Amendment

🧵 On Sept. 30, the Pennsylvania House passed a bill regulating how AI gets used in health care, 144-59. It covers health care facilities, insurers, and Medicaid and CHIP managed care plans.

The bill requires disclosure when AI is used in utilization reviews. Plans also have to file compliance statements and meet responsible-use criteria. Break the rules and the penalties include civil penalties, injunctions, and temporary enrollment bans.

North Carolina’s House (111-1) and Senate (41-0) passed H3 on Oct. 7, suspending the motor fuel tax through Nov. 30 and exempting dyed diesel used for farming in highway vehicles through Dec. 31.

California Gov. Newsom signed AB 1457, requiring cities and counties with disadvantaged communities to adopt environmental justice policies in their general plans by June 30, 2031.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed SB381, the “Beagle Bill,” on Oct. 22, limiting state funding for research involving dogs or cats to projects that meet set conditions and requiring labs to offer animals a vet clears for adoption when studies end.

A New Jersey Assembly committee voted 4-2 to advance a bill that would bar law enforcement officers and active duty military from standing or remaining within 100 feet of a polling place or ballot drop box during an election. It hasn’t passed the full Assembly or the Senate.

New Jersey’s S636 would exempt the installation or alteration of certain solar energy systems from building fees, reactivating a 1985 law by updating its outdated property tax references. The goal is to make solar more affordable by cutting those costs.

The Massachusetts House passed an FY2026 supplemental spending bill 152-0, funding State Police, Fire Services, school construction and homelessness programs.

Sen. Jeff Merkley introduced the Hong Konger Promise of Refuge Act (S5606), which would authorize lawful permanent resident status for certain Hong Kong residents granted Deferred Enforced Departure.

🧵 The DC Council has a bill to create a Green Workforce Pilot Program for people who don’t meet SNAP or Medicaid work requirements. The Green Workforce Pilot Amendment Act (B26-0808) would have the Department of Human Services run it.

Participants would get jobs in environmental conservation and infrastructure improvement. The bill calls for wages at or above the District minimum wage, job coaching, and placement with public and private employers.

🧵 Ohio’s “Take the Dough, We Gotta Know Act” would make private schools that enroll EdChoice or Cleveland Pilot Project students report every year how they spend scholarship money. Schools where those students are at least 10% of enrollment would also get an annual audit from the state auditor.

Under HB1029, every school district and chartered nonpublic school must keep a disciplinary record for each disciplined student. If the student’s new school asks for it, they must send it within five school days.

Pennsylvania’s House voted 190-13 to regulate automated license plate readers. The bill requires training for personnel, sets rules for storing and destroying the data, and penalizes unauthorized use.

🧵 A new House bill would force federal agencies to explain in writing every time they deny an employee’s request to work remotely. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam’s Federal Telework Protection Act sets a process that weighs medical conditions, caregiving, disability, and commuting time.

Employees who are denied can appeal to an agency telework office, which has 90 days to respond. If it issues no decision in that time, the request is treated as approved until the office rules.

New Jersey’s Assembly Appropriations Committee takes up A434 Thursday, which would bar state health plans and Medicaid from denying a maintenance drug solely because a patient switched plans, after two committees advanced it without a no vote.

🧵 New Jersey’s Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee takes up A3058 on Monday. The bill would create a Deepfake Technology Unit in the state’s Division of Criminal Justice and appropriate $2 million for it.

The unit would provide technical assistance, expertise, education and training to state and local law enforcement, prosecutors and state courts on investigating and analyzing potentially deceptive audio and visual media.

A New Jersey Assembly committee is scheduled to hear the AI Image Disclosure Act (A5089) on Monday, Oct. 19, which would require AI companies to put a clear label and hidden provider, system and date data in AI-made images, video and audio.