Regulatory Radar

India's minister for women and children, Maneka Gandhi, has drafted a comprehensive bill on human trafficking – the first of its kind in India - providing protection and assistance to human trafficking victims.

The FAR Council and the Department of Labor issued final rules and guidance for the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order to require prospective federal contractors to disclose labor law violations and give agencies guidance on how to consider labor violations when awarding federal contracts.

To reduce workplace compensation gender inequality, Massachusetts signed a new bill into law banning employers from asking for past salary information.

A new bill designed to protect patients and doctors increases reporting requirements for medical professionals who encounter serious issues or find potential defects when using certain medical devices.

A new law, known as Decree No. (9) of 2015 (Dubai Fundraising Law), prohibits fundraising within the UAE without prior written approval from The Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD).

Earlier this year, France became the first nation in the world to address the issue of food waste by banning supermarkets from simply throwing away unsold goods.

With the growing threat of cyber-attacks on the U.S. financial infrastructure, the state of New York is taking proactive steps to ensure that consumers remain protected through a new proposal for cybersecurity regulations.

In keeping with the goals agreed upon by the United States as part of the Paris Agreement, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) have issued new emissions rules for medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned 19 antibacterial chemicals from use in consumer soaps, giving manufacturers one year to either remove the substances from their products or stop selling the products entirely.

Voters in Massachusetts chose to retain a law that protects people who are transgender from discrimination. The law, passed in 2016 by the state legislature, bans discrimination based on gender identity in public accommodations such as hotels, restaurants, and other public places. Opponents to this law received enough support to put it on the ballot as a referendum in the 2018 midterm elections as Question 3. Question 3—which asked whether residents would like to uphold the law—was approved by 67.8 percent of those who voted

While California is on pace to reach its carbon reduction goals, given the uncertainty surrounding future regulations, businesses appear to be slowing participation. Therefore, Governor Brown signed into law SB 32, which extends California’s climate goals out to 2030, including an aggressive new goal of a 40 percent reduction from the state’s 1990 level.

At a United Nations (UN) conference in Rwanda, 197 nations came to an agreement to significantly reduce the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are up to 1,000 times more powerful in trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.