State Laws

Albany, NY – Legislation recently passed in New York state is intended to protect firefighters and other first responders from collapses of residential structures that feature wood truss construction.

Sacramento, CA – Occupational injuries among nurses in California decreased by one-third after a 2004 state law implemented nurse-to-patient staffing ratios in acute care hospitals, according to a new study from the University of California, Davis.

Miami – A Florida judge’s recent ruling that called the state’s workers’ compensation law “unlawful, invalid and unconstitutional” is being appealed by the state government’s top lawyer.

Sacramento, CA – Millions of California workers may soon receive paid sick days, following the state legislature’s Aug. 30 passage of a bill (A.B. 1522) requiring employers to provide sick leave.

Sacramento, CA – New regulations in California will require certain hospitals to implement a safe patient-handling policy that uses devices and lifting teams to move patients, potentially improving the safety of patients, nurses and other staff.

Washington – Almost 7 million workers in California have no access to paid sick days, according to a report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

San Jose, CA – Three out of four people who work in construction, food service and child care in San Jose lack access to paid sick days, according to a study from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

Tallahassee, FL – Florida legislators have expanded the state’s “Move-Over Act” to include protections for workers who operate or ride in or on sanitation and utility service vehicles.

Boston – Massachusetts has bolstered occupational safety and health protections for state workers as part of a law that also will increase the minimum wage to $11 over three years.

Annapolis, MD – Maryland’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation has been tasked with creating a workgroup to study potential occupational safety and health prequalification requirements for the state’s public works contractors.