Latest news with #SB199
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Utah governor, state courts hit with lawsuit over new disability law
The Capitol in Salt Lake City is pictured on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Utah state leaders are being sued over a bill passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Spencer Cox in March created a new guardianship system for adults with 'severe' intellectual disability. In a complaint filed in federal court in Utah earlier this month, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Disability Law Center argued the law — SB199 — violates the American With Disabilities and the Rehabilitation acts, as well as the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which grants equal protection under the law to all citizens. Sponsored by Sen. Kevin Stratton, R-Orem, and signed by Cox on March 17, SB199 creates a separate guardianship proceeding for people with a 'severe' intellectual disability. To qualify, a physician or psychologist must sign a letter 'that indicates that the adult is an individual with a severe intellectual disability,' the bill reads. Guardianship is a legal process where someone, typically a family member, can ask a court to determine whether a person with a disability 18 years old or older is unable to make decisions and manage their affairs. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX With permission from a court, the guardian could then determine personal care and make financial and legal decisions for the disabled person. According to the Utah Parent Center, it can shield disabled people from manipulation and crime, allowing them to live a safer life. But it also limits the civil rights of the person under guardianship, taking away their authority to make adult decisions. The bill had the backing from several families of people with intellectual disabilities, who say the current system is too broad and not tailored to the most severely handicapped. More than 200 people signed on to a petition in support of the bill. 'It makes sense to create a new and separate guardianship statutory section specifically for those with a severe intellectual disability and a lifelong functional limitation that began as a minor,' said Lisa Thornton, an attorney, when speaking in favor of the bill during this year's legislative session. 'Separating our population from the elderly, or ones who once had capacity, allows for greater protection for those with severe intellectual disabilities without impacting or creating restrictions on the elderly, or those who may regain capacity.' But during the session, both the ACLU and Disability Law Center spoke out against the bill. On April 18, the groups filed a lawsuit. In the 42-page complaint, the groups argue the law creates a 'separate, harsher' guardianship system based on a classification of 'severe intellectual disability' — a term they say is 'circular and vague.' ''Severe intellectual disability' is not a term with a clear, well-established meaning among clinicians,' the complaint reads, adding that it requires physicians to make a diagnosis that is typically made by the court. The law also allows a guardian to 'restrict the disabled person's association with friends and family, the right to control their food and beverage consumption, and the right to restrict any activity that the guardian believes would be harmful,' according to court documents. Typically, guardians can place restrictions on an individual basis — for instance, preventing an abusive former partner from visiting. But SB199 allows for blanket restrictions, which the complaint says is a violation of the person's rights. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Additionally, the law creates a carveout where the disabled person wouldn't be granted an attorney in cases where a parent, grandparent or sibling is the prospective guardian, the groups argue. For those reasons, the groups allege the state is in violation of the American With Disabilities and the Rehabilitation acts, as well as the 14th Amendment. 'SB199 creates a separate, more restrictive guardianship for a class of people with disabilities and denies them the same rights as others, like the right to talk with friends or relatives, solely based on a doctor describing the severity of a diagnosis,' said Nate Crippes, the public affairs supervising attorney for the Disability Law Center. 'It also doesn't allow for individualized determinations for this population, as is required by the ADA,' he added.'And by limiting the right to associate, if a guardian is abusive or neglectful, we fear no one will know. On the other hand, studies show a person with greater self-determination is more likely to identify an abusive situation and less likely to experience it.' In addition to Cox and the state of Utah, the lawsuit names Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Durrant, the Utah Judicial Council, State Court Administrator Ronald Gordon Jr., the Utah Administrative Office of the Courts and the Utah State Court system. The governor's office did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama's paid parental leave law is a monumental step—now let's make it for everyone
Big news for parents in Alabama. The state just did something big: It recognized, officially and legislatively, that when parents are given time to bond with a new baby, to grieve a loss, or to settle into the whirlwind of adoption, everybody wins. Governor Kay Ivey signed SB199, the Alabama Public Employee Paid Parental Leave Act of 2025, into law this week, establishing paid parental leave for public employees—including teachers and state workers. 'In Alabama, we are committed to strengthening families and supporting those who serve our state,' said Governor Ivey, as reported by the Alabama Politcal Reporter. 'This new law reflects our values. No parent should have to choose between their paycheck and spending time with their newly welcomed child. Today, Alabama sends a clear message: We value families, and we value our workforce.' Here's what the law delivers: 8 weeks of paid leave for female employees after childbirth, miscarriage, or stillbirth. 2 weeks for male employees in those same circumstances. For adoptive parents of children under 3, each eligible parent is entitled to 8 weeks of paid parental leave, subject to limitations. If both adoptive parents are eligible employees, one gets 8 weeks of leave, and the other gets 2 weeks. Employees must return to work for at least 8 weeks after taking leave, unless exceptions apply (e.g., serious health conditions). Let's be clear: this policy is a major milestone. A state put into law what OBGYNs, pediatricians, and plenty of exhausted moms have known forever: when new mothers are supported, children thrive, parents stay in the workforce, and communities get stronger. But here's the thing—in our view, if it's good for public employees, it's good for everyone. Related: The U.S. is way behind in paid parental leave–but these 6 companies offer generous policies Gov. Ivey put it simply: 'No parent should have to choose between their paycheck and spending time with their newly welcomed child.' Yet the majority of new moms in America today do not have access to paid maternity leave. It's out of touch. And it's inhumane. Paid leave improves maternal health outcomes, increases the likelihood that both parents bond with their child, and boosts retention for employers. It's not just humane—it's smart policy. So why is this only available to state workers? Families in hospitality, retail, restaurants, gig work, small businesses—they all welcome babies. They all face postpartum challenges. They all deserve to not have to choose between a paycheck and holding their newborn. Alabama's new law is proof that change is possible, even in places that haven't always been at the forefront of family policy. It's a big deal—and it should be a starting point, not a stopping point. Because if we're serious about valuing families, we have to support all of them. Whether you wear a government badge or an apron, a lanyard or scrubs—you deserve the chance to show up for your family without sacrificing your livelihood. Let's celebrate this moment. But let's also keep going. Related: It's science: paid parental leave is good for baby's developing brain
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmaker seeks to establish guardrails, ‘some accountability' around artificial intelligence
(David Espejo/Stock photo via Getty Images) Democratic state Sen. Dina Neal wants to put some guardrails around artificial intelligence companies setting up in Nevada and prevent some professions such as police officers and teachers from misusing the technology. Senate Bill 199, heard Wednesday by the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, would establish a process for AI companies to register with the Bureau of Consumer Protection within the Attorney General's Office. The legislation would require AI companies to develop, implement and maintain policies, procedures and protocols to prevent hate speech, bullying, bias, fraud and the dissemination of misinformation. Much of the language in the bill was based on principles outlined by the Organization for Economic Cooperation Development, a global policy network, and included language similar to 'a definition that is used in 44 countries, including the United States,' Neal said. She also used language found in Colorado legislation that passed in 2024 and established AI regulations. Business groups, including the Vegas Chamber and the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, opposed the legislation arguing it would stifle 'economic growth' by deterring tech companies from moving to the state. 'The unfettered movement of AI without guardrails is not the intent and not the direction I seek to move,' Neal said. 'We should know how data is being used within an AI system. We should be able to consent to when and how our information is used in an AI system …There should be some accountability.' SB 199, if passed, would also prohibit law enforcement from using AI to generate police reports or teachers from using software to create lesson plans. The Associated Press reported last year that Oklahoma City was using AI chatbots to generate crime reports from recordings picked up by body cameras and police radios. Neal was shocked by the story and realized 'we really need to deal with this' to ensure there were 'guardrails that are associated with police reporting.' 'I wanted to make sure that it was something we were proactively considering,' Neal said, expressing alarm at the possibility that 'a person is actually going to be affected negatively by the police reporting that may not have been done by (police), but by an AI chatbot.' Law enforcement groups, including Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Washoe County Sheriff's Office, opposed the section. Jason Walker, a lobbyist for the Washoe County Sheriff's office, said there are 'many advantageous uses of AI in the law enforcement profession.' He didn't specify what specifically about the prohibition on using AI to generate police reports he was against. In addition to preventing teachers from creating AI-generated lesson plans, the bill creates a working group on the use of artificial intelligence systems in the education system to develop further recommendations and guidelines. Two Clark High School students who worked on sections of the bill regarding education presented the legislation alongside Neal on Wednesday. They cited a recent incident in which five students in a business class turned in nearly identical AI generated assignments – with the same spelling mistakes. Celine Chang warned lawmakers that 'unregulated AI use is affecting students, teachers and the learning environment' but the state lacks standardized regulations. Clark student Karen Wu, said AI isn't just a tool to 'supplement learning but to replace it.' 'We acknowledge that AI is not going away, but the way we integrate it into education will determine whether it becomes a tool for enrichment or a shortcut that erodes learning,' she said. The bill would also prevent landlords and property management groups from using AI from determining rent prices. Republican state Sen. John Steinbeck questioned if that provision would hurt the housing market. 'It's my understanding that apartment operations utilize AI software to assist with filling apartments,' he said. 'It helps them with the market analysis and may actually help lower some housing costs.' The provision, Neal said, was to prevent price fixing by real estate software companies such as Real Page, which has faced numerous lawsuits for artificially raising the price of rents. RealPage has denied wrongdoing in these cases. Neal specifically highlighted the North Carolina case where the state attorney general 'sued six companies for colluding to raise rent instead of competing in the fair market using AI tools.' 'They exploited landlord sensitive information to create a price fixing algorithm, or pricing algorithm that violated antitrust laws,' she said. The legislation would also require the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation to estimate the number and types of Nevada jobs at risk of being lost due to AI. 'We have seen reports that within five years, there's going to be a serious shedding of traditional jobs' as a result of AI, Neal said. 'At the end of the day, the state is responsible if their citizens are out of work.' Other than the bill's presenters — Neal and the students — no one testified in support of the legislation. The committee took no action on the bill.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Kay Ivey signs bill giving paid parental leave to state, public school employees
Rep. Ginny Shaver (left), R-Leesburg, and Sen. Vivian Figures (right), D-Mobile, laughing in the House press room at the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Alabama, on March 20, 2025. Ivey signed the pair's legislation to give eight weeks of parental leave to state employees and educators. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) Gov. Kay Ivey Wednesday signed a bill giving public school educators and state employees paid parental leave. SB 199, sponsored by Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, allows women who give birth, have a stillbirth, or a miscarriage after 12 weeks to receive eight weeks of paid leave. It also allows the father to take two weeks of paid leave under those circumstances. If a couple adopts a child under three years old, either parent may have eight weeks of leave if they are both eligible employees. 'No parent should have to choose between their paycheck and spending time with their newly welcomed child,' Ivey said in a statement. 'Today, Alabama sends a clear message: We value families, and we value our workforce.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The law, named the Alabama Public Employee Paid Parental Leave Act of 2025, will go into effect on July 1. The legislation passed the House 94-2 on March 20. The two votes against it were male representatives that claimed parents could use their accrued sick leave or 'catastrophic' sick leave for parental leave. According to the Alabama State Department of Education, teachers earn one sick day per month for 10 months. Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg, a longtime supporter of paid parental leave who carried Figures' bill in the House, said during debate on the House floor last month that it takes more than 10 days to recover from having a baby. 'Having a baby is a normal function. The catastrophic leave is for that, catastrophic and for unusual circumstances,' Shaver said in March. The legislation does not make parental leave an accruable benefit. According to the Legislative Services Agency, the leave will cost $10,750 for parents that take eight weeks and $2,600 for those that take two weeks. Figures sponsored a bill last year for educators that was changed to remove male employees' leave and leave in the case of a miscarriage and stillborn. The Senate passed the bill, but then-Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed, R-Jasper, prevented it from being sent to the House, something any senator can do after the 26th legislative day. 'Paid leave is an essential tool for workforce and economic growth, providing education and state employees with the opportunity to care for their newborn or newly adopted child without worrying about unnecessary financial strain,' Figures said in a statement. According to the statement, providing paid parental leave to public employees was a recommendation included in the Final Report of the Governor's Study Group on Efficiency in State Government as a way to increase the recruitment and retention of public employees. 'This is a proud day for Alabama families, and I want to thank Sen. Vivian Figures and Rep. Ginny Shaver for championing this effort from the very start,' Ivey said. Shaver sponsored the House version of the bill. She echoed Ivey that the bill supports Alabama's values. 'By providing paid parental leave for state employees and education employees, we are not only recognizing the fundamental importance of family, but also investing in the well-being and stability of our workforce,' Shaver said in a statement. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Kay Ivey says she will sign parental leave bill for state employees, educators
Rep. Ginny Shaver (left), R-Leesburg, and Sen. Vivian Figures (right), D-Mobile, laughing in the House press room at the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Alabama, on March 20, 2025. The pair passed legislation to give eight weeks of parental leave to state employees and educators. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama House of Representatives Thursday gave final approval to a bill extending paid parental leave to all state and education employees staring July 1, sending the bill to Gov. Kay Ivey. The House passed SB 199, sponsored by Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, 94-2 after substituting it for HB 327, sponsored by Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg. The bill allows women who give birth, have a stillbirth, or a miscarriage after 12 weeks to receive eight weeks of paid leave. It also allows a father to take two weeks of paid leave under those circumstances. If a couple adopts a child under 3 years old, either parent may have eight weeks of leave. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'I think the impact will be seen in future years, and the effects of it and how it helps families, and helps to support families and enable them to properly bond with their children and have that time at home to take care of their children,' Shaver said after the bill passed. Figures carried a version of the legislation that only applied to educators last year, but it died in the Senate in the last week of the session. 'This day has really touched my heart,' Figures said in an interview. Ivey, who called for the legislation in her State of the State address in February, said in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, that she would sign the bill. 'Thank you to Rep. Ginny Shaver and Sen. Vivian Figures for carrying this important legislation. I look forward to receiving the bill and getting my signature on it,' she wrote. Under current law, educators are given two weeks of paid leave for 'catastrophic' sick leave, which parents usually take when they have a baby, Shaver said. She also said that catastrophic sick leave should be reserved for unusual circumstances. 'Having a baby is a normal function. The catastrophic leave is for that, catastrophic and for unusual circumstances,' Shaver said in an interview. Besides the catastrophic sick leave, teachers accrue one sick day per month of employment. Rep. Jim Carns, R-Birmingham, asked Shaver why teachers could not use those sick days as parental leave. He said that if teachers had not used their sick days for years, they would already have time to take off for parental leave. 'That was built for situations like this, in my opinion,' Carns said. 'After three years, you have 30 days.' Shaver said those sick days could be used when the parent, or child, is sick. 'It takes more than 10 days to recover from having a baby,' Shaver said. Carns and Rep. Ben Harrison, R-Elkmont, voted against the bill. Harrison said he was worried that the benefit would deter people from working in the private sector. Shaver said the legislation will serve as a recruiting tool for state jobs. 'We are using taxpayer dollars from the private sector to recruit employees away from the private sector to fill these jobs,' Harrison said. Figures said after the bill passed that she was unaware of the lack of parental leave for state employees until her son, U.S. Congressman Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, told her about it while on the campaign trail. She said women deserve to be represented and advocated for. 'Women populate this world. We are the ones who have to conceive that child,' she said. 'We are the ones who have to carry that child for nine months, unless you have a health issue or whatever. Then when that child comes into this world, it's the mother that that child looks to.' When Figures carried the legislation last year for educators, it was changed to remove male employees' leave in the case of a miscarriage and stillborn. Former Senate Pro Tem Greg Reed blocked the bill from passage on the 27th legislative day. Figures said after SB 199 passed the House that she is pleased that the chambers could work together across the aisle to pass legislation for parents. 'It signifies that you can have a bill that means so much to so many people, as well as you can have a bill working with the other party, with someone who's a member of the other party.' Shaver said parents should not have to stress about financials when starting a family. 'That's our Alabama values, no matter who you are: to support families,' she said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
