FEHC Issues New Employment Regulations On April 14, 2020, the California Fair Employment and Housing Council (“FEHC”) finalized a rulemaking action that implements, interprets, and makes specific the employment provisions of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”), most notably clarifying what pre-employment practices are now prohibited. The newly amended language clarifies what constitutes employment…
DetailsInjunction Halts Federal BiOps On May 11, U.S. District Judge Dale Drozd issued a preliminary injunction in two lawsuits brought against the Trump Administration by Attorney General Xavier Becerra on behalf of California’s Natural Resources Agency and Environmental Protection Agency and by a half-dozen environmental groups. The lawsuits allege the proposed water exports allowed under…
DetailsGovernor Newsom Issues Executive Order on Workers’ Compensation The Governor announced the Executive Order will do the following: The Executive Order is retroactive to March 19 and extends for 60 days from today’s announcement. Employees working outside the home that test positive for COVID-19 or are diagnosed positive by a physician or surgeon licensed by…
DetailsGovernor Newsom Issues Executive Order on Paid Sick Leave On April 14, 2020, Governor Newsom issued an Executive Order for large employers of 500 employees or more operating in the food sector to provide employees that have tested positive for COVID or are ordered to quarantine due to COVID two weeks of paid sick leave.…
DetailsCalifornia Looks to Make Workers’ Comp Changes Amid COVID-19 The Newsom administration is exploring the possibility of mandating that all employees working outside of the home who contract COVID-19 during the shelter in place order will automatically be covered by workers’ compensation if they test positive within 14 days of being at the workplace. There…
DetailsUpdates on the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Under the recently announced Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), USDA has created the Food Box Distribution Program (FBDP), which will utilize $3 billion of the CFAP funding to purchase agricultural products. Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitations for the FBDP will begin April 24, 2020. Unlike past USDA food…
DetailsNew Aid Bill Replenishes Paycheck Protection Program On April 24, 2020, President Trump signed legislation providing $484 billion in additional coronavirus aid. The bill included funding to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which had exhausted its initial $349 billion funding established in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, & Economic Security (CARES) Act. Businesses who were denied due…
DetailsNew Mexico Legislature New Mexico wrapped up its 2020 Legislative Session on February 20th, long before state legislatures across the country went on recess amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has indicated that she may call a special session to deal with the budget situation from plunging oil and…
DetailsArizona Legislature The Arizona Legislature adjourned on March 23rd with the hope of reconvening on April 13th to finish the session, but this week it was decided that it would not be safe to return April 13th. No new date of return was announced, only that members would be given ample notice before they are…
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