Major Issue Trends in 2023: State Legislative Recap

Expectations were high for state legislative activity in 2023, in terms of both volume and the breadth of topics considered by state lawmakers. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many issues were not addressed during the previous biennium. Several new issues also emerged as priorities for policymakers during the 2023 state sessions. The states took on far more than we anticipated, bringing forward solutions to issues that emerged in real time. Last September we highlighted issues we expected would be priorities in 2023, and the states did not disappoint. Some issues saw a different policy pathway than we anticipated, but nearly everything on our list was addressed in some way. 

In our latest article series, we examine the high-level legislative trends we saw in the 2023 state sessions, compiled by our team of experts who read thousands of bills daily during the legislative sessions. In addition to discussing the most prevalent issues considered by state policymakers, we explore some of the more surprising emerging trends we noticed, plus what to expect in 2024 for many of these policy areas.

This series covers the following topic areas and will be released during November and December. As articles are released, they will be linked here. Be sure to sign up for our blog post email updates to get the articles as soon as they’re released: click here and check the “blog posts” box. 

Energy and Environment

Part 1 of the series will be published the week of October 30, 2023.

• ESG: Anti-ESG Legislation Proliferated in the States in 2023, but Traditional ESG Still Had Some Wins

• Electric Vehicles: Electric Vehicle Legislation Skyrocketed in 2023, with Over 500 EV Bills Introduced 

• PFAS: Regulation of PFAS Continues with Key Legislation Enacted in Oregon, Minnesota, and Maine

• Plastics Recycling: State Legislators Work to Address Plastics Via “Advanced Recycling”

• EPR: Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility Bills Were Considered in 14 States in 2023

• Climate Change: How Are State Lawmakers Decarbonizing Energy Portfolios and Combating Climate Change?

• Energy Sources: States Still Divided on Power Transition from Fossil Fuels to Other Energy Sources

Technology and Privacy

Part 2 of the series will be published the week of November 6, 2023.

• Comprehensive Privacy: More States Enact Comprehensive Privacy Legislation, Plus Experiment with Broadband, Social Media Regulation, Youth Safety, and Artificial Intelligence

• Other Tech: State Lawmakers Explored A Wide Range of Technology and Privacy Issues in 2023

• Right to Repair: Additional States Pursue Right to Repair Legislation in Response to New York’s Digital Fair Repair Act 

Tax and Commerce

Part 3 of the series will be published the week of November 13, 2023.

• Business Taxes: States Made Targeted Tax Code Changes in 2023, But Few Tackled Comprehensive Tax Reform

• Retail Crime: Lawmakers Work to Address Organized Retail Crime in 2023 with Tougher Sentencing Thresholds

Social and Cultural Issues

Part 4 of the series will be published the week of November 27, 2023.

• Reproductive Health: How Abortion Legislation Played Out in State Legislatures in 2023 (and What to Expect in 2024)

• Gender Affirming Care: Regulation of Gender Affirming Health Care Was A Major Trend in the 2023 Legislative Sessions

• Cultural Issues: Social and Cultural Issues in the 2023 State Legislative Sessions

Law, Legal, and Foreign Policy

Part 5 of the series will be published the week of December 11, 2023.

• Immigration: Immigration Will Again Be A Key State Issue in 2024

• Foreign Policy: State-Level Foreign Policy: Anti-China and Foreign Adversary Legislation Boomed in the 2023 State Legislative Sessions

• College Athletics: The Changing Landscape of College Athletics: From Name, Image, and Likeness to Employment?

Tracking State Legislation 

MultiState’s team is actively identifying and tracking these issues so that businesses and organizations have the information they need to navigate and effectively engage with emerging laws and regulations. If your organization would like to further track any of these issues, please contact us.