug Immunity Law The Michigan Senate passed a bill ( SB 410 ) that would allow residents and state and local governments to sue drug manufacturers and sellers if their products cause injury. In 1995 the state passed the strongest drug immunity law in the nation, shielding drugmakers and sellers almost entirely from such suits. The measure is now in the House Judiciary Committee. ...

October 19, 2023

States Slowly Embracing Psychedelic Drugs

After years of debate, medical marijuana is now fully legal in 37 states . The new frontier is psychedelics. Some researchers believe that psychedelic drugs like MDMA and psilocybin (the hallucinogen found in magic mushrooms) may be used to treat a litany of mental health illnesses, including depression , anxiety and PTSD , as well as give comfort to patients suffering from serious forms of cancer . Already the legislatures...

October 13, 2023

U.S. Small Business Underinsurance Crisis, FL Homeowners Insurance Rates Unlikely to Drop & More

Survey Suggests Majority of Small Businesses Underinsured A report from global specialist insurance provider Hiscox indicates that U.S. small businesses are largely underinsured and lacking in insurance literacy, leaving them open to losses from property damage and lawsuits. Of the 1,000 U.S. small businesses with 1 to 50 employees surveyed by Hiscox in July, only 65% had general liability coverage, 45% had property...

October 13, 2023

Children’s Online Safety Bill in NY, Enactment of Data Delete Act in CA & More

New York Joins Fight to Protect Children Online New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), Attorney General Letitia James (D), Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D) and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D) announced legislation last week that would prohibit minors from accessing algorithm-based social media feeds without parental consent. The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act would also allow parents to block their children’s...

October 13, 2023

Bill to Repeal Drug Immunity Law in MI, Flurry of Health System Consolidation Legislation & More

MI Dems Consider Repealing Drug Immunity Law A bill ( SB 410 ) debated in the Michigan Senate last week would allow residents and state and local governments to sue drug manufacturers and sellers if their products cause injury. In 1995 the state passed the strongest drug immunity law in the nation, shielding drugmakers and sellers almost entirely from such suits. ( BRIDGE MICHIGAN ) Health System Consolidation Bills...

October 12, 2023

Positive Developments in Looming Homeowners Insurance Crisis

Remember that potentially looming homeowners insurance crisis we told you about back in July ? There have been some developments. As you might recall, there are growing fears that the United States may be on the brink of a home insurance crisis, at least in coastal areas. State Farm and Allstate, two of the nation’s largest insurance companies, stopped selling property insurance to new customers in California...

October 06, 2023

State Lawmakers Planning AI Measures; SCOTUS to Weigh FL, TX Social Media Anti-Censorship Laws & More

State Lawmakers Planning More AI Bills State lawmakers who gathered last week for a panel discussion on artificial intelligence hosted by Pluribus News said they’re planning to introduce more AI bills in their next legislative sessions. Texas Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (R), who sponsored a bill ( HB 2060 ) enacted this year creating a state AI advisory council, said he’ll probably introduce an AI package...

October 06, 2023

No Unemployment Benefits for Striking Workers in CA & $20 Minimum Wage for CA Fast Food Workers

CA Gov Nixes Unemployment Benefits for Striking Workers California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) vetoed a bill ( SB 799 ) that would have allowed striking workers to receive unemployment benefits. The governor stated in his veto message that such an expansion of unemployment benefits would make California’s unemployment trust fund “vulnerable to insolvency.” The fund is already expected to be about $20 billion...

October 06, 2023

Coming Federal Guidelines on Cross-Market Mergers, National Abortion Pill Ban & More

Federal Cross-Market Merger Guidelines in Works The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice are currently reviewing public comments on draft guidelines for cross-market mergers, including those in the healthcare sector, such as the planned merger by the end of this year of Saint Luke’s, the second-largest health system in Kansas City, Missouri, and BJC HealthCare, the largest health system in St...

October 06, 2023

Children’s Online Safety Bills Suffer Legal Setbacks

Three times already this year, State Net Capitol Journal™ has reported on legislation concerning data privacy , which remains a hot topic among state lawmakers. As we’ve reported, from Connecticut to California legislators have been passing laws to protect the online privacy of all their residents but children in particular. Of all the forms data privacy bills take, the ones specifically addressing children...

September 29, 2023

Amazon Antitrust Suit, Multistate Lawmaker Effort to Grasp AI & More

FTC, 17 States File Antitrust Lawsuit Against Amazon The long-expected antitrust action against Amazon finally came last week with the filing of a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington by the FTC and the attorneys general of 17 states. The lawsuit alleges Amazon is “a monopolist” that “uses its vast power, size, and control over multiple business units to implement...