Dynamic Lists - ADVOCACY UPDATES

The Pregnancy Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) was passed in June 2023, to fill the gaps between federal, state, and local law with the goal of providing greater protection to pregnant and postpartum employees. While the law was immediately effective, an implementing regulation was necessary to provide additional direction on compliance. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued the regulation in April 2024 and it will go into effect on June 18, 2024.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued new “Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace” (Enforcement Guidance) to provide clarity on what constitutes workplace harassment. The Enforcement Guidance was issued on April 29, 2024, and was effective immediately upon its issuance.

In April 2024, House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) released a bipartisan, bicameral discussion draft of the American Privacy Rights Act of 2024 (APRA). A discussion draft is created to share with colleagues before being formally proposed. The discussion draft builds on prior congressional efforts to enact a comprehensive privacy bill, incorporating elements of the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA). If enacted, the APRA would establish the first national comprehensive consumer data privacy rights law in the United States.

On May 20, 2024, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) published several revisions to its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). The HCS is one of the cornerstones of any safety program as it primarily addresses chemical hazards and precautions to protect employees from those hazards.

On May 21, 2024, Minnesota became the fifth state to enact Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation. Governor Tim Walz signed HF 3577 the Packaging Waste and Cost Reduction Act as part of the larger HF 3911 Environmental and Natural Resources Appropriations budget bill. Minnesota joins four other states (Maine, Oregon, Colorado, and California) who are all in separate phases of EPR implementation.