Today marks the 31st day of the 105-day session, and WR’s policy and government affairs team are continuing to review bills closely. As of today, legislators have filed 1,941 bills, an increase of 88 over the previous week.
HB 1155 aims to safeguard the privacy of health data with regard to its collection, sharing, and sale. WR has major reservations about the bill in its current form due to its overly broad scope. The bill could hinder access to low-cost healthcare, which has been a key objective in recent years. The excessive and overly broad restrictions and requirements, such as those related to geofencing, consent, and deletion obligations, would create an unequal playing field. The substitute bill was passed in the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary and is awaiting action by the full House.
HB 1363/SB 5352 Would allow Law Enforcement to safely pursue suspected criminals. WR supports these two bills. The bills are awaiting committee votes.
SB 5056 Increases penalties for habitual and repeat offenders, requiring a person found beyond a reasonable doubt to be a habitual property offender to be sentenced to an additional 24 months. WR gives its full support to this bill. This bill is scheduled for a possible vote in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 8:00 AM today, February 9.
HB 1131 and SB 5154 would enact the Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility—also known as the WRAP Act—and create a beverage container reimbursement (BCR) program. WR is working with stakeholders on the definition of “producer” and sharing comments on improving the BCR program. WR supports the voluntary nature of the takeback sites. These bills have been referred to the House appropriations and Senate Ways and Means for review.
HB 1137/SB 5368, which WR drafted and strongly supports, would allow injured workers to return to light-duty work thru approved non-profit organizations if there is no light-duty work available with their employer. If passed, the bill will create equitable access to return to work, which would be especially beneficial to frontline workers and small businesses. HB 1137 is scheduled for a possible vote in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards tomorrow, February 10. SB 5368 passed out of committee and is awaiting action by the full Senate.
