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Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize any industry that relies heavily on data. So it’s no wonder that the insurance industry is delving deeper and deeper into AI, to the concern and consternation of regulators everywhere...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...