We’ll be updating this post every day until the end of 2018 with a top trending bill from each state. To view our incredibly cool interactive map of this legislation, go here!
Alabama
AL HB70 looked to address the question when a child become an adult but did not pass. In Alabama, even though you can vote at 18, 19 is the legal age of an adult. Currently four states do not recognize 18 as the age of majority:Alabama and Nebraska (at age 19) and Mississippi and Puerto Rico (at age 21). Currently an 18 year old can not buy a vehicle, rent an apartment, or sign a contract until they turn 19. The law would not influence certain circumstance for laws pertaining to: child support, health insurance policies and care, school records of dependent students, abortions and juvenile courts.
Alaska
AK HB184 resembles laws passed in 21 other states that provide equal protection against discrimination but did not pass. It would have added “sexual orientation, gender identity and expression” to the list of classes protected under current Alaska law, which includes “race, religion, color, national ancestry, physical or mental disability, age, sex, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, or parenthood.”
Arizona
AZ SB1142 did not pass but would have allowed protest organizers to be prosecuted for racketeering if a demonstration turned violent. It would have held protest organizers liable for any damage that occurred if a protest got violent — even if that damage was the work of an opposing group. Although rioting is already illegal in Arizona, the bill would have added it to the list of offenses covered by Arizona’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization laws, effectively giving prosecutors the ability to seize protester organizers’ property.
Arkansas
AR HB1032 passed and prohibits a person from purposely performing or attempting to perform a “dismemberment abortion” and thereby killing an “unborn child” unless it is necessary to prevent a serious health risk to the pregnant patient. A person who is accused of violating this provision may seek a hearing before the Arkansas State Medical Board regarding whether the “dismemberment abortion” was necessary to prevent a serious health risk to the pregnant patient. Another aspect driving strong public reaction towards this new law is women can be barred from having an abortion by their spouse or family member, even in instances of spousal rape or incest. It enables a woman’s husband to sue the doctor who performs her abortion for monetary damages, effectively motivating doctors to not perform abortions in fear of being sued. In cases of spousal rape, or “criminal conduct,” husbands are still given the right to sue for injunctive relief and block an abortion, but no able to seek monetary damages. Parents or legal guardians can sue in the case of pregnant minors, incest or not.
California
The passage of CA SB10 made California the first state to ask federal officials to allow immigrants here illegally to buy insurance through its state health exchange (Covered California), without cost to the state or federal government. The permission the state is looking for from the federal government would allow as many as 390,000 immigrants who earn an income too high to qualify for Medi-Cal to purchase healthcare through the exchange, they would not receive public subsidies to reduce the cost of buying insurance.
Colorado
CO HB1266 passed and will allow people who were convicted of misdemeanors for the use or possession of marijuana to petition for the sealing of criminal records relating to such convictions if their behavior would not have been a criminal offense if the behavior had occurred on or after December 10, 2012. This bill is important because it takes into account the way the state has changed its laws and how they influence past convictions. If people were convicted of something that is now legal in the state, they have a right to ask for it to be expunged.
Connecticut
CT SB09 passed and allowed the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to outline a new Comprehensive Energy Strategy (CES) and this act moves the state closer to these goals. The most important changes are replacing the state’s net metering program with new tariff-based programs and appreciably increasing the requirements of the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS). The zero-emission, low-emission and shared clean energy procurement programs that will replace net metering programs, and will compensate eligible on-site and shared clean energy projects through a tariff rather than through net metering credits.
Delaware
DE SB132 did not pass but would have required health insurance offered in Delaware provide coverage for fertility care services, including in vitro fertilization (“IVF”) procedures for persons, who along with their partner, suffer from a disease or condition that results in the inability to procreate or to carry a pregnancy to viability. The benefits shall be covered to the same extent as other pregnancy-related benefits and must include the following and more:
- Artificial insemination, assisted hatching, embryo biopsy, diagnostic testing, medications
- Cryopreservation and thawing of eggs and embryos and ovarian and testicular tissue
- Fresh and frozen embryo transfers
- Six completed egg retrievals per lifetime, with unlimited single embryo transfer of associated resulting viable embryos
- In vitro fertilization (IVF), including IVF using donor eggs or sperm, and IVF where the embryo is transferred to a gestational carrier or surrogate.
- Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), ovulation induction, Single-Embryo Transfer (SET), storage of embryos.
- Surgery, including microsurgical sperm aspiration.
Florida
FL S7026 – The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act passed. This bill attempts to address the issues presented by the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that occurred during this year, including firearm and school safety and community mental health resources.
When looking at mental health, the bill makes significant changes to keep firearms out of the hands of those suffering from mental illness by:
- Authorizing law enforcement officers taking a person into custody for an involuntary examination under the Baker Act to seize and hold a firearm or ammunition from the person for 24 hours after the person is released and does not have a risk protection order against them.
- Prohibiting a person who has been “adjudicated mentally defective” or who has been committed to a mental institution from owning or possessing a firearm until a court orders otherwise.
- Creating a process for law enforcement officers or law enforcement agencies to petition a court for a risk protection order to temporarily prevent people who are at high risk of harming themselves or others from accessing firearms, including significant danger as a result of a mental health crisis or violent behavior.
The bill also provides new provisions to ensure full and complete background checks are completed when firearms are purchased:
- Requiring a three-day waiting period for all firearms, not just handguns or until the background check is completed, whichever is later. It does provide exceptions for:
- Concealed weapons permit holders
- Individuals who have completed a 16 hour hunter safety course
- Individuals holding a valid Florida hunting license
- Law enforcement officers, correctional officers and service members (military and national guard)
The bill addresses also two of the most frequent requests Senators reportedly heard from the families of victims, simply raising the age for purchasing a firearm and to ban devices that turn a legal firearm into an illegal weapon. The bill prohibits a person under 21 years of age from purchasing a firearm, and prohibits licensed companies and dealers from selling a firearm, except in the case of a member of the military, or a law enforcement or correctional officer when purchasing a rifle or shotgun. It also prohibits a bump-fire stock from being imported, transferred, distributed, sold, keeping for sale, offering for sale, possessing or giving away within the state.
Georgia
GA HB605, or the Hidden Predator Act of 2018, would have increased the evidentiary burden of proof on any potential claim a victim of child sexual abuse may file against an organization or entity that may have harbored a pedophile or concealed any knowledge of the abuse within their organization. The Senate version of the bill capped the age at which someone could file a claim to only those ages younger than age 31. The Georgia Legislature was provided with scientific evidence showing the average victim is not able to come forward until age 42 and in Georgia, the average age of the victim asking the Legislature for a chance at justice is 48, but ultimately they went with 31.
Other changes made in the bill included increasing the statute of limitations from the age of 23 years to 30 years and increasing the discovery period for anyone after the age of 23 who discovered the harm of child sexual abuse from two years to four years, giving more victims time to come forward. However, the Senate version pushed it back down to the current law at two years.
Hawaii
HI HB1996 would have required courts to order any person charged with a criminal offense to be released on personal recognizance pending trial, unless the person is a flight risk, unlikely to appear for trial, or a danger to others. Check out this #CloserLooks written by Michael Obrien that dives deeper into this issue and the age old debate, to bail or not to bail. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, over sixty percent of all jail inmates are awaiting court action on a current charge. Another study found that five out of six individuals detained until case disposition were detained because they could not afford bail, not because they were found to be dangerous or a flight risk. For more information about bail reform, read this post.
Idaho
ID S1288 adds to and amends existing law to provide for interstate health insurance sales and to authorize out-of-state insurers to sell health insurance in Idaho under certain conditions. It provides exceptions for the following:
- Investigation, settlement, or litigation of claims under its policies lawfully written in this state, or liquidation of assets and liabilities of the insurer (other than collection of new premiums), all as resulting from its former authorized operations in this state.
- Transactions thereunder subsequent to issuance of a policy covering only subjects of insurance not resident, located or expressly to be performed in this state at time of issuance, and lawfully solicited, written and delivered outside this state.
- Transactions pursuant to surplus lines coverages
- Reinsurance, when transacted by an insurer duly authorized by its state of domicile to transact the kind of insurance involved.
- The continuation and servicing of life insurance or disability insurance policies or annuity contracts remaining in force as to residents of this state if the insurer has withdrawn from the state and is not transacting new insurance therein.
- A foreign insurer licensed and authorized to sell individual or group accident and sickness insurance in another state, and the insurer obtains a certificate of authority pursuant to that section.
Illinois
IL HB4113 never passed but relates to equal parenting time. This bill amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. It deletes language providing that nothing in the Act requires that each parent be allocated decision-making responsibilities and adds recognizing that the involvement of each parent for equal time is presumptively in the children’s best interests. It states that it is presumed that both parents are fit and the court shall not place any restrictions on parenting time unless it finds by clear and convincing evidence (instead of a preponderance of the evidence) that a parent’s exercise of parenting time would seriously endanger the child’s physical, mental, moral or emotional health.
Indiana
IN SB0312 passed and relates to the use of criminal history information in hiring. This bill states that a political subdivision may not prohibit an employer from obtaining or using criminal history information (doing a background check) during the hiring process to the extent allowed by federal or state law, rules or regulations. It also provides that political subdivisions may not prohibit an employer, at the time someone makes an initial application for employment, from making an inquiry regarding the individual’s criminal history or requiring the individual to disclose criminal history information.
The bill then states that criminal history information concerning an employee or former employee may not be introduced against an employer, an employer’s agents or an employer’s employees in a civil action based on the employee’s or the former employee’s conduct if:
- The criminal history information does not bear a direct relationship to the facts underlying the civil action
- The records of the criminal case have been sealed
- The criminal conviction has been reversed, vacated or expunged
- The employee or former employer has received a pardon for the criminal conviction
- The arrest or charge did not result in a criminal conviction.
Iowa
IA SF2372 is bill, which did not pass, related to the regulation of medical cannabidiol. By altering the list of debilitating medical conditions and changing the definition of medical cannabidiol under the Medical Cannabidiol Act, the bill aims to give access to this medicine to patients. It states “If a health care practitioner determines that the patient whom the health care practitioner has examined and treated suffers from a debilitating medical condition that qualifies for the use of medical cannabidiol,” the health care practitioner can write a certification for medical cannabidiol that is “based on reasonable medical evidence, made in good faith and in the best interest of the patient with the same reasonable medical judgment and prudence exercised according to generally accepted medical practice.”
Kansas
KS SB282 a bill passed and updated substances included in schedules I, II and III of the uniform controlled substances act. This bill was wildly contested in the state because an original version of it included kratom as a schedule I controlled substance. Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a plant that grows in Southeast Asia and parts of Africa. Kratom is currently legal in the U.S. and many people begin using the drug to help with withdrawal from certain drugs, like heroin. However, the FDA is not convinced and consistently attempts to alert users about the “deadly risks” associated with consuming the herb.
Kentucky
KY HB11 is an act relating to power of attorney. This passed bill put in place requirements for the execution of a Power of Attorney. It will now require that it be signed in the presence of two (2) disinterested witnesses by the principal or in the principal’s conscious presence. Such signature of the principal should also be acknowledged by a notary public to be presumed genuine.
The Act provides a “new landscape” for Powers of Attorney in Kentucky. It provides for the specific circumstances in which a Power of Attorney would terminate, when: the principal dies; the principal become incapacitated (if not durable); a court appoints a fiduciary charged with the management of the principals property; the power of attorney is revoked; the terms of the power of attorney indicate termination; and when the purpose of the power of attorney is accomplished.
Louisiana
LA HB164, which did no pass, aimed to increase the amount of supplemental pay for eligible law enforcement and fire protection officers by $750 a month to be paid by the state. It did not pass but would have had the state cover the cost to give these first responders a raise.
Maine
ME LD384, which passed but was then vetoed, is a bill to study options for universal health care in Maine that would be compliant with the ACA. The bill, which passed in 2015, called for consultants to develop at least three ACA-compliant universal health care designs and submit them to the legislature by December 2016. It also made available $100,000 in federal grant money for the study, to be dispersed by the end of June 2016. The final proposal was to include at least one of each of the following models:
- A government-funded single payer system that only allows private health insurance to cover supplemental benefits, with no private coverage available for benefits covered by the single-payer system.
- A government administered that incorporates integrated health care delivery and payment.
- A “public health benefit option” run by the state, but with the option for people to select either the public option or private health insurance.
Maryland
MD HB1022, which was given an Unfavorable Report by House Rules and Executive Nominations, addresses what many believe is some of the worst gerrymandering in the country. By simply looking at the map below, you can tell that the lines of the districts are messy and do not appear to follow a discernible rhyme or reason (many think it looks like blood spatter). The Maryland districts are among the least geographically compact in the nation. Non-continuous and non-compact districts are often a telltale sign of gerrymandering. Check out a closer looks on this bill here.
Massachusetts
MA H1455 relates to Parkinson’s disease disability and death in firefighters. This bill aimed to include Parkinson’s Disease to their list of great presumptive laws for firefighters. There has been a lot of data connecting exposure to toxic chemicals and fire fighters developing Parkinson’s. It never made it out of committee.
Michigan
MI HB4691 proposes changes to the Michigan Family Court System that eliminates presumes both parents have the right to joint legal and physical custody but never passed. It states parents will spend approximately the same amount of time with their children and that removal of shared custody will require “clear and convincing evidence” a child would be in danger or experience harm with the other parent. The bill also gives children age 16 and older will have greater say in who they would prefer to spend time with, which seems a little contradictory for the purposes of the bill in my opinion. While it seems that this could be a beneficial step forward, the bill deleted the existing law’s requirement that all decisions be guided by the child’s best interest which has caused concern. Opponents of the bill, which is still in committee, are concerned that if passed, it would “cause a flood of litigation by re-opening old cases and inviting arguments over its vague, contradictory and untested language”.
Minnesota
MN HF3011 this bill did not pass but aimed to prohibit a health plan company or pharmacy benefit manager from requiring or providing financial incentives to an individual to use a retail pharmacy, mail order pharmacy, specialty pharmacy or other entity providing pharmacy services in which a pharmacy benefit manager has an ownership interest or that has an ownership interest in a pharmacy benefit manager. They would have also been prohibited from imposing limits, including quantity limits or refill frequency limits, on a patient’s access to medication that differ based on whether the health plan company or pharmacy benefit manager has an ownership interest in a pharmacy.
Mississippi
MS HB1100 would have required public schools to post the Ten Commandments in every classroom, auditorium and cafeteria, and require teachers to read to the Ten Commandments aloud to their class each morning. In addition, the bill would also require all schools to begin each day with a 60-second moment of reflection. The bill did not pass, but did received a lot of criticism on a national level.
Missouri
MO SB655 passed and increases the minimum age for marriage from 15 to 16 years, modifies the sex offender registry system and eliminates the statute of limitations for sexual offenses committed against minors. When it comes to the sex offender registry, the bill would create a three tier system, similar to the one used at the federal level. Those guilty of the least serious convictions could ask courts to take them off the list after ten years. That option is also available for convicts on the second tier -with more serious charges – after 25 years on the registry. But those with the worst offenses would remain for life.
Montana
MT HB168 passed and gave Montana district courts the power to “expunge” the records of misdemeanor convictions after completion of sentence. This law gives anyone convicted of misdemeanors, no matter how many or how serious, a one-time opportunity to clear their record entirely. The bill provides expungement means “to permanently destroy, delete, or erase a record of an offense from the criminal history record information system maintained by the department of justice in a manner that is appropriate for the record’s physical or electronic form.” There is no exception for law enforcement, much less for licensing or employment, and only a person’s fingerprints remain “for investigative purposes.”
Nebraska
NE LB1032 attempted to adopt the Transitional Health Insurance Program Act which would have allowed Medicaid to expand through a specialized private insurance program instead of through Medicaid. LB 1032 uses the dollars Nebraska would’ve received to expand Medicaid to create T-HIP, a program that covers the same population covered by Medicaid expansion. In T-HIP, participants get coverage in three ways:
- Most participants will be enrolled in a private-market insurance plan through a model called “premium assistance.”
- Other participants will get help buying coverage through their job if their employer offers coverage.
- Other participants, including those with serious or chronic health conditions, will be have traditional Medicaid coverage.
Nevada
NV AB474, passed in 2017, requires providers to report cases or suspected cases of drug overdose. Failure to do so will be considered a misdemeanor. Providers will be required to add additional information to the state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) for those requiring a controlled substance including the patient’s medical diagnoses and the least number of days the medication will be necessary. Prescribers will also have to increase their training to 2 hours to learn about abuse and misuse of controlled substances and prescribing of opioids. This leads to them having to document why the patient is needing the controlled substance and justify the quantity written. A lot of people think this is long over due, but many people also think it may severely limit patient access to controlled substances that they need.
New Hampshire
NH SB193 would have addressed establishing education freedom savings accounts for students. The bill would have created one of the most expansive voucher bills in the country, creating “Educational Freedom Savings Accounts”. Some low- and middle-income families could be eligible for these accounts. Education money that already follows each student could be used to pay for private school tuition, tutoring, online classes, college prep, special-needs therapies and more. Some people argue that public schools will lose money if families choose a different educational option while others say different options will improve the quality of education around the state.
New Jersey
NJ A3818 is a bill which would have clarified statutory exemptions from mandatory immunizations for students. First, it would require parents to submit documentation to the school explaining how the vaccination conflicts with “bona fide religious tenets or practices of the student.” There must also be a signed and notarized letter explaining how the religious convictions conflict with the vaccination. Second, the bill states that objections cannot be based “solely on political, sociological, philosophical or moral views, or concerns about the safety or efficacy of the vaccination.” Parents would also have to submit a signed statement from a doctor confirming the parents were counseled on the risks. For more on this bill, check out its Closer Looks.
New Mexico
NM HB200 would have encouraged urban and rural businesses to create and fill new high-wage jobs in New Mexico, but it did not pass. The high-wage jobs tax credit may be claimed by an eligible employer for each new high-wage job performed (wages up to one hundred fifty thousand dollars) for the year in which the new high-wage job is created and for consecutive qualifying periods.
When talking about the bill, State Representative Candie Sweetser said “Job creation and investments in our communities are needed to promote economic success, but over the past few years our rural communities have struggled. This bill aims to give rural communities the tools to increase economic stability for our families.”
New York
NY A09685 would have convened a taskforce to investigate the legality and impact of a possible state-issued cryptocurrency. This has been presented as a way to “tokenize” what they already do by providing bonds for the public to purchase to help fund infrastructure projects and other items. The only difference between this proposed system the taskforce would study and the one currently in place is that rather than buying these bonds directly, investors would have the option of acquiring a virtual coin “backed by the debt of a bond.” Very interesting for what we have seen over the last year with the boom in popularity of virtual currencies. Check out this piece for a Closer Look at another New York cryptocurrency bill.
North Carolina
NC H284 has been trending all year and relates to a 25-Year LEO Retirement Option. This passed bill will allow law enforcement officers who are members of the teachers’ and state employees’ retirement system or the local government employees’ retirement system to retire after achieving twenty-five years of creditable service. It will also allow for separation buyouts for law enforcement officers and transfers under the special retirement allowance to be paid in whole or in part with employer contributions.
North Dakota
ND 2231, which passed, requires the comprehensive health association of North Dakota notify policy holders on changes in coverage after the state looks at economic factors & different types of coverage provided by the state. This bill outlines what comprehensive benefit plans must have including coverage, deductibles, preferred providers and types of services covered (like oral surgery and organ transplants).
Ohio
OH HB658 relates to refusing child’s gender-based treatment not being basis for custody. This bill, which did not pass, would have would required teachers, counselors and health care professionals to notify parents if their child identifies as transgender or is questioning their gender identity, or “treated in a manner opposite” of their “biological sex”. The bill also would require written authorization from birth parents and all legal guardians before trans-related medical care is issued. The bill goes on to prohibit the state from taking action when parents refuse to provide medically-necessary care.
Oklahoma
OK HB1114 is a bill which passed after a national wave of teacher protests broke out in 2017 and 2018 demanding better pay for teachers. The bill was overwhelmingly passed and calls for a $6,000 raise for public school teachers over three years, although lawmakers have not figured out how to pay for it, about $53 million a year. The bill by Republican Rep. Michael Rogers of Broken Arrow calls for a $1,000 raise next year, $2,000 the following year and $3,000 in the third year. Oklahoma’s average teacher salary of $44,921 is last in a seven-state region that includes Oklahoma and hasn’t been raised since 2008.
Oregon
OR HB2391 establishes a 1.5% tax on the gross amount of premium payments received by the Public Employees’ Benefit Board each quarter. It also requires insurers and managed care agencies to pay a 1.5% assessment on the gross amount of premiums earned from health benefit plans each quarter. The bill establishes a fine of $500 per day for each day an agency is late in paying the 1.5% assessment to the Department of Consumer and Business Services along with establishing the Oregon Reinsurance Program to stabilize insurance rates and premiums for individual health plans.
Pennsylvania
PA HB2060 would require people convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence or subject to final restraining orders must surrender their guns within 24 hours. The court can do so in other cases if it finds it warranted. It also eliminates the ability of that abuser to turn their guns over to family or friends. When talking about the legislation, Rep. Leanne Krueger-Braneky, said “Statistics show that a woman is five times more likely to be shot and killed by a domestic abuser when guns are present, so the stakes are high to get this bill signed into law. The Senate unanimously passed legislation nearly identical to House Bill 2060, so I don’t see any reason this should not be the first bill on the agenda when we return to session later this month.”
Rhode Island
RI B6011 would create a commission to study and provide recommendations for state regulation and licensure of all geoengineering technologies including, but not limited to:
- Solar Radiation Management (SRM)
- Geoengineering ground-based and/or atmosphere-based deployments
- Cloud cover protection and cloud whitening
- Space sunshades, sunshields, solar shields or atmospheric sunscreens, e.g., reflective 10 particulates
- Artificial ionosphere
- Ocean fertilization
- Aircraft geoengineering activities
“Geoengineering” is defined as the intentional manipulation of the environment, involving nuclear, biological, chemical, electromagnetic and/or other physical-agent activities that effect changes to earth’s atmosphere and/or surface. The bill states “The Rhode Island general assembly finds that geoengineering encompasses many technologies and methods involving hazardous activities that can harm human health and safety, the environment, and the economy of the state of Rhode Island. It is therefore the intention of the Rhode Island general assembly to regulate all geoengineering activities.”
South Carolina
SC S0449, or the South Carolina Constitutional Carry Act of 2017 did not pass but aimed to allow people who are legally permitted to own, carry or purchase a firearm to do so without having to obtain a permit. “Open carry,” which allows for a person to carry a firearm exposed on their person, also would be permitted. The proposal also would prohibit drinking or committing a crime while carrying a firearm. And it bars the carrying of firearms into already prohibited locations, such as schools and courthouses.
South Dakota
SD SB160 aimed to prohibit certain gender identity instruction in public schools, but did not pass. What this means is it would have banned teachers from talking about gender identity or gender expression in kindergarten through seventh grade. Opposition to this bill, which ended up being hoghoused (or changed entirely), said that by preventing any mention of trans experience in schools, the bill would prevent teachers and administrators from creating safe and welcoming educational environments for all students. We all have a gender identity.
Tennessee
TN HB2315 would have withheld state funding from local governments who enact “sanctuary policies.” Some of these policies are practices like refusing to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) attempts to verify individuals’ immigration status or to honor requests to jails and prisons to ensure someone remains behind bars until ICE can take them into custody. The bill ended up passing through a very strange journey. Governor Haslam refused to sign HB 2315 but he also refused to veto it, which ultimately allowed it to become a law.
Texas
TX HB290 sought to amend the Texas Labor Code to prohibit sex discrimination in compensation. The proposed bill would have made it illegal for an employer to include a question regarding an applicant’s wage history information on an employment application, inquire into or consider an applicant’s wage history information or obtain an applicant’s wage history information from their previous employer. The bill does, however, allow applicants to authorize a prospective employer to confirm their wage history, but only after the prospective employer has made a written offer of employment to the applicant that includes the applicant’s wage and benefit information for the position. This bill passed out of committee, but never reach a vote by the House.
Utah
UT SB0077 is a 2016 proposal aimed at expanding Medicaid. This bill did not pass but would have required the Utah Department of Health to amend the state’s Medicaid plan to expand Medicaid eligibility to people who qualify under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. ObamaCare). The bill also would repeal a provision requiring the governor to comply with certain requirements before expanding Medicaid. Finally, it included is the provision that Medicaid expansion will be repealed if federal funding decreases from the Affordable Care Act’s funding rates.
Vermont
This signed legislation (VT H0696) establishes an individual mandate for Vermont residents to maintain minimum health insurance coverage, they are the third state in the country to do so. The details on how this will take form in the state have not yet been determined, the legislator is planning on addressing that during the 2019 legislative session. The mandate would go into effect in January 2020.
New Jersey also signed NJ A3380 this year which requires all residents to have health insurance coverage or pay a penalty and Massachusetts implemented something similar back in 2006.
Virginia
VA HB1 was signed this year and addresses scholastic records and prohibited access to directory information helping protect student’s privacy. The bill prohibits the release of personal student contact information to outside groups without written permission of students or parents.
When speaking about the bill, Delegate Tony Wilt said, “I want to thank Governor Northam for signing this bipartisan legislation. This safeguard will prevent an individual or organization from taking advantage of student contact information for personal or political gain. In certain instances, it will also serve as a useful tool to protect would-be victims from identity theft or even more heinous criminal acts.”
Washington
WA SB6253 failed, but it would have required all new resources acquired by a utility, including power purchase agreements, to be clean, setting Washington on a path to zero-carbon electricity over the course of the next generation. The purpose of this bill is to “establish a clean, efficient and renewable energy standard”.
West Virginia
WV HB4145 was a bill passed this year that increased the annual salaries of members of the West Virginia State Police, public school teachers and school service personnel – addressing the West Virginia Teachers Strike of 2018. This strike started in February 2018 and was a call from the West Virginia branch of the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association. The reason for this strike was anger over low pay and high health care costs for teachers and school personnel in the state. The strike lasted just under three weeks, involving roughly 20,000 teachers and shutting down schools in all 55 West Virginia counties, affecting around 250,000 students. The strike inspired teachers in other states, including Oklahoma (see the Oklahoma section of this blog for their bill), Colorado, and Arizona, to take similar action.
Wisconsin
WI SB69 is a passed bill relating to operating a motorboat towing a person on water skis. This bill essentially allows a pilot to operate a boat pulling someone on water skis without a spotter on board as long as the boat has a wide-angle rearview mirror.
Wyoming
WY HB0075 is a passed bill that allows for the automatic restoration of the right to vote for certain people. If an individual is convicted and a first time, nonviolent felon, they will automatically have their right to vote restored if they completed their supervision or were discharged from an institution.
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