Regulatory Radar

REGULATORY RADAR - California became the first state to require publicly traded companies to include women on their boards of directors. On September 30, 2018, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation that will make companies with principal executive offices in California have at least one woman on their boards by the end of 2019.

REGULATORY RADAR - The recent North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) update includes environmental provisions related to sustainable forest management. The agreement builds on many of the environmental regulations that were included in the original 1993 agreement.

REGULATORY RADAR - This month, California Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 212 into law, which establishes a statewide take-back system for needles and medications.

Regulatory Radar - On December 6, 2018, the Philadelphia City Council approved a regulation that will require employers to provide advanced notice of scheduling to workers.

REGULATORY RADAR - The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission voted to set an earnings floor for drivers on ride-hailing apps, such as Uber and Lyft.

REGULATORY RADAR - Regulation to require solar panels in new residential construction received final approval from the California Building and Standards Commission in December 2018.

REGULATORY RADAR - Australia’s Modern Slavery Bill, which became law on November 29, 2018, calls for entities doing business in Australia with revenue exceeding AUD 100 million to publish a Modern Slavery Statement.

REGULATORY RADAR - On December 14, 2018, California passed a new regulation requiring that all transit buses purchased beginning in 2029 to be fully electric.

REGULATORY RADAR - Hungary passed a new labor law in December 2018 that has raised the yearly cap on overtime hours from 250 to 400, while giving employers three years to pay for accrued overtime.

REGULATORY RADAR - The EU has passed new protections for farmers to defend their role in food supply chains, aimed at preventing "unfair trading practices."

REGULATORY RADAR - After months of discussion, the United States passed a new $867 billion farm bill that allocates subsidies to American farmers, legalizes hemp, and maintains nutritional assistance benefits.

REGULATORY RADAR - On December 27, 2018, Brazil’s President Temer issued an executive order to create a National Data Protection Authority charged with implementation and enforcement of the country’s new data protection law.