Latest news with #HouseCommerceCommittee
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Scanlan opposes risk pool bill rewrite
Secretary of State David Scanlan has come out against legislation that would permit the state's four risk management pools, which provide health, property or casualty insurance for governmental units, to choose their regulator. Scanlan opposes latest rewrite of risk pool bill Secretary of State David Scanlan said he opposed a rewrite of legislation he had sought to give his office more sweeping powers over regulating risk pools that provide insurance coverages for governmental units. The House Commerce Committee earlier this week unanimously approved a rewrite of a Senate-approved bill (SB 297) Scanlan had requested to give his office more sweeping powers to regulate these entities. Scanlan had sought the change after he charged that two of the companies were on the brink of financial insolvency because their executives ignored the advice of actuaries and kept their rates too low to hold onto market share. One of those two risk pools, the New Hampshire Interlocal Trust, has declared bankruptcy, and Scanlan convinced a Superior Court judge to name a receiver to take over its finances. The other risk pool that drew Scanlan's criticism is HealthTrust, the largest in the state, which supports 191 of the state's 234 cities and towns, six of 10 counties, 85 school groups and 74 other units like water, library and fire districts. HealthTrust has denied Scanlan's claims and threatened to pull out of the market if Scanlan's proposal was signed into law. The House committee's proposal would instead give these risk entities the option of coming under the supervision of Scanlan's office or before the Department of Insurance. Chairman and Rep. John Hunt, R-Rindge, came up with the idea and said there is a precedent for this since banks get to choose whether to come under state or federal regulation. 'This was written to also protect their tax-exempt status,' Hunt said. Rep. Julie Miles, R-Merrimack, explained that the risk pools would remain under Scanlan if they were member owned, responsible for their own deficits and had to return all surpluses to governmental unit members. If those conditions did not apply to the risk pool, then they could be regulated by the Insurance Department. 'This bill strengthens the structural boundaries and provides clarity, accountability and long-term stability to these risk pools,' Miles said. Scanlan said the bill has lost its original intent. 'The bill does not address the underlying concerns we have expressed specifically related to HealthTrust and the potential impact their fiscal management practices may have on the taxpayers and public sector employees in this state,' Scanlan said. 'The amendment should be rejected. SB 297 has changed from a bill requiring transparency and accountability with financial guardrails and triggers to a bill that changes who can regulate a pooled risk organization.' Opponents line up against Scanlan's bill Lisa Duquette, executive director of SchoolCare, one of the risk pools that represents 100 school districts, said her group opposes the House change because it could require them to seek the approval of rates by the Insurance Department. "This would be a loss of local control," she said. HealthTrust officials are pleased with the rewrite and if it became law the group would come under insurance regulation. 'HealthTrust's model is non-assessable (meaning we have committed to not sending member groups an assessment for additional revenue mid-year), which was no longer permitted under the original SB 297,' HealthTrust said in a statement. 'In a non-assessable plan, member groups are only responsible for their monthly contribution costs and do not bear the risk of mid-year assessments due to adverse claims experience, which allows for the predictability that is critical for public sector budgets.' Roughly 100 municipal officials who were members of HealthTrust signed up online in opposition to Scanlan's bill and many cited the provision that could require them to raise their rates in the middle of the year. HealthTrust officials had also maintained Scanlan's bill set too low an acceptable standard for minimum reserves that these risk pools should have to cover their losses. 'While the amendment contains more rigorous oversight requirements, HealthTrust welcomes effective regulation, particularly with recent volatility in the market,' HealthTrust said. 'Risk pools fulfill an essential function for New Hampshire's public sector and member groups, covered individuals, and taxpayers deserve financially sound systems.' What's Next: The full House will vote on this proposal when it next meets on June 5. Prospects: This issue appears likely headed to a conference committee to try and work out differences between House and Senate plans. Senate President Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry, authored Scanlan's original proposal and is likely to take Scanlan's side about it. klandrigan@
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Compromise reached over setting ambulance service rates
State Senate leaders declared Wednesday that a compromise was within reach to resolve a long battle over the setting of commercial insurance rates paid to ambulance companies for emergency transport of patients. Under the proposal, ambulance providers over the next two years will be paid 325% of the federal Medicare rate if they join commercial insurance networks. During that time, a newly-named commission will study and recommend a fair reimbursement rate for the future based on actual costs. 'We do in fact have a tentative agreement,' said state Sen. David Rochefort, R-Littleton, chairman of the Senate Health Care Committee. He credited Sen. Sue Prentiss, D-Lebanon, a licensed EMT, with helping to forge this agreement with House Commerce Committee Chairman John Hunt, R-Rindge, who had supported a rate set at 202% of Medicare reimbursement. 'This is a win-win for everybody,' Rochefort said. During the interim, Prentiss said the state will conduct a second actuarial study to assist the commission in coming up with the right rate schedule. 'We had the first study last year that admittedly had some flaws,' Prentiss said. Chris Stawasz, regional Director for American Medical Response, credited Gov. Kelly Ayotte with playing a key role in bringing about the agreement. 'Our system has been in financial crisis for some time and this bill will be a lifeline to many of my colleagues, especially those in rural areas of New Hampshire who are struggling the most,' Stawasz said. If approved, the compromise will get rid of balanced billing, the practice of an ambulance company seeking payment from the patient after insurance fails to come close to covering the costs. The legislation is sought since 80% of transport is for patients who are either low-income residents getting Medicaid coverage or seniors with Medicare. Studies confirm Medicare pays about 46% of the actual cost to transport by ambulance, Medicaid about 42%. Rochefort said this agreement will be added to one of the two competing bills (HB 316, SB 425) on the topic. What's Next: The House Commerce Committee is scheduled to vote next Tuesday on this compromise once final language is drafted. Prospects: Given Ayotte's direct involvement, this bill now stands an excellence chance of becoming law. klandrigan@
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill expanding access to ADUs gets final nod
A bill to increase the size of accessory dwelling units and to allow them to be detached from the home cleared its final legislative hurdle Thursday. 'This bill will remove confusion, produce uniformity and eliminate unnecessary barriers,' said House Commerce Committee Chairman Dan Innis, R-Bradford. The passage of HB 577 came after the state Senate soundly rejected a move from Sen. Donovan Fenton, D-Keene, to water down the House-passed bill, which had the backing of the New Hampshire Municipal Association. 'I was trying to find middle ground but clearly this wasn't the day for that,' Fenton said. 'In my view, ADUs have a place and work great in many communities. Trouble is, I heard from many officials in small towns very wary of this.' Municipal Association lobbyist Brodie Deshaies confirmed his group could have lived with Fenton's amendment, which would have made several changes including restoring a local-control requirement that it would be up to each town to approve an ADU ordinance and a delay in the effective date of the law to July 1, 2026. 'The amendment surely would have made a bad bill better, but we would have preferred the Senate reject it outright,' he said. The Senate turned down Fenton's amendment and passed the bill on voice votes. Bigger with more bedrooms The legislation, which would take effect July 1, increases the allowed size of an ADU from 750 to 950 square feet and expressly allow two-bedroom units. Sen. Tim McGough, R-Merrimack, said the bill addresses two of the state's critical needs. 'Not only does the bill allow property owners to enhance asset value, but it also enables them to give their family members a jump start on living at home when they're young and age gracefully,' McGough said. 'By removing unnecessary red tape and making it easier to build small homes like backyard cottages and garage apartments, we're helping seniors stay close to loved ones and giving young people a foothold in the communities they grew up in,' said Nick Taylor, executive director of Housing Action N.H. 'This legislation means more affordable, right-sized home choices for Granite Staters at every stage of life — and that's a big step toward tackling our housing shortage.' +++ What's Next: The bill will soon head to the desk of Gov. Kelly Ayotte. Prospects: While Ayotte hasn't commented on this legislation specifically, she said expanding ADU access was one of her priorities while campaigning for governor last fall. klandrigan@
American Press
06-05-2025
- Business
- American Press
App store age restriction bill passes without objection
By Nolan McKendry | The Center Square Louisiana is looking to join several states in cracking down on access to mobile applications for underage individuals. Under House Bill 570, teens would need parental permission to download apps like TikTok, Snapchat or Instagram. The legislation, which passed without objection, aims to give parents greater control over the digital lives of their children by requiring app stores to verify the age of users and confirm parental consent for anyone under 18. The bill passed the House Commerce Committee without objection. 'Our phones are now the white van,' said Michelle Johnson, a supporter of the bill who warned lawmakers about the link between social media and child exploitation. 'We wouldn't let a strange man lure our kids off the street, but we allow it online every day.' The bill's supporters, including Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, argue that placing the responsibility on app stores is both practical and protective of user privacy. Nicole Lopez, Meta's Director of Global Litigation Strategy for Youth, told lawmakers the company backs HB570 as a 'privacy-protective solution' that streamlines parental control without overburdening app developers. 'Parents already verify age and grant permissions when they buy a phone for their teen,' Lopez said. 'This bill would make that process apply to all app downloads, not just purchases, using the infrastructure Apple and Google already have.' Lopez noted that Meta has already migrated over 25 million American teens into stricter 'Teen Accounts' with limited messaging and default privacy settings. The company says 80% of U.S. parents support legislation requiring parental consent for app downloads by teens under 16, based on polling data. The bill would also help ensure compliance with the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, which restricts the collection of data from users under 13. Not everyone is on board. On Monday, critics argued the bill threatens user privacy, shifts liability unfairly to app stores, and may not stand up in court. 'HB570 would compromise the privacy of all users by requiring more data collection just to verify someone's age,' said Aden Hizkias with the Chamber of Progress, a tech industry coalition. 'This shifts responsibility away from social media companies and undermines First Amendment rights.' Justin Hill, a policy analyst with NetChoice and a former Missouri lawmaker, warned that similar laws in Utah and Ohio have already been blocked by courts. 'This exact bill has been filed and hasn't passed elsewhere. Courts have said forcing people to upload ID just to access digital content violates constitutional protections.' In an interview, Carver said that the bill has been tailored so that it does not target specific content, such as social media platforms, thereby avoiding a constitutional challenge. 'This would apply to all 1.5 million apps on the stores, so we're not limiting anyone's access to speech,' Carver said. Hill pointed out that the practical implications are enormous. 'On Day 1, you'd need to submit ID to the app store just to download or update apps. If you want your son to have access, you'd need to prove you're their parent — how do you do that without a birth certificate?' Hill asked. John Tamny of the Parkview Institute called the proposal 'a trivialization of parenting,' saying Apple and Google already provide tools for parents to manage screen time and restrict access to apps. 'We're pretending parents are powerless when, in reality, they're already well-armed.' HB570 would require major app stores like Apple and Google to collect minimal information about a user's age and parental status before allowing teens to download apps. Once verified, parents would receive requests to approve or deny any attempted downloads by their child. However, the bill does not address what happens if a child uses a parent's already-approved device. 'That's something that will have to be left to the parents,' said Rep. Kim Carver during the hearing. 'We don't want to get into the business of telling parents how to parent.' Supporters emphasized that the legislation is narrowly tailored to avoid the constitutional pitfalls that have plagued other state efforts. Unlike earlier laws that singled out specific apps or websites, HB570 applies to all app stores equally.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Louisiana House passes bill that aims to stop reservation reselling without restaurant consent
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A proposed bill that would crack down on companies that book and resell restaurant reservations without the restaurant's permission was passed by the Louisiana House unanimously Thursday. House Bill 90, sponsored by Rep. Troy Hebert (R-Lafayette), would prohibit third-party platforms from listing or selling restaurant reservations unless they have a written agreement with the food service establishment. Hebert told lawmakers during the April 15 House Commerce Committee meeting that the bill was created after complaints from restaurants about AI-powered bots and booking services getting high-demand reservations and reselling them for a high price. Under the bill, the Louisiana Attorney General would have the authority to fine violators up to $1,000 per violation, per day. All fines collected would go into the state's consumer protection fund. The bill now heads to the Louisiana Senate. If passed, the law would add a new section titled the 'Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy' provision to the state's consumer protection statutes. Michelin Guide expands to Southern US, includes Louisiana Republicans plan to focus on tax cuts when they return from break Phones, wallets and a Viking horn: Uber shares which items were left behind in 2025 Trump store is selling 'Trump 2028' hats BRPD searching for man accused in deadly home invasion Louisiana House passes bill that aims to stop reservation reselling without restaurant consent Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
