From State Senator Herron Gaston:
As we enter 2026, some changes to current standards will include:
Reports on the state’s Early Childhood Education Endowment and a health benefit plan for early care employees will be filed with the state
Parents of students in grades 8-11 will receive information from the state Department of Education about opportunities to take courses offering college credit
Step therapy, a costly health care strategy, will see its use limited for several conditions including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, and will remain prohibited for treatment of schizophrenia, major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder
Health insurance can no longer impose time limits on anesthesia for necessary procedures
Hospitals and health systems can no longer violate facility fee limits
Pharmacy benefit managers will be required to offer health plans the same price for prescriptions that the PBM pays for the drug to prevent health care price gouging
Certain health insurance policies must cover biomarker testing for the diagnosis, treatment, management or monitoring of an insured individual’s disease or condition
Puerto Rican veterans of the U.S. Army will be able to access new commemorative license plates
Farmers can claim a 20% refundable business tax credit for investments in certain machinery, equipment and buildings, with the credit applicable against the corporation business or the farmer’s personal income taxes
New restrictions on pesticides, with certain chemicals used as rodenticide limited in use
