Latest news with #SenateBill69
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vermont signs Kids Code into law, faces legal challenges
MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – One of the ten bills Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed Thursday has the goal of making Vermont children safer online. The bill faces challenges in court, but its supporters say it is necessary in a rapidly changing world. Senate Bill 69, known as the Vermont Kids Code, aims to protect kids from 'abusive' practices of social media companies. Governor Phil Scott, in his statement on signing the bill, said, 'As we see more and more kids using technology, I believe most would agree we need to take steps to protect them in a reasonable and responsible way when they're online.' ACLU Vermont releases statement following Scott's hotel-motel transition bill veto Among other provisions, the bill prohibits companies from selling children's data, keeps parents and other adults from secretly using apps to track kids, and making it so adults cannot message children without their explicit and unambiguous assent. It also says that social media companies must have push notifications disabled by default on children's accounts. Read the full text of the bill hereDownload Other states have recently passed similar laws, such as Maryland's Kids Code and California's Age-Appropriate Design Code. They have faced lawsuits on free speech grounds, with judges blocking enforcement of the laws until litigation is resolved. NetChoice, the advocacy group behind those lawsuits, says the goal to protect children is just an excuse to police speech online. Bus 'totaled' after catching fire in Mount Holly 'An unconstitutional law will not keep anyone safe,' said NetChoice vice president Carl Szabo about the Maryland law. Scott referenced the current legal struggles in his statement, saying, 'With ongoing lawsuits in other states, I recognize this new law will likely face a legal challenge. But I'm hopeful with the enactment of this law delayed until January 1, 2027, it will allow enough time to provide clarity and change the law if necessary.' Kaitlynn Cherry, a youth advocate from Sunderland, said Vermont needs to be proactive. 'Our future selves will thank us when we have safety, privacy, and autonomy in our digital experiences.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vermont passes bill for towns to fund new construction, enacts other reforms
MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – A long-awaited compromise on housing that gives towns more options to fund building projects, a bill addressing the impact of social media on children that will likely face challenges in court, and a reform that will seal many criminal history records were among ten bills Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed into law Thursday. Senate Bill 127, on housing, was perhaps the bill that took the most work by both chambers of the state assembly. The bill establishes the Community Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP), which lets cities and towns fund housing projects by taking out loans to be repaid later, with the increased tax revenue gained from the projects. It was passed by the Vermont Senate this past March, and went through a long process of amendment before final passage May 30. VT Governor calls for action on housing legislation This bill on housing also includes a provision to award up to $20,000 to people helping to build houses in empty lots, and establishes a state program to offer low-interest loans to cities and towns aiming to improve their infrastructure. Scott made a special statement on Senate Bill 69, the Vermont Kids Code, which you can read more about in its own article below. Vermont signs Kids Code into law, faces legal challenges Senate Bill 12 changes the procedures for sealing someone's criminal history after they have completed serving a sentence. Under previous Vermont law, when asking for a crime to be sealed the burden of proof is on the petitioner to show that sealing 'serves the interests of justice', while S. 12 moves this burden over to the state. The governor also signed S. 45, which protects farmers from nuisance lawsuits for activities that comply with generally accepted farming practice, S. 122, which funds several groups that aid small businesses in the state and explores the development of a convention center, and S. 126, which aims to lower health care costs by allowing 'reference-based pricing,' along with four other bills. VT House passes healthcare 'redesign', now goes to Senate The Vermont state legislature is currently scheduled to adjourn for the summer on June 17, The adjournment has already been postponed at least once as the legislature said it needed more time to work out important reforms. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Illinois bill requires insurance coverage for therapeutic horseback riding
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — A bill that would require insurance plans to cover therapeutic horseback riding in Illinois is headed to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk. Advocates for hippotherapy say riding a horse for an hour is the equivalent of power walking, and can be beneficial for those who struggle to move. Specialists in the field also report that horses have a calming effect on patients with anxiety. In the past, insurance companies have fought against covering the services. Senate Bill 69 passed out of the Senate unanimously in April and passed the House just before the end of the legislative session. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This new law bans Red No. 40 from sale, distribution in Delaware schools. What to know
Delaware is the latest state to ban Red No. 40 in schools. Here's how the new law came about. Senate Bill 69 was introduced on March 11 by Sen. Eric Buckson, R-South Dover, and aims to protect students in the First State from the potential health risks associated with Food, Drug and Cosmetic Red No. 40, a synthetic food dye made from petroleum. It contains benzene, a cancer-causing substance. SB 69 prohibits the sale or distribution of foods and beverages containing Red No. 40 during the school day in Delaware school districts and charter schools. This includes items sold in vending machines on campus or served a la carte. Recent concerns over the impact of synthetic food dyes on children's health, including potential links to behavioral issues and hyperactivity, were cited as reasons for the proposed ban. SB 69 was signed into law by Gov. Matt Meyer on May 22, with the restrictions on Red No. 40 to take effect by July 1, 2026, allowing schools and education officials time to prepare for the transition. This makes Delaware only the second state, behind California, to ban Red No. 40 in schools. At least six other states have introduced similar legislation. Senate Bill 41 is a similar bill in Delaware that aims to ban Red No. 3 statewide, another synthetic food dye. This bill has yet to be decided on. More on proposed Red No. 3 ban: Along with the FDA ban, Delaware legislators seek to ban use of Red No. 3 in the state Red No. 40 is widely used and found in a variety of foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, according to Healthline, including: Flavored milk Yogurt Pudding Ice cream Popsicles Cakes and other pastries Candy Gum Breakfast cereals and bars Fruit snacks Gelatin Chips Powdered drink mixes, including some protein powders Soda Sports drinks Energy drinks More legislation news: Medical aid in dying becomes law, Inspector General bill passes Senate: The Press Room If Red No. 40 is in a product, it will be listed on the label as: Red 40 Red 40 Lake FD&C Red No. 40 FD&C Red No. 40 Aluminum Lake Allura Red AC CI Food Red 17 INS No. 129 E129 Sidewalk parking violations: Wilmington officials address complaints about vehicles parked on sidewalk Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys'tal Griffin atkgriffin@ This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Red No. 40 banned in Delaware schools, second US state to do so
Forbes
28-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Kemp Signs Tort Reform In Georgia, As Similar Proposal Passes In Texas
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp shakes hands with Texas Governor Greg Abbott prior to the college ... More football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas Longhorns on October 19, 2024, at Darrell K Royal- Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, TX. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) has spent the first weeks of spring taking multiple victory laps following a legislative session that concluded with the enactment of top policy priorities. On April 21, for example, one week after approving legislation to accelerate state income tax cuts, Kemp signed into law Senate Bill 68 and Senate Bill 69, legislation that the Georgia Chamber of Commerce touts as 'a meaningful, comprehensive tort reform package.' 'Today is a victory for the people of our state who for too long were suffering the impacts of an out-of-balance legal environment,' Governor Brian Kemp said in his signing statement. 'As a result of this collective effort and outpouring of support from Georgians of all backgrounds, Georgia continues to move in the right direction as we work to stabilize costs and compete for economic opportunities that will create good paying jobs for hardworking Georgians across our state.' The signing statement from Governor Kemp's office goes on to note that approval of SB 68 and SB 69 'levels the playing field in our courtrooms, bans hostile foreign powers from taking advantage of consumers and legal proceedings, aims to stabilize insurance costs for businesses and consumers, increases transparency and fairness, and ensures Georgia continues to be the best place to live, work, and raise a family.' While Governor Kemp and state legislators have taken numerous steps in recent years to improve Georgia's tax and regulatory climate, tort reform aims to improve the judicial climate, making individuals and employers less vulnerable to costly and frivolous lawsuits. The tort reform package signed into law by Kemp last week does so by targeting 'phantom' damage awards and 'jury anchoring.' ''Phantom' damages are awards based on inflated medical bill amounts that were never actually paid — Georgia courts often base awards on these billed amounts rather than real payments,' the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) explains. 'Jury anchoring is a practice in which lawyers suggest an unreasonably large award before a jury with that number becoming an 'anchor' point in jurors' minds.' The tort reform package enacted by Kemp, ATRA adds, 'will address the expansion of premises liability in Georgia that has left businesses responsible for criminal acts committed by third parties on or near their property – even if they had no way to predict or prevent such acts.' Such practices, ATRA notes, 'lead to higher litigation costs across the board. 'Securing tort reform has been the Georgia Chamber's top legislative priority for 20 years,' said Chris Clark, president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber. 'Getting both SB 68 and SB 69 signed into law fulfills the Georgia business community's promise to do right by Georgians by restoring balance to the civil justice system so our courts can focus on justice—not jackpots.' If one considers imitation to be a form of flattery, then Governor Kemp and Georgia lawmakers are now receiving high praise from the Lone Star State. While the debate over school choice has drawn the lion's share of media attention, Governor Greg Abbott (R), Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (R), and Texas legislators are working to enact a number of other conservative priorities this year, among them a tort reform package similar to the one recently enacted in Georgia. 'Georgia's meaningful reforms will ensure that truly injured victims can recover fair compensation while preventing frivolous lawsuits from driving up costs for businesses and families,' Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR) noted in a recent post. 'TLR—alongside the Lone Star Economic Alliance (LSEA), a business coalition comprised of 1,150 Texas job creators, individuals and associations from every corner of the state—is urging Texas legislators to pass similar reforms through SB 30.' SB 30, legislation introduced by Lt. Governor Patrick that passed out of the Texas Senate two weeks ago, 'seeks to prevent abusive lawsuit practices by many plaintiff lawyers that wrongfully inflate medical damages in personal injury lawsuits,' TLR explains. By approving SB 30, TLR adds, legislators 'will bring uniformity to Texas courtrooms by defining the noneconomic damages of pain and suffering and mental anguish, assuring that harmed persons are fully compensated on a fair and reasonable basis.' 'Critically, SB 30 would limit the evidence of medical damages that plaintiffs may submit at trial to 300% of the 2025 Medicare reimbursement rate with an adjustment for inflation,' adds TLR. 'The provision is meant to prevent lawyers from 'colluding with providers who over-diagnose, overbill and overtreat' victims to come up with inflated medical charges. Additionally, SB 30 makes clear that noneconomic awards cannot be used to punish defendants, make an example to others or serve a social good.' Nearly a week after the Texas Senate passed and sent SB 30 to the House, it approved SB 39, the other piece of Lt. Governor Patrick's tort reform package. SB 39, legislation filed by Senator Brian Birdwell (R), aims to crack down on frivolous lawsuits against trucking companies by clarifying the commercial vehicle litigation process. 'The explosion of lawsuits (many of them frivolous) against trucking companies in Texas has caused insurance rates to skyrocket, hurting Texans and our businesses,' Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a statement released following Senate passage of SB 39 on April 24. 'By passing SB 39, the Texas Senate has taken a major step toward providing judges a clear approach to collision cases. These changes will speed up collision trials involving commercial motor vehicles so victims get justice quicker while decreasing legal costs for Texas businesses. I thank Sen. Birdwell for his work on this critical issue.' After years of trying and coming up short, Governor Abbott, Lt. Governor Patrick, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R), and their colleagues are understandably celebrating the recent enactment of an education savings account program. With just over one month left before the biennial regular legislative session is scheduled to adjourn in Austin, however, lawmakers still have a lot of unfinished business left to tend to and many priority bills still awaiting consideration in one legislative chamber. There is reason to believe that passage of many outstanding priorities, tort reform in particular, is likely to prove politically popular. A survey was released on April 11 by Protecting American Consumers Together (PACT), a pro-tort reform group, gauging likely Texas voters' views about lawsuit abuse and the way in which it drives up the cost of living. That survey found: According to PACT, the results of their survey demonstrate that 'a vast majority of Texans believe lawsuit abuse is a key factor driving up the price of goods and services and want their legislators to take action to fix the system.' Texas lawmakers are working hard to reach a deal on property tax relief and reforms intended to reduce regulatory burdens. Yet the advancement of tort reform in Texas and other states underscores how, beyond tax and regulatory reform, there are other ways in which state lawmakers are aiming to reduce costs for households and businesses.
