On March 24, 2022, Utah amended its employment authorization verification rules to relax requirements for employers with 149 or fewer employees. Beginning May 4, 2022, private employers with 149 or fewer employees will no longer be required to use an employee status verification system.
A new Washington state law concerning ride-share companies includes a requirement that the companies provide paid sick leave beginning Jan. 1, 2023. The law requires companies to establish online and app systems for requesting and using paid sick leave. Companies must also provide drivers with written notice of their average hourly compensation for the most […]
On March 23, 2022, West Virginia amended its wage payment laws and changed several provisions regarding payroll cards. The amendments become effective June 9, 2022.
Effective March 17, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has increased the penalty amounts that apply to SBC, MSP and HIPAA privacy and security violations.
On March 15, 2022, the President signed government funding legislation, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (“CAA-22”), into law. The legislation includes a prospective extension of relief that allows first dollar coverage of telehealth services from April 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022. This relief allows individuals with High Deductible Health Plans (“HDHPs”) to receive free […]
The Medicare Modernization Act imposed a new requirement for employers that provide group health plans to notify their Medicare-eligible employees/retirees whether their prescription drug coverage is creditable coverage for Medicare. There are two required disclosures that must be sent out annually. The first disclosure requirement is an annual written notice to all the Medicare-eligible policyholders and Medicare-eligible individuals planning to […]
The No Surprises Act provides that, when out-of-network providers cannot agree to a payment amount from insurers, the payment amount is determined by an Independent Dispute Resolution process. On February 23, 2022, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas invalidated portions of the interim final rules regarding the process. Under the […]
Philadelphia has enacted a new law that requires employers to provide paid time off for COVID-19 purposes. The law applies to employers with at least 25 employees, and it took effect on March 9, 2022.
On March 7, 2022, Oregon adopted a temporary amendment that excludes hiring and retention bonuses from the state’s definition of wages for the purpose of complying with the state’s pay equity law. The amendment became effective on the date it was adopted.
On March 11, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a proposed rule to update certain provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act and other related laws that regulate wage rates for federal and federally assisted construction projects.