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...

September 29, 2023

Preemption of Local Minimum Wage Rates in NC & Workplace Violence Bill on Verge of Becoming Law in CA

NC Budget Would Preempt Local Government Minimum Wage Rates The state budget ( HB 259 ) approved largely along party lines this month in North Carolina’s Republican-controlled legislature includes a provision that would prohibit local governments and municipalities from setting a minimum wage or imposing other employment-related mandates on private businesses. Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said he would allow the bill to...

September 29, 2023

NC’s Medicaid Expansion, NE’s Extension of Postpartum Medicaid Coverage & More

Medicaid Expansion Coming to NC in December North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) announced last week that the state will launch Medicaid expansion on Dec. 1, which will leave just 10 states that haven’t opted to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. North Carolina’s expansion is expected to provide coverage for about 600,000 more residents. ( ASSOCIATED PRESS ) NE Gov Extends Postpartum Medicaid...

September 29, 2023

Unwinding of Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Messy Process for States

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act , which among other things required state Medicaid programs to keep people continuously enrolled through the end of the public health emergency. That single requirement has done wonders for America’s uninsured rate. Enrollment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance program rose to 91 million...

September 22, 2023

Biden Administration Takes Aim at Reporting of Medical Debt, Insurance Premiums Poised to Rise for Millions of U.S. Homeowners & More

Biden Administration Seeks to Exclude Medical Debt from Credit Scores The Biden administration announced plans to develop new rules that would prevent unpaid medical bills from counting towards consumers’ credit scores. The new rules, which administration officials said would be developed next year, are likely to face strong opposition from the healthcare industry. ( KFF HEALTH NEWS ) Quarter of U.S. Homes Underpriced...

September 22, 2023

Passage of Data Delete Act Nears in CA, Landmark CA Children’s Data Privacy Law Blocked by Federal Judge & More

CA Assembly Passes Data Delete Act California’s Assembly passed a bill ( SB 362 ) that would let consumers request the deletion of data collected on them by third-party brokers with the click of a button, much like the way the Do-Not-Call Registry works. The Delete Act now returns to the Senate—where it was passed on a 32-8 vote in May—for a concurrence vote, after being amended in the Assembly. (...

September 22, 2023

$25 Minimum Wage for Healthcare Workers in CA, Push for Prescription Drug Price Controls in MD & More

CA Legislature Approves $25 Healthcare Worker Minimum Wage On the last day of this year’s regular session, California lawmakers passed a bill ( SB 525 ) that would phase in a nation-leading $25 minimum wage for workers at hospitals, nursing homes, and other medical facilities. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has until Oct. 14 to act on the measure. ( KFF HEALTH NEWS , STATE NET) Push in MD to Control Prescription Drug...