To provide independent workers with benefits traditionally associated with full-time employment, including health care and retirement savings, states are considering portable benefit programs, which tie benefits to the worker, rather than an...

At a recent forum for NCSL Foundation members in Washington, D.C., Kate Blackman and Natalie Wood, NCSL vice presidents of state research and policy, shared their forecasts for key issues likely to dominate the 2025 legislative sessions.

From fiscal challenges to tech innovations and workforce dynamics, the legislative issues dominating state discussions are also setting the stage for federal priorities. As 2025 approaches, these topics will likely shape the national agenda....

In their 2024 legislative sessions, state lawmakers continued their efforts to integrate nondegree credential options into their larger postsecondary and career-training ecosystems.

Hot topics in employment and retirement legislation for 2025 include skills-based hiring, reemployment after retirement and employee benefits programs.

States face a range of short- and long-term challenges that are affecting the financial security of American workers.