OKLAHOMA CITY – With about a month to go until the close of Oklahoma’s Second Regular Session of the 60th Legislature, here’s what other legislators in other states are considering.
Before exploring other states, however, it is interesting to note that in a United States National Trending Legislation report posted at legiscan.com/ trends, Oklahoma does have five bills on the Top 50 list.
Selections were made based on public interest and bill activity last week. They aren’t necessarily bills still in progress - just topics that are interesting to internet users.
Popular Oklahoma legislative topics searched last week include digital asset kiosks (did not advance); an Oklahoma Open Records Act bill pertaining to law enforcement (House Bill 4144), which was put on General Order last week; and a bill to modify various provisions related to physicians and allied health professionals (Senate Bill 1651), which recently passed the House Health and Human Services Oversight Committee.
The other two state bills on the national trending Top 50 list are SB 1130, which pertains to making an appropriation to the University Hospitals Authority and was directed to the Joint Calendar last week; and SB 864, pertaining to the Sex Offenders Registration Act and proposes to modify provisions related to sex offenders. The bill did not advance.
Florida – AI Companion Chatbots
Here’s an interesting bill on the Top 50 trending list that was considered in the Florida Legislature, but did not advance. Senate Bill 1344 aimed at regulating Artificial Intelligence companion chatbots. The gist of the proposal was aimed at an age verification process to determine if minors were engaging with the companion chatbots.
Individuals seeking access to the sites would have been required to create a user account, but the plug was pulled on the proposal and it died in committee.
South Carolina – Data Centers
Data Center legislation is on the mind of South Carolina legislators, as it is in other states including Oklahoma. The data center industry is a hot trending national topic, due to challenges presented by rapid expansion. According to thehill.com, a U.S. political newsletter, data centers are a growing wedge issue in the mid-term races.
Candidates must weigh economic opportunity against the impact of voters’ utility bills and other issues. South Carolina legislators are considering a Data Center Responsibility Act.
The goal is to ensure that data centers operating in the state “do so responsibly, sustainably and without burdening the taxpayers.”
The measure is currently pending in committee.
New York – Aerial Photos of Property
A New York bill still seeks to impose certain requirements for the use of aerial images of an insured property for the purposes of homeowners’ insurance and would require certain notices and an appeals process.
If passed, the measure will amend the state insurance law. Key points of the bill include the provision that an insurer must notify an insured individual if any aerial images might be taken or have already been obtained of the insured property during the policy period.
Notice must be provided at least annually.
If an insurer bases an adverse decision in whole or in part on an aerial image, a process outlines how to notify the property owner and provide an opportunity to appeal the insurer’s decision.
Arizona – Congressional Term Limits Arizona legislators recently passed a bipartisan resolution expressing a desire to restore rotation in office for members serving in Congress of the United States. The resolution states that Arizona and 22 other states have passed statutes or state constitutional amendments placing term limits on members of Congress. Those statutes and/or state constitutional amendments were overruled by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Regardless, the resolution transmitted to the Secretary of State last week calls for a convention of the states to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to limit on the number of terms that a person may be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.
“This application constitutes a continuing application in accordance with Article V of the Constitution of the United States until at least two-thirds of the legislatures of the several states have made application on the same subjects,” the resolution reads.
The Arizona Secretary of State will transmit a copy of the resolution to the President and Secretary of the U.S.
Senate, the Speaker, Clerk and Judiciary Committee Chairman of the U.S.
House of Representatives, each member of Congress from Arizona and the presiding officers of each house of the several state legislatures, requesting their cooperation.
Tennessee – Gubernatorial Appointments to State University Boards Tennessee has sent a bill to the governor’s desk to require all gubernatorial appointments to a state university board to be confirmed by joint resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives prior to an individual commencing a term of office.
New Hampshire – Kratom Products A bill is making its way through the New Hampshire legislative process that seeks to make it illegal for liquor commission licensees to sell, distribute, furnish, offer for sale, advertise, manufacture, possess, or allow the ingestion, inhalation, smoking or vaping of certain kratom products.
Hawaii – Conservationrelated Initiatives The Hawaii Legislature recently passed a concurrent resolution to convene a working group to establish a nonprofit organization recognized by the state to support sanctuaries and other conservation-related initiatives for endangered and other species.
In part, the resolution states a concern that numerous species in the state are on the brink of extinction, particularly many indigenous birds found nowhere else in the world. It also notes that numerous successful sanctuary models around the world rely on flexible quasigovernment partnerships that generate substantial revenue for conservation efforts, provide critical habitat for endangered and other species; and serve as educational centers for local communities, schools and visitors.
The document also states that Hawaii has a significantly greater number of endangered species compared to most other states and is uniquely positioned to become a national center for endangered species research, education and protection.
More of the Top 50 national legislative trending list is available at legiscan.com/ trends.
Debi DeSilver is an awardwinning, third-generation Oklahoma journalist whose writing career now spans 50 years. She can be reached at silvercitypublishing@gmail.com.