Regulatory Radar

REGULATORY RADAR - New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that will ban the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food packaging.

REGULATORY RADAR - The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released proposed updates to its Compliance Manual on Religious Discrimination for the first time in twelve years.

REGULATORY RADAR - Following on Colorado’s COMPS Order #36, made effective March 16, 2020, the state has now introduced more changes, including a revamped transportation worker exemption.

REGULATORY RADAR - Nasdaq filed a proposal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to adopt new listing rules related to board diversity and disclosure. If approved by the SEC, the new listing rules would require all companies listed on Nasdaq’s U.S. exchange to publicly disclose consistent, transparent diversity statistics regarding their board of directors.

REGULATORY RADAR - New regulation aimed at increasing the transparency of risk assessment in the food chain is set to become effective in the EU on March 27, 2021.

REGULATORY RADAR - On January 7, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a final rule in the Federal Register that clarifies how to determine who is an independent contractor and who is an employee for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

REGULATORY RADAR - This second stimulus package is the most recent of several major pieces of legislation to be enacted since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020.

REGULATORY RADAR - Effective January 1, 2021, all permit applications for new buildings in the Netherlands are being tested against new criteria which aim to ensure that these new buildings are close to energy neutral, meaning that they produce the same amount of or more energy than they consume by conserving energy and employing renewable technology.

REGULATORY RADAR - Effective January 1, 2021, paid leave benefits and job protections became available under Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (MAPFML).

REGULATORY RADAR - On December 19, 2020, the Government of Canada’s Department of the Environment published a proposed rule titled Clean Fuel Regulations, in a national effort to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 under the Paris Agreement.

REGULATORY RADAR - On December 15, 2020, the District of Columbia City Council unanimously passed a bill entitled The Ban on Non-Compete Agreements Amendment Act of 2020.

REGULATORY RADAR - On January 20, 2021, the New York State Department of Labor issued guidance clarifying certain aspects of New York’s COVID-19-related quarantine leave law and expanding certain benefits under the law.