After the veto override of HB11, the General Session of the 64th Legislature has come to an end, leaving 515 bills that have passed both chambers and 495 bills that were signed into Laws.

See all passed bills

Throughout the 45-day session, legislators debated over a wide range of matters: from COVID-19 restrictions (HB63) , HB182) to water conservation (HB 37 , HB121 , HB168 , etc.). There was also a record funding to Utah’s public school which was increased by nearly $400 million (SB1 , SB2 , HB1, etc.).

Some Bills of Interest

HB374 Restricting access to sensitive materials in schools; SB115 Pre-empting firearm restrictions; SB102 Prohibiting use of phone cameras while in a Motor Vehicle; HB143 Increasing penalty for drunk driving.

While numerous bills, such as the previously mentioned, have been in the spotlight for the past few months, many bills didn’t get the same level of press coverage. Nevertheless, they may be just as important to lobbyists, non-profit organizations, or citizens who are attempting to keep an eye on their legislators.

How to Search for Bills That Have Passed in Utah?

FastDemocracy allows users to track legislation in a very intuitive way by going to “All Bills” and then searching by state “UT” and filtering by “Became Law”. To make it simpler, we’ve put together a list of all the bills that have passed in the state in this session.

See all passed bills

But there’s even more that you can do with FastDemocracy Professional, which we’ve created for non-profits, lobbying groups, and media organizations. Stay on top of the legislature with real time hearing alerts, bill similarity detection, customizable reports for clients and stakeholders, and so many more helpful features by scheduling a demo today.

If you work for an advocacy organization or lobbying firm, or you’re just an engaged citizen, it may be helpful for you to know which bills passed in your state or at the federal level recently. 

Even though local and national news outlets will report on the marquee legislation that will make headlines, many activists and organizations are interested in bills that are often under-reported, or completely ignored.

State and federal government websites are not much help, either. They’re often outdated and difficult to navigate, making it almost impossible to simply filter by all the bills that were passed in a certain time frame.

Luckily, a free FastDemocracy account can help you filter out which bills have become law in your state or in U.S. Congress, making it easy to stay up to date and informed.

After you’ve signed up for your free FastDemocracy account, simply take the following steps to see the bills that have become law this year:

1. Select “All Bills” in the top menu of the screen.

2. Next, select which state you’d like to see. For this example, we’re using Mississippi. You can also use the filters at the top to select by legislative session. We don’t recommend changing the chamber when looking for all bills that became law.

3. Finally, Filter the list by bills that “Became Law.”

What you’ll get is a list of laws that passed both chambers and became law in your state. But there’s even more that you can do with FastDemocracy Professional, which we’ve created for non-profits, lobbying groups, and media organizations. Stay on top of the legislature with real time hearing alerts, bill similarity detection, customizable reports for clients and stakeholders, and so many more helpful features by scheduling a demo today.

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California is in the middle of its legislative session, which reconvened on January 11th and will adjourn on September 10th. On June 14th, the legislature passed the state’s budget, which had a June 15th midnight deadline. Due to Proposition 25, legislators must submit the budget plan by the deadline or else they will have to forego their salary for every day the budget isn’t passed. In 2011, then Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the budget and thus the state controller suspended legislator’s pay. However, the legislature sued in response and won a ruling that stated that only the legislature can decide if the budget is adequate. 

In addition to passing the budget, California’s Senate and Assembly have passed some noteworthy bills already, which often made headlines when they went through committee hearings and were debated on the floor. These include Sen. Scott Weiner’s psychedelic decriminalization bill, Assemb. Jose Medina’s Cal Grant reform bill, Sen. Lena Gonzalez’s abortion bill, and Sen. Steven Bradford’s police reform bill. Notable bills that did not pass include Sen. Bill Dodd’s water service bill and Assemb. Lorena Gonzalez’s solar net metering bill. 

While many bills, such as the aforementioned, have received coverage as they currently make their way through the legislature, many other bills didn’t receive the same level of press coverage. However, they may be just as important to lobbyists, non-profit organizations, or citizens who are trying to keep an eye on their lawmakers. 

How many bills have passed in California this year?

The California Senate has passed 804 bills and the Assembly has passed 1036 bills so far this year. 267 bills have been passed by both houses, and, as of this writing, and 245 have been chaptered by the Secretary of State.

How do I look up bills that passed in California?

It’s easy to track legislation using FastDemocracy’s free legislative lookup tool, but to make it even easier, we’ve created a list below of each of the laws that were passed in California this year. 

But there’s even more that you can do with FastDemocracy Professional, which we’ve created for non-profits, lobbying groups, and media organizations. Stay on top of the legislature with real time hearing alerts, bill similarity detection, customizable reports for clients and stakeholders, and so many more helpful features by scheduling a demo today. If all that isn’t right for you and your organization, you can still check out the list of passed bills below.

While President Biden’s infrastructure plan has taken hold of the national political spotlight, many states are passing their own infrastructure bills. Each one will have a significant effect on their state’s transportation and economy. Below we have compiled some notable bills that have passed in different states around the country.

In the state of Maine, Rep. Teresa Pierce’s HP 1265 permits the government to issue bonds worth up to $100 million to fund statewide infrastructure projects. $85 million is allocated to the construction or rehabilitation of priority highways. The other $15 million is allocated to facilities or equipment for areas such as ports, railways, and airports. Gov. Janet Mills signed the bill into law on July 6th, but for it to be enacted, the people of the state must vote for its ratification. 

According to the census, Colorado grew the 6th fastest out of all states during the past decade. With this growth comes the need for better and larger infrastructure. Sen. Leroy Garcia and Sen. Rachel Zenzinger’s SB 21-238 creates a rail district for the future planning and development of a passenger rail line for Colorado’s front range. This area includes Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Boulder, which encompasses a majority of the state’s largest cities. Following passage in both the Senate and the House, Gov. Jared Polis signed the bill into law on June 30th, 2021. 

Missouri passed its first increase in its gas tax since 1996, which will raise the per gallon gas tax by 2.5 cents per year for the next five years. According to research done by Quotewizard which “analyzed new numbers from the Federal Highway Administration (FHA)”, Missouri has the 10th worst road infrastructure in the United States. The increased revenue, which is estimated to be $460 million, will be used to fund state roads and bridges. Sen. Dave Schatz’s 262, however, also allows drivers to get refunded the tax amount if they keep their receipts. An additional part of the bill creates an Electrical Vehicle Task Force. Gov. Mike Parson signed the bill on July 13th, 2021. 

The increased adoption of electrical vehicles has become a platform for politicians promoting “green legislation”. Multiple states have introduced legislation pertaining to charging stations, thereby making it easier for electric vehicle owners to travel longer distances. Assemb. Annette Quijano of New Jersey, Rep. Alex Ramel of Washington, and Sen. Mark Johnson of Arkansas introduced charging station legislation which their respective governors all later signed into law. 

At the national scale, the Demoractic Party is debating that the modern definition of infrastructure should include more than just roads and bridges. Many states have reflected this in their legislation: 

Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross of Maine, Rep. Rick Carfagna and Rep. Brian Stewart of Ohio, Sen. Scott Baldwin of Indiana, and Iowa’s House Committee on Appropriations introduced broadband bills which then passed both legislative houses. All but the bill from Maine have already been signed into law. Broadband provides people with the internet with “a minimum of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds”, according to the Federal Communications Commision. This is an attempt to connect all citizens to the internet. For example, according to the 2020 Census, only 80% of Indiana residents have broadband internet access. The national average isn’t much higher at 82.7% access. 

In California, 86% percent of the state is experiencing extreme drought and 33% exceptional drought, which is the highest category. The state has seen more fires than this stage in 2020. Scientists attribute the increase in fires to poor historical forest management and global warming. Sen. Anna Cabellero’s bill will help increase revenues for urban forestry to help reduce greenhouse gas levels as a means to improve what the bill calls “green infrastructure”. 

It’s easy to track legislation using FastDemocracy’s free legislative lookup tool, but to make it even easier, we’ve created a list below of each of the laws that were passed in that contained the word “infrastructure” in the bills’ description. 
But there’s even more that you can do with FastDemocracy Professional, which we’ve created for non-profits, lobbying groups, and media organizations. Stay on top of the legislature with real time hearing alerts, bill similarity detection, customizable reports for clients and stakeholders, and so many more helpful features by scheduling a demo today. If all that isn’t right for you and your organization, you can still check out the list of passed bills below.

On a federal level, marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I drug, which includes the likes of heroin and LSD. Eighteen states, including New Jersey, have fully legalized marijuana and 38 have legalized medical cannabis, many of which have just done so recently.

Passed by both New Jersey legislative houses last year and signed into law this February by Gov. Phil Murphy, Assemb. Annette Quijano’s marijuana bill led to the legalization of recreational marijuana for certain adults, decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, and removed its status as a Schedule I drug. In conjunction with the passage of this landmark bill for recreational use has been the passage of three bills pertaining to medical cannabis.

Sen. Declan J. O’Scanlon Jr.’s bill, which passed in both the Senate and the Assembly last legislative session, is currently awaiting the governor’s approval. The bill permits qualified medical professionals to use telehealth to authorize the use of medical cannabis for patients except in special cases. The bill also stipulates that the patient must have an annual in-person consultation to re-approve the patient for medical cannabis authorization. This includes written instructions to be given to the patient to present to a medical cannabis dispensary. 

Sen. Troy Singleton’s bill “revises certain restrictions on ownership of medical cannabis alternative treatment centers [and] expands [the] scope of review of alternative treatment center permit applications and related materials.” The Senate passed the bill last legislative session while the Assembly passed it on May 20th. In the original act in which the bill is amending, it is written that “no entity or person shall hold more than one medical marijuana permit.” Sen. Singleton’s bill allows entities to provide financial assistance until they own a 40 percent interest in a minority, women, and/or disabled veteran owned medical marijuana dispensary. Also, if the owner defaults, the investor will not become the new controlling interest. 

Sen. Joseph F. Vitale’s bill bans the sale of tobacco and electronic smoking devices in pharmacies and certain businesses that contain a pharmacy. Relating to medical marijuana, the bill emphasizes that it does not include the banning of medical marijuana or anything else that the Federal Drug and Food Administration approves of for smoking. Sen. Vitale introduced this bill last January and it passed in the Senate this February. The bill is currently in the Assembly Health Committee.  

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, New Jersey’s legislative session had limited activity in 2020, meaning that many of the bills carried over. Some of the bills introduced this session have yet to be passed by either the Senate or the Assembly, including many medical marijuana bills. To stay up to date on the cannabis-related bills that have been introduced this year, click below.

Alabama’s legislative session ended on May 17th at midnight this year, when the House and Senate officially stood adjourned sine die, meaning with no designated day for resumption. On the last day, the legislature passed some notable bills, including Rep. Wes Allen’s curbside voting ban bill and Rep. Jeremy Gray’s yoga in schools bill, and adjourned before the House could vote on Sen. Shay Shelnutt’s transgender bill. Gov. Kay Ivey also signed Sen. Tim Melson’s medical cannabis program bill into law. 
Sen. Arthur Orr’s vaccine passport bill, Rep. Scott Stadthagen’s transgender athlete bill, and the aforementioned medical cannabis program bill made headlines when they went through committee hearings, were debated on the floor, and eventually passed.

Other bills didn’t receive the same level of press coverage, but may be just as important to lobbyists, non-profit organizations, or citizens who are trying to keep an eye on their lawmakers. 

How many bills have passed in Alabama this year?

The Alabama Legislature passed 545 bills and joint resolutions that have now either been signed into law or are awaiting Gov. Ivey’s signature. No bills have been vetoed so far. 

How do I look up bills that passed in Alabama?

It’s easy to track legislation using FastDemocracy’s free legislative lookup tool, but to make it even easier, we’ve created a list below of each of the laws that were passed in Alabama this year. 
But there’s even more that you can do with FastDemocracy Professional, which we’ve created for non-profits, lobbying groups, and media organizations. Stay on top of the legislature with real time hearing alerts, bill similarity detection, customizable reports for clients and stakeholders, and so many more helpful features by scheduling a demo today. If all that isn’t right for you and your organization, you can still check out the list of passed bills below.