July is Still the New January! Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute’s Mid-Year Legislative Report

Hot off the press – here is Littler’s mid-year report!  As federal regulators, states and cities continue to pass new workplace regulations through the calendar year, we summarize each state’s notable labor and employment law updates. Some states, like Maryland, have at least a dozen new laws and regulations taking effect this summer, tackling everything from vaping at work to pay discrimination.  Other states have just one, such as the state of West Virginia, which now restrains employers from acting against employees who store firearms in their vehicles on company property.

The state of Washington is cracking down on warehouse employers, regulating worker performance quotas with a new law and regulations set to take effect July 1. Colorado has eight new laws ranging from regulation of noncompete agreement enforcement to Crown Act amendments. Other common themes among several states include changes to child labor regulations, mandating pay scales in job postings, and prohibiting mandatory employer-sponsored meetings at work.

Please note that many state legislatures are still in session, so additional laws taking effect this summer are bound to be enacted after publication. And new laws—particularly at the local level—are often subject to amendment or legal challenges. This Insight focuses on select generally applicable employment laws, so all new laws, including industry-specific regulations, might not be covered. This article is intended to provide insight on the types of laws state and local legislatures are enacting, some of which have effective dates right around the corner.

For an update on minimum wage-related changes taking effect this summer, please see Rates Up, Dude – Surfing the Wave of U.S. Minimum Wage, Tipped, and Exempt Employee Pay Increases that Will Occur on July 1, 2024.

Federal

Indiana

Nebraska

Tennessee

Alabama

Iowa

New Jersey

Texas

Arizona

Kansas

New York

Vermont

California

Kentucky

North Carolina

Virginia

Colorado

Louisiana

Oklahoma

Washington

Connecticut

Maine

Oregon

West Virginia

Florida

Maryland

Pennsylvania

Wisconsin

Georgia

Michigan

Rhode Island

 

Idaho

Minnesota

South Carolina

 

Illinois

Montana

South Dakota

 

Federal

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

United States DOL Final Rule Increasing Minimum Salary Level for Overtime Exemptions (29 CFR Part 541)

Overtime ⁄ Exemptions

 

Increases the salary and compensation threshold required for the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) "white collar" overtime exemption.

7/1/2024

United States DOL Final Rule Rescinding Definition of "Employer" Under ERISA for Association Health Plans (29 CFR Part 2510)

Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)

 

Rescinds the 2018 Rule that established an alternative set of criteria for employers to join together and be treated as an employer sponsor of a group health plan.

7/1/2024

United States DOL Final Rule re Retirement Investment Advice Fiduciary Definition (29 CFR Part 2510)

401k ⁄ Retirement ⁄ Pension

Defines when a person renders investment advice for fee or other compensation with respect to an employee benefit plan.

9/22/2024

United States EEOC Final Rule re Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (29 CFR Part 1636)

Lactation Accommodation

 

Implements the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act; clarifies the scope of actions that are considered reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees.

6/18/2024

United States Final Rule re OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR Part 1910)

Notification Requirements

 

Requires employers to provide information to employees regarding certain classified hazards present in the workplace.

7/19/2024

United States HIPAA Final Rule to Support Reproductive Healthcare Privacy (45 CFR 160, 164)

Reproductive Health

 

Prohibits protected health information relating to reproductive healthcare to be used or disclosed for criminal, civil, or administrative investigations or proceedings.

6/25/2024

United States PBGC Final Rule re Valuation Assumptions and Methods (29 CFR Parts 4022, 4044, 4050, 4262, & 4281)

401k ⁄ Retirement ⁄ Pension

 

Updates the interest, mortality, and expense assumptions used to determine the present value of benefits for a single-employer pension plan; determines components of mass withdrawal liability for a multiemployer pension plan.

7/8/2024

United States DOE Final Rule on Title IX

Higher Education

Updates final regulations enforcing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which will govern sex discrimination complaints regarding conduct that occurs after August 1, 2024. Educational institutions have until August 1, 2024, to update their policies and train staff on the new Title IX requirements.

8/1/2024

Alabama

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Alabama HB 407

Employment Taxation

Exempts from state income tax amounts paid as overtime compensation in accordance with the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act.

10/01/2024

Alabama SB 119

Child Labor

Increases civil and criminal penalties for employers that violate child labor laws.

10/01/2024

Alabama SB 53

Child Labor

Eliminates the eligibility to work form for minors ages 14 or 15 years old.

6/1/2024

Arizona

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Arizona HB 2252

Joint Employment

Revises professional employer organization requirements; repeals professional employer organization registration, and violation provisions.

7/20/2024

Arizona HB 2677

Reproductive Health

Repeals Arizona's historical abortion ban that prohibits all abortions except to save the mother's life.

7/20/2024

California

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

California Labor Code §Labor 6401.9

Workplace Violence

Requires employers to develop and implement a workplace violence prevention plan (as part of their Injury and Illness Prevention Plans) that meets the requirements of the new Labor Code Section 6401.9.  Requires employee training on the plan.

7/1/2024

California SB 478

Hospitality & Retail

Prohibits businesses in California from advertising, displaying, or offering “a price for a good or service that does not include all mandatory fees or other charges” other than taxes and shipping.  (NOTE:  subject to future modification – see SB 1524)

7/1/2024

California: Long Beach Measure RW, Hotel Worker Minimum Wage (Ballot Measure)

Hospitality

Increases minimum wage for workers in or connected to hotels, and revises standards on wages and service charges.

7/1/2024

California: Los Angeles County Ordinance No. 2024-0012

Criminal Background Checks

Prohibits an employer from inquiring into an applicant's criminal history prior to extending a conditional offer of employment, unless legally required to.

9/3/2024

Colorado

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Colorado HB 1058

Privacy and Data Security

Amends the Colorado Privacy Act to expand the definition of “sensitive data” to include biological and neural data.

8/7/2024

Colorado HB 1324

Noncompete Agreements

 

Provides that an employer may recover training expenses from an employee if the training meets certain requirements set forth by the state attorney general; authorizes the state attorney general to enforce the prohibition on covenants not to compete and other restrictive covenants.

8/7/2024

Colorado HB 1036

Employment Taxation

 

Provides that prior to January 1, 2025, no state withholding tax is required to be deducted and withheld from wages if the compensation is eligible to be subtracted from federal taxable income; repeals the provision on December 31, 2028.

8/7/2024

Colorado HB 1129

Independent Contractors

 

Requires a delivery network company to provide certain disclosures to drivers and consumers; requires a delivery network company to allow drivers at least 60 seconds to accept a task offer; and provides specifications on how a delivery network company can deactivate a driver.

8/7/2024

Colorado HB 1132

Bone Marrow ⁄ Blood ⁄ Organ Donation Leave

 

Prohibits an employer from taking adverse action against an employee who is or becomes a living organ donor.

6/3/2024

Colorado HB 1451

Protected Classification

Amends the CROWN Act to include hair length commonly or historically associated with race in the definition of “race.”

6/3/2024

Colorado HB 1220

Workers' Compensation

 

Allows a workers’ compensation claimant to refuse an offer of modified employment if the claimant would be required to drive to and from work and the treating physician has restricted the claimant from driving.

8/7/2024

Colorado SB 65

Cell Phone ⁄ Texting While Driving

Prohibits the use of a mobile electronic device when driving, unless the individual is using a hands-free accessory.

8/7/2024

Colorado SB 58

Background Checks

Job Application Fairness Act (JAFA) prohibits employers from inquiring about a job applicant’s age during the hiring process.

7/1/2024

Colorado Rules re: Protections for Public Workers Act (PROPWA)

Labor Management Relations

Rules clarify protected activity, reserve certain public employer rights, and establish enforcement mechanisms.

7/1/2024

Connecticut

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Connecticut HB 5001

Home Health and Home Care

Requires home health agencies to require employees to wear a badge with the employee's name and photograph during scheduled appointments effective October 1, 2024.

7/1/2024

Connecticut SB 1

Home Health and Home Care

Requires home health agencies to provide certain information regarding a client's history and location; requires home health agencies to provide training recognizing health hazards

10/1/2024

Connecticut SB 222

Domestic and Sexual Violence Leave

Amends paid family and medical leave provisions relating to employer reporting requirements, concurrent payments, and penalties for violations of the law; provides that an employee may use paid or unpaid leave due to sexual assault.

10/1/2024

Connecticut SB 220

Civil Procedure

Clarifies the appeal process to the Superior Court under the paid family and medical leave provisions.

7/1/2024

Florida

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Florida HB 433

Workplace Safety and Health

Provides that state regulation preempts all heat exposure requirements in the workplace; prohibits local jurisdictions from seeking to control or affect the wages or employment benefits provided by its contractors or other parties doing business with the political subdivision.

7/1/2024

Florida HB 49

Child Labor

Removes certain employment restrictions for minors 16 and 17 years of age; revises age at which employment restrictions apply; prohibits counties and municipalities from adopting or enforcing certain ordinances that are more stringent than state law.

7/1/2024

Florida HB 7063

Human Trafficking

Revises hotline number to be included in human trafficking awareness signs for public lodging establishments; requires that contractors with governmental entities attest that they do not use human trafficked labor.

7/1/2024

Florida SB 262

Data Protection

Creates the Florida Digital Bill of Rights Act to establish responsibilities and privacy protection standards for businesses collecting personal data.

7/1/2024

Georgia

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Georgia SB 362

Labor Management Relations

Limits access to specified economic development incentives for an employer that voluntarily recognizes a union via card check rather than a secret ballot election.

7/1/2024

Georgia SB 430

COVID-19

Removes the requirement of notice for rebuttable presumptions of risk in certain COVID-19 liability claims.

7/1/2024

Idaho

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Idaho HB 654

Wage and Hour

Requires an employer to offer the same salary and benefits to an employee who is a prisoner as would be offered to other employees.

7/1/2024

Idaho SB 1275

Employer Liability

Amends existing law to provide immunity for employers that allow or do not prohibit employees to lawfully carry firearms.

7/1/2024

Illinois

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Illinois HB 1122

Contingent Workforce

Creates the Freelance Worker Protection Act; provides that freelance workers must be compensated by hiring parties for their services in a timely manner and requires the terms of the services to be executed in writing.

7/1/2024

Illinois: Chicago Final Rules re Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave (Rule PTO 1.01 - 3.02)

Paid Sick Leave

Implements and clarifies the requirements for the Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave ordinance.

7/1/2024

Illinois: Chicago Final Rules re Wage Theft Ordinance (Rule MW 1.01 - 3.02)

Minimum Wage

Defines terms and clarifies and implements the minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping provisions of the Chicago wage theft ordinance

7/1/2024

Indiana

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Indiana SB 146

Hospitality

Allows a person who is at least 18 years of age to sell and serve alcoholic beverages; changes certain hour and time restrictions for the employment of a minor who is 14 or 15 years of age; requires an employer to update certain information regarding the employment of minors.

7/1/2024

Indiana SB 148

Employment Taxation

Amends an employer’s new-hire reporting requirements.

7/1/2024

Iowa

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Iowa HB 2698

Employment Contracts and Agreements

Repeals provision imposing penalties on a healthcare staffing agency for placing a worker that has fraudulent credentials.

7/1/2024

Kansas

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Kansas HB 2560

Wage and Hour

Enacts the Kansas Earned Wage Access Services Act.

7/1/2024

Kansas HB 2570

Unemployment

Amends electronic filing requirements for employers with 25 or more employees, including wage reports, contribution returns and payments due.

7/1/2024

Kentucky

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Kentucky HB 320

Civil Procedure

Establishes a three-year statute of limitations for certain wage and hour violations, employment discrimination violations, and wrongful discharge claims.

7/15/2024

Kentucky SB 74

Reproductive Health

Requires certain health benefit plans to provide coverage for pregnancy, childbirth, and pregnancy-related conditions.

7/15/2024

Louisiana

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Louisiana HB 156

Child Labor

Amends the state child labor law to require recreation or meal periods only for minors under sixteen.

8/1/2024

Maine

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Maine LD 2214 (HP 1420)

Paid Family ⁄ Medical Leave and Insurance

Requires employers to provide intermittent leave to employees in increments equaling not less than one day, or on a reduced leave schedule otherwise agreed to in increments of one hour or more; prohibits employers from reducing the total amount of leave to which employees are entitled.

7/16/2024

Maine LD 227 (HP 148)

Reproductive Health

Provides for the right to gender-affirming care and reproductive health care; prohibits hostile litigation used to deter certain protected health care activities.

7/16/2024

Maine LD 372 (SP 179)

Wage and Hour Penalties

Provides that additional fines for unpaid wages may be imposed on an employer.

7/16/2024

Maryland

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Maryland HB 136 (SB 233)

Retaliation

Prohibits employers from taking or threatening to take adverse action against an employee for pursuing legal action regarding their employment rights and responsibilities.

7/1/2024

Maryland HB 1397 (SB590)

Pay Equity / Discrimination

Prohibits pay discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

7/1/2024

Maryland HB 238 (SB 244)

Drugs and Alcohol

Prohibits vaping in indoor places of employment; provides that vaping includes an electronic smoking device or any device where users inhale aerosol containing hemp or cannabis.

7/1/2024

Maryland HB 244

Workplace Safety and Health

Provides for an annual increase in the maximum and minimum civil penalties for violations of the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Act.

7/1/2024

Maryland HB 394 (SB 50)

Discrimination and Harassment

Provides that certain final orders on a complaint alleging a discriminatory act are appealable.

10/1/2024

Maryland HB 465 (SB 436)

Employee Misclassification

Increases the maximum civil penalty for a construction or landscaping employer that knowingly fails to properly classify an individual as an employee rather than an independent contractor.

10/1/2024

Maryland HB 571 (SB 485)

Paid Family ⁄ Medical Leave and Insurance

Delays the payroll tax and employer/employee contributions for the family and medical leave program to July 1, 2025; delays employee eligibility to use leave benefits to July 1, 2026.

10/1/2024

Maryland HB 598 (SB 413)

Military ⁄ Veteran Status

Prohibits discrimination based on military status.

10/1/2024

Maryland HB 602

Protected Classification

Prohibits pay discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

10/1/2024

Maryland HB 649 (SB 525)

Pay Transparency

Requires employers to disclose compensation or range of compensation to applicants and employees for all job postings.

10/1/2024

Maryland SB 216

Workers' Compensation

Increases penalties for an employer's failure to secure required workers' compensation insurance.

7/1/2024

Maryland SB 666 (HB 368)

Discrimination and Harassment

Provides monetary relief to complainant if the Commission on Civil Rights finds discrimination regarding public accommodation.

10/1/2024

Maryland: Anne Arundel County Ordinance No. 21-24

Discrimination and Harassment

Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of a protected class; creates a county Human Relations Commission for receiving and resolving complaints of discrimination.

6/8/2024

Maryland: Montgomery County Bill 44-23

Reproductive Health

Prohibits an employer from requesting or considering a job applicant's sexual or reproductive health information.

7/17/2024

Michigan

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Michigan HB 4185

Workplace Safety and Health

Enhances the penalties against an employer for asbestos-related violations.

6/10/2024

Minnesota

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Minnesota HB 1830

Protected Time Off: Voting

Amends the voting leave provisions to allow an employee to take time off to vote during the early voting period prior to election day.

7/1/2024

Minnesota HB 5247

Worker Misclassification

Makes significant changes to the state’s independent contractor and employment laws; all employers, as well as their owners, risk significantly increased penalties for misclassifying employees as independent contractors. 

7/1/2024

Minnesota HB 4109 (SB 4201)

Protected Classification

Prohibits discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, marital status, disability, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, familial status, and age.

8/1/2024

Minnesota SB 3852 (HB 3947)

Non-Compete Agreements

Leaves of Absence

Drug Testing

Wage and Hour

Omnibus employment policy bill includes certain provisions that will take effect this summer. Specifically, the measure bans certain non-solicitation agreements between “service providers” and their customers starting ; expands protections for parental leave; increases the percentage increase used in calculating the state’s annual minimum wage cost of living adjustment from 2.5% to 5%; permits employers to conduct oral fluid drug testing; amends child labor enforcement statute; imposes certain recordkeeping requirements.

7/1/2024 for non-compete provision; 8/1/2024 for other listed provisions

Minnesota: Minneapolis  Ordinance No. 2024-00146

Independent Contractors

Establishes minimum compensation requirements for transportation rideshare drivers.

7/1/2024

Montana

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Montana SB 384

Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Robotics

Establishes the Consumer Data Privacy Act; provides consumers the right to personal data; establishes requirements and limitations for a controller and/or processor of personal data; provides data protection assessments.

10/1/2024

Nebraska

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Nebraska LB 906

Child Labor

Changes penalty for certain violations of child labor law from a Class II to a Class I misdemeanor.

7/18/2024

New Jersey

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

New Jersey AB 5516

Training and

Home Health and Home Care

Requires homemaker-home health aides and any other health care professional providing in-home health care services to undergo cultural competency and implicit bias training.

7/15/2024

New Jersey SB 723 (AB 822)

Home Health and Home Care

Creates the "New Jersey Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights Act"

7/1/2024

New York

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

New York AB 1029 (SB211)

Criminal Background Checks

Prohibits certain sealed convictions from being used to discriminate against employment applicants.

11/16/2024

New York SB 8039 (AB8535)

Independent Contractors

Repeals and reenacts the Freelance Isn’t Free Act; provides for the payment of freelance workers as independent contractors, including requiring written contracts, timely payment of compensation, and handling controversies relating to payment, complaint procedures, and penalties.

8/28/2024

New York Bill No. A08806C

Lactation Breaks

Requires employers to provide up to 30 minutes of paid lactation breaks to employees each time an employee has a reasonable need to express breast milk at work.

6/19/2024

New York: New York City Workers’ Bill of Rights

Notices

Requires to provide a copy of the Workers’ Bill of Rights to each of their current employees, and thereafter, covered employers will be expected to distribute the workers’ bill of rights on an employee’s first day of work.

7/1/2024

North Carolina

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

North Carolina SB 542

Record Retention

Increases the civil penalty amounts for violations of recordkeeping requirements related to employee information; provides that employers that violate child labor laws may receive notice of penalty through electronic means.

6/3/2024

Oklahoma

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Oklahoma HB 3596

Unemployment

Modifies notice to employer requirements and the filing of employer protests regarding unemployment claims.

11/1/2024

Oklahoma SB 1511

Home Health and Home Care

Requires employers to conduct a criminal history background check before beginning an employment contract for nursing care; prohibits hiring individuals with a criminal history containing human trafficking or any crime resulting in being registered on a sex offender registry; prohibits hiring individuals who have committed certain crimes within the past five years.

11/1/2024

Oregon

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Oregon HB 4004

Child Labor

Permits civil penalties against an individual for violating child labor laws when the person has paid a civil penalty to the United States Department of Labor for a violation involving the same facts; increases the maximum penalty from $1,000 to $10,000.

6/6/2024

Oregon SB 619

Privacy and Data Security

Requires businesses to provide notice of personal data collection to consumers and allow consumers to view, correct, or request deletion of personal data.

7/1/2024

Oregon SB 1515

Paid Leave

Makes certain changes to Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) and Oregon’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (Paid Leave Oregon) so that as of July 1, 2024, Paid Leave Oregon will become the primary—but not exclusive—source of the leave entitlements employees had under OFLA.

7/1/2024

Pennsylvania

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Pennsylvania: Lehigh County Ordinance No. 2024-03

Discrimination and Harassment

Prohibits employment discrimination by an employer of one or more employees on the basis of a protected class; prohibits an employer from asking for criminal history on a job application; prohibits an employer from asking an applicant for current or previous salary information.

6/1/2024

Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Ordinance No. 240088

Right to Recall

Establishes a right of recall for laid-off service workers and a right of retention for service workers in the event of a property closure or service contract termination.

6/1/2024

Rhode Island

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Rhode Island Final Rule re Lack of Workers' Compensation Insurance (260-RICR-50-05-10)

Workers' Compensation

Clarifies employer's workers' compensation insurance requirements, including for out-of-state employers, and the enforcement powers of the Department of Labor and Training.

6/12/2024

South Carolina

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

South Carolina SJR 533

Disability and Minimum Wage

Prohibits paying subminimum wages to individuals with disabilities.

8/1/2024

South Dakota

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

South Dakota HB 1076

Discrimination and Harassment

Creates a definition for antisemitism to be used in determining whether a discriminatory act has occurred.

7/1/2024

South Dakota SB 12

Drugs and Alcohol

Provides that an employer is not required to accommodate medical cannabis in the workplace; provides that no cause of action is created for employment discrimination or wrongful termination arising from an employer’s enforcement of a drug-free workplace policy.

7/1/2024

Tennessee

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Tennessee HB 2113

Civil Procedure

Sets the statute of limitations at three years for civil causes of action for unpaid wages.

7/1/2024

Tennessee HB 2110

Compensable Time ⁄ Off the Clock

Clarifies that the term "work" has the same meaning as interpreted by the United States Supreme Court for purposes of the FLSA and the Portal-to-Portal Act.

7/1/2024

Tennessee HB 1694

Workers' Compensation

Requires an employer to report each accident that results in a work-related death or personal injury within 14 calendar days of the date the employer is made aware of the incident.

7/1/2024

Tennessee Final Rule re Workplace Injuries and Illnesses Reporting Requirements (TAC 0800-01-03.05)

Record Retention

Amends recordkeeping and reporting requirements to require certain employers to electronically submit injury and illness information to OSHA.

7/1/2024

Tennessee SB 1866 (HB1907)

Immigration

Clarifies the definition of “illegal alien” for employment purposes.

7/1/2024

Texas

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Texas HB 4 (HB 1844)

Preemption of Local Laws

Establishes procedures for businesses regulating the collection, use, processing, and treatment of consumers' personal data; preempts any local regulations regarding the processing of personal data.

7/1/2024

Vermont

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Vermont HB 363

Discrimination and Harassment

Prohibits employment discrimination based on traits associated with or perceived to be associated with race, including hair type, hair texture, hair styles, and protective hairstyles.

7/1/2024

Vermont SB 102

Captive Audience

Prohibits an employer from compelling employee attendance at an employer-sponsored meeting or participation in communications with the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters.

7/1/2024

Virginia

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Virginia HB 782

Discrimination and Harassment

Clarifies timelines for dual-filing complaints alleging unlawful discrimination with the Virginia Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Law and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

7/1/2024

Virginia HB 100

Child Labor

 

Amends the penalty for violation of child labor laws from $1,000 to not less than $500 or exceed $2,500; increases the penalty for violation of child labor laws that results in serious injury or death from $10,000 to $25,000.

7/1/2024

Virginia HB 18 (SB 7)

Protected Classification

Includes ethnic origin as a protected classification under the Virginia Human Rights Act.

7/1/2024

Virginia HB 474

Retail

Requires retail establishments without public restrooms to allow individuals with an eligible medical condition or ostomy device to use employee facilities.

7/1/2024

Virginia SB 241

Workers' Compensation

Requires an employer or insurer to provide notice that an employee has a right to dispute their claim in any letter denying workers' compensation benefits.

7/1/2024

Virginia SB 350

Discrimination

Establishes deadlines for filing a civil action alleging discrimination after first filing an administrative complaint of discrimination.

7/1/2024

Washington

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Washington HB 1762

Notification Requirements/Warehouse

Requires employers to provide written descriptions of quotas to employees in warehouse distribution centers; prohibits quotas that prevent use of bathroom facilities, compliance with meal or rest periods, or health and safety laws.

7/1/2024

Washington Final Rule re Labor Standards for Warehouse Distribution Center Quotas (WAC 296-136)

Meal and Rest Breaks/Warehouse

Clarifies labor standards for employers regarding warehouse distribution center workers who are subject to performance quotas.

7/1/2024

Washington Final Rule re Safety Standards for Warehouse Distribution Center Quotas (WAC 296-35)

Meal and Rest Breaks/Warehouse

Creates health and safety requirements for employers regarding warehouse distribution center workers who are subject to performance quotas.

7/1/2024

Washington Final Rule re TNC Paid Leave Pilot Program (WAC 192-511)

Independent Contractors

Implements a pilot program for paid family and medical leave for transportation network drivers.

7/1/2024

Washington Final Rule re Paid Leave and Placement (WAC 192-500-195)

Paid Family ⁄ Medical Leave and Insurance

Clarifies under which circumstances family leave can be taken to bond with a child to include legal adoption.

6/14/2024

Washington HB 1927

Workers' Compensation

Reduces the number of days that a worker's temporary total disability must continue in order to receive industrial insurance compensation for the day of an injury and the three-day period following the injury.

6/6/2024

Washington HB 1942

Home Health and Home Care

Clarifies employment standards for long-term care individual providers.

6/6/2024

Washington HB 2467

Employee Benefits

Increases access to the long-term services and supports trust program by allowing participants who move out-of-state the option of maintaining benefit eligibility; and prohibits discrimination based upon race, gender, age, or preexisting condition.

6/6/2024

Washington SB 5778

Captive Audience

Protects an employee's right to refrain from attending meetings or listening to their employer's speech on political or religious matters.

6/6/2024

Washington SB 5935

Noncompete Agreements

Prohibits noncompete agreements that allow the application of choice of law of any jurisdiction other than Washington.

6/6/2024

Washington SB 6007

Retail

Affords grocery workers a right of retention in the event of a change of ownership or control of a grocery establishment.

6/6/2024

Washington SB 6069 (HB 2244)

401k ⁄ Retirement ⁄ Pension

Establishes a state-facilitated automatic retirement savings program and requires employers to enroll covered employees.

6/6/2024

Washington: Renton Initiative Measure No. 23-02 (Ballot Measure)

Minimum Wage

Creates a city minimum wage ordinance; sets the minimum wage at $20.29 for large employers and $18.29 for other covered employers beginning July 1, 2024; requires an employer to offer current employees additional work hours before hiring new employees.

7/1/2024

West Virginia

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

West Virginia HB 5232

Employer Liability

And Firearms

Limits an employer’s ability to take adverse action against an employee for storing a firearm in a vehicle on company property.

6/6/2024

Wisconsin

Bill / Ordinance / Regulation

Main Topic

Summary

Effective Date

Wisconsin AB 574 (SB 579)

Wage and Hour

Requires a provider to be licensed before providing earned wage access services; and provides certain standards for providers.

9/22/2024

Wisconsin SB 616

Deductions from Paychecks

Increases the withholding thresholds for nonresident employees so that no withholding is required for nonresident employees if the total amount of annual wages is less than $2,000.

9/22/2024

 

Information contained in this publication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or opinion, nor is it a substitute for the professional judgment of an attorney.