Gov. Charlie Baker at a State House press conference. (Pool photo by Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

GOV. CHARLIE BAKER continued to clear his desk on New Year’s Day, signing a health care bill providing rules of the road going forward for telehealth and another bill restricting the use of flame retardants.

The new health care law also expands the scope of practice for nurse practitioners, other specialized nurses, and optometrists, and takes steps to protect consumers from surprise medical bills.

The law also extends requirements for all insurance carriers in Massachusetts to cover COVID-19 testing and treatment. For more on the bill, click here.

With the Legislature’s session set to expire Tuesday, here is other legislation awaiting action on Beacon Hill.

Conference committees: Three panels set up to resolve differences between House and Senate bills have reached no agreements yet.

Transportation bond – Sent to conference July 23, 2020. To learn more, click here.

Economic development – Sent to conference July 30, 2020. To learn more, click here.

Climate change – Sent to conference August 6, 2020. To learn more, click here.

Ping-ponging between the branches:

Unemployment insurance legislation – Would ease impact on businesses about to be hit by a roughly 60 percent increase in assessments. H5206 is in Labor and Workforce Committee. To learn more, click here.

Campus sexual assault legislation – H4418 is in the House Ways and Means Committee. To learn more, click here.

Bruce Mohl oversees the production of content and edits reports, along with carrying out his own reporting with a particular focus on transportation, energy, and climate issues. He previously worked...