Sen. Karl Rhoads

Amends the environmental response, energy, and food security tax to address carbon emissions. Incrementally increases the tax rate over time. Establishes a refundable tax credit to mitigate the effect of a carbon emissions tax on taxpayers. Reenacts the agricultural development and food security special fund. Requires reports to the Legislature.

Allows qualified adults, including adults with a disability, mentally ill adults, and adults sixty-five years of age or older, to enter into supported decision-making agreements with one or members of a supportive community. Specifies the terms of a supported decision-making agreement, including access to personal information and agreement requirements.

Maddy summarySB 1138 requires health plan insurers to use the same prior authorization approval rules for medical treatments as Medicare does. This directly affects health insurance companies that offer plans covering prescription drugs, hospital care, or specialist visits. The key mechanism is mandating that insurers align their internal processes with Medicare’s established standards for approving treatments. The bill aims to simplify and standardize approval requirements for patients seeking covered care, though it does not change Medicare’s own policies.

Requires the independent medical examination and permanent impairment rating examination of an injured employee under the Workers' Compensation Law to be conducted by a qualified physician selected by the mutual agreement of the parties and paid for by the employer. In absence of a mutual agreement, requires the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations to appoint a duly qualified impartial physician to be paid by the employer.

Requires retail sellers of firearms to provide purchasers with notice regarding the law on firearms storage. Expands the requirements for the secure storage of firearms. Clarifies the offense of criminally negligent storage of a firearm.

Maddy summarySB 594 removes the requirement that perpetrators of certain crimes must know or reasonably should know their victim is 60 years or older. This means prosecutors no longer need to prove the offender was aware of the victim's age in cases involving seniors. The bill directly affects how crimes against seniors are prosecuted and adjudicated in court. It changes the legal standard for accountability, focusing on the victim's age rather than the perpetrator's knowledge.

Requires solar conduit- and electrical panel-readiness for new residential construction offered for sale at fair market value and electric vehicle-readiness when an electrical panel and parking area are installed. Effective 1/1/2026.

Provides access by owners of motor vehicles and independent repair facilities to motor vehicle manufacturer diagnostic and repair information and diagnostic repair tools otherwise made available to dealers.

Beginning 1/1/2026, allows a qualified applicant to change their sex designation on their birth certificate. Establishes information required for an applicant to change their sex designation on their birth certificate. Requires the Department of Health to create and make available necessary forms.

Requires the Department of Human Services to automatically enroll, or authorize the Social Security Administration to automatically enroll, in the State's Medicaid program any individual in the State who receives federal Supplemental Security Income benefits. Requires reports to the Legislature.