Regulatory Radar

REGULATORY RADAR - Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has signed an executive order setting goals for clean energy access and production.

REGULATORY RADAR - The European Commission has passed a new rule mandating sustainability requirements for household appliances, such as refrigerators, televisions, and dishwashers.

REGULATORY RADAR - New York City’s Commission on Human Rights has released new guidelines targeted at stemming discrimination based on perceived or actual immigration status.

REGULATORY RADAR - The United States Department of Labor has released its final rule on overtime pay, which is predicted to expand overtime eligibility to 1.3 million Americans.

REGULATORY RADAR - The European Union’s Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance (TEG) has released its final report on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures and climate benchmarks.

REGULATORY RADAR - The U.S. Senate has passed the Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act of 2019, which amends previous antitrust criminal penalty legislation to expand protections to employee whistleblowers who report criminal antitrust violations or participate in associated federal investigations of criminal antitrust activity.

REGULATORY RADAR - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed new legislation that incorporates the federal Johnson Amendment into state law.

REGULATORY RADAR - The European Union (EU), Norway, and Iceland have agreed jointly to work together to meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement by incorporating two pieces of existing EU climate legislation into the European Economic Area Agreement, which governs free trade between the nations.

REGULATORY RADAR - New York City has expanded human rights law protections to freelancers and independent contractors, enabling workers in these groups to file discrimination, retaliation, or harassment claims to the City’s Commission on Human Rights.

REGULATORY RADAR - The Trump administration has begun the formal process of withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement with notification of the withdrawal sent to the United Nations on November 4, 2019.

REGULATORY RADAR - California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new bill banning mandatory arbitration agreements with employees, which require employees to resolve contract disputes before an arbitrator rather than through the court system.

REGULATORY RADAR - Seattle has passed a new tax on ride sharing, which the city will use to fund affordable housing and public transit, and a $16 minimum wage for ride share drivers.