As state legislatures wrap up their sessions and shift into interim work, lawmakers across the country continue to push forward a wide array of policies. From new regulations on vaping products in Alabama to bold solar goals in Hawaii, tax increases in Washington, and new proposals for Special Sessions, state legislatures are certainly staying busy. Here’s a look at the latest state action across the country.
Alabama
House Bill 8, which went into effect this month, would have restricted the variety of vapes available in Alabama convenience stores, allowing only the 34 products that have received full FDA approval to be sold. However, after the Petroleum and Convenience Marketers of Alabama filed a federal suit against the new law, a new agreement has been reached to allow the state to sell all products on the FDA’s “pending” list, also called the “Electronic Nicotine Delivery System ENDS Directory.”
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Alaska
The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development published emergency regulations on Monday, containing new rules that may reduce the amount of money that local governments can contribute to their neighborhood school districts.
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California
On Tuesday, the California Legislature passed SB 630 and AB 1138 to expand and remodel the state’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program. The bills will provide additional finance incentives to studios that bring physical production back to California.
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Colorado
Governor Jared Polis (D) signed Senate Bill 25-304, which establishes the Colorado Sexual Assault Forensic Medical Evidence Review Board. The board will be responsible for reviewing the effectiveness of the state’s medical, legal, and criminal response to sexual assault and making victim-centered recommendations to the Colorado Legislature.
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Connecticut
Amidst the frenzy of the legislature’s final week in session, Connecticut lawmakers have created a final draft of Senate Bill 4, which is expected to save utility customers between $250 million and $325 million annually over the next two years, amounting to $100 or more a year for individual customers. The bill not only provides direct relief, but also promotes grid-enhancing technologies, lowers subsidies for solar and other renewable energy sources, and offers utilities more flexibility in how they purchase power for their customers.
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Delaware
Delaware lawmakers are trying to pass a bill that skirts a local permitting decision to block the construction of a new offshore wind farm. The bill marks an effort by the lawmakers to reduce power bills in the state for the long term, and address a lack of energy production in Delaware.
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Florida
On Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed two bills that allow hotels and business property owners to have police remove squatters. Senate Bill 606 allows police to remove a person from a hotel and arrest them after receiving a written notice that they need to leave. Another bill, SB 322, allows a business property owner to submit a form to the local sheriff to remove someone unlawfully occupying the property without a lease.
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Georgia
Six Georgia state lawmakers have signed a letter urging Congress to reject a provision in President Trump’s budget proposal that would block state and local governments from regulating artificial intelligence for the next decade.
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Hawaii
Hawaii lawmakers unanimously passed Senate Bill 589 to advance the state’s rooftop solar and storage systems. Under the new law, the Public Utilities Commission will be required to establish a goal of installing 50,000 new customer-sited energy resources, such as rooftop solar and battery storage, in Hawaii before 2031.
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Idaho
The Idaho Legislature instructed the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to change a range of Medicaid policies, including switching Medicaid benefits to being run by private companies, a model called managed care, which is used widely across the country. Idaho’s Medicaid managed care contract will start in 2029, after the state has time to prepare for its implementation.
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Illinois
Lawmakers spent months drafting legislation to spur the development of new wind and solar power, as well as large batteries to store the energy. The legislation was intended to ensure energy security in the future as big data centers continue to be built in Illinois, which are expected to consume enormous amounts of electricity. However, the bill did not move forward in the state legislature’s session after business groups reacted, citing concerns over the high costs associated with the bill’s plans.
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Indiana
Governor Mike Braun (R) signed Senate Enrolled Act 143 into law, safeguarding parental rights in their child’s upbringing, religious instruction, education, and healthcare. Under the new law, government entities, including school districts, are prohibited from advising, coercing, or directing children to withhold information from their parents unless restricted by law or court order.
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Iowa
Governor Kim Reynolds (R) signed two bills into law aimed at enhancing the integrity of state elections. House File 954 allows the state to verify voter citizenship status and mark registrations as unconfirmed if eligibility is in doubt. The other measure, House File 928, updates recount procedures by setting new vote margin thresholds for requesting a recount and changing how recount boards are structured.
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Kansas
Kansas lawmakers failed to reinstate the senior lifetime hunting and fishing license after tying it to a controversial provision on nonresident waterfowl hunting. The bundled bill was vetoed by the governor, and lawmakers couldn’t override it.
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Kentucky
As state lawmakers begin the interim session, committees and task forces will continue to meet through the end of the year to discuss future bills and the implementation of new laws. Notably, the Transportation Cabinet has laid out a response to last month’s deadly tornadoes, as well as plans for the deployment of automated speed enforcement cameras to go into use next Spring.
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Louisiana
Lawmakers approved Senate Bill 134 on Tuesday, limiting the amount of money nursing home residents and their families receive from lawsuits over injuries, neglect, and wrongful deaths.
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Maine
The Maine Legislature has once again passed a bill to extend the state minimum wage to farmworkers, narrowly enacting LD 589 and sending it to Governor Janet Mills (D). While Mills has vetoed similar bills before, officials suggest she may support this amended version.
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Maryland
Legislation proposed in Maryland seeks to revamp the state’s casino industry by legalizing online casinos. The bill would create a safe environment for online gambling for Maryland residents while also generating significant tax revenue for the state.
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Massachusetts
The Massachusetts five-member Cannabis Control Commission is working on regulations to bring social consumption of marijuana to the state, though staffing shortages are making it difficult for the Commission to make progress.
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Michigan
State lawmakers introduced the Michigan Antisemitism Protection Act, which amends the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act by adding the official definition of antisemitism used by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. T
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Minnesota
The 2025 Minnesota Legislative Session ended on May 19th, despite lawmakers’ inability to complete the state’s budget. Before the session adjourned, the House, Senate, and Governor signed an agreement that called for all outstanding conference committees to continue to negotiate bills as informal “working groups. Once the agreement is complete, Governor Tim Walz (D) will call a Special Session to pass the agreed upon legislation.
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Missouri
Governor Mike Kehoe (R) called a legislative special session on Monday to consider a package of tax incentives to persuade the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals to stay in Missouri. Kehoe is also pushing lawmakers to pass a $235 million spending bill with $25 million for disaster relief, in addition to a special tax deduction for the cost of meeting insurance deductibles after a disaster.
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Montana
Governor Greg Gianforte (R) vetoed House Bill 762 (the “river census” bill), which would have required Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to produce a report of all water crafts – from rafts to inflatable flamingos – along 966 miles of 16 rivers in the state. Gianforte pointed to the high costs of the river census as the reason for his veto, noting that the $2.6 million it would cost would come from the state parks’ account and could otherwise be used for important infrastructure projects.
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Nebraska
Lawmakers adjourned the legislature “sine die” on Monday, day 89 of the 90-day session. Governor Jim Pillen (R) commended lawmakers for passing a $11 billion two-year budget, and praised the passage of a series of bills aimed at restricting social media for youth.
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Nevada
The 2025 Nevada legislative session concluded on Monday night without advancing four of Governor Joe Lombardo (R)’s five priority bills. Among the bills that came close but did not advance are Lombardo’s health care and crime bills, and a bill to significantly expand Nevada’s film tax credit program.
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New Hampshire
Facing declining business tax revenues, Republican lawmakers in New Hampshire are reconsidering their long-standing pledge of “no new taxes and fees.” The House-passed budget includes increases to various state fees, drawing both pragmatic support and criticism from Democrats who argue the hikes are unnecessary.
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New Jersey
Governor Phil Murphy (D) conditionally vetoed a bill that would allow authorities to charge individuals who provoke or attempt to provoke four or more other individuals into disorderly conduct with inciting a public brawl, or who conceal their identities to instill fear, or who hinder authorities’ attempts to apprehend or prosecute them. The new law is a response to pop-up parties and other large gatherings of young people that have spurred violence in some New Jersey communities recently.
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New York
Two bills introduced in the New York State Assembly could launch a pilot program to test a four-day work week across both public and private sectors without reducing employees’ pay or benefits. The proposals are currently under consideration in committee.
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North Carolina
North Carolina lawmakers gave final approval to House Bill 506, which would create a five-person board to oversee the state’s $127 billion pension fund.
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North Dakota
State lawmakers are preparing for a special legislative session, which would focus on state employee compensation, combating homelessness, and construction approvals.
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Ohio
After hearing a presentation from a leading cybersecurity firm, Ohio lawmakers have introduced House Bill 283 which would require municipalities to develop their own cybersecurity policies. Specifically, they must review their systems, identity risks and detection strategies, and develop training programs and plans for repair and response in the event of a cyberattack.
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Oklahoma
Governor Kevin Stitt (R) vetoed House Bill 1389, which would have required two additional mammogram tests to be covered by health insurance in Oklahoma. Nonetheless, the Legislature overwhelmingly decided to override Stitt’s veto, with an 83-3 vote in the House and a 42-2 vote in the Senate. The measure will go into effect on November 1, 2025.
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Oregon
Lawmakers are considering several bills that would modernize and streamline how state officials allocate Oregon’s dwindling supply of ground and surface waters. The bills are intended to get water agencies to collaborate on permitting reform and date collection. Lawmakers hope these measures will preserve Oregon’s overdrawn basins.
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Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania House passed legislation this week aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in cyber charter schools. The legislation sets a statewide tuition rate, caps fund balances, and imposes stricter reporting requirements to align cyber charters with traditional public school standards.
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Rhode Island
Legislation banning the sale and manufacture of assault weapons in Rhode Island is headed to the House floor for the first time in the state’s legislative history. House Bill 5436 would prohibit the sale and manufacture of assault-style shotguns, handguns, and rifles beginning July 1, 2026. Violators would face up to ten years in prison, a fine up to $10,000, and would have to forfeit their assault-style weapons.
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South Carolina
State lawmakers passed the Hands-Free Driving Act to prohibit drivers from holding and using a handheld wireless device while their vehicle is moving. Only hands-free functions such as Bluetooth or mounted devices will be legal under this new law. Violators could face punishments of up to $200 in fines and up to two points against their driver’s license.
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Tennessee
A Tennessee appeals court has upheld a 2023 law that reduces Nashville’s city-county council from 40 to 20 members. Though written to apply statewide, the law effectively targets Nashville, the only city it currently impacts, following its rejection of the 2024 Republican National Convention.
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Texas
Senate Bill 37, designed to reshape higher education curricula, was sent to Governor Greg Abbott (R)’s desk on Monday. If signed into law, SB 37 requires the governing boards at higher education institutions to review, and potentially overturn, general education curriculum requirements to ensure courses are absolutely necessary to prepare students for civic and professional life, equip them for the workforce, and are worth the cost to students.
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Vermont
House lawmakers rejected a plan developed in the Senate that would have allowed small cannabis growers to sell directly to consumers at settings such as a farmer’s market. The plan was intended to help small growers who struggle to get their products to consumers due to limited shelf space at retail stores, but House members feared it would put the state in the business of promoting cannabis use.
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Virginia
Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) signed bipartisan legislation codifying the Bell-to-Bell Cell Phone-Free education policy established by his Executive Order 33. HB 1961 and SB 738 require school divisions to adopt a full Bell-to-Bell Cell Phone-Free policy to rid Virginia classrooms of distractions and to foster an environment that is more conducive to learning.
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Washington
Washington concluded its legislative session with the largest set of tax increases in the state’s history. There have been increases to Washington’s capital gains tax, changes to the estate tax, and there were proposals for a new wealth tax that would target stocks and bonds.
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West Virginia
Governor Patrick Morrisey (R) celebrated the passage of several bills aimed at protecting newborn children and increasing penalties for child abuse. Notably, SB 537 establishes the West Virginia Mothers and Babies Pregnancy Support Program; HB 2123 modifies criminal penalties imposed on a parent or guardian for child abuse; and HB 2871 relates to the crime of negligent homicide.
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Wisconsin
More than a dozen bills focused on expanding mental health access are pending in the Wisconsin legislature. The Assembly Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention held public hearings on five mental health care bills last week, centering on youth mental health.
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Wyoming
The Wyoming Freedom Caucus is taking inspiration from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as it sets priorities for the interim between legislative sessions. The Freedom Caucus plans to use DOGE as a model when preparing the state’s budget, identifying “unconstitutional and wasteful spending” to make the budget as lean as possible.
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