Expert Compliance Insights & Tips for Businesses

March 2, 2014

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EPA Set to Impose California-Style Fuel Standards on the U.S.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday is set to announce a new fuel rule that will mimic California's by mandating a two-thirds cut in the level of sulfur in gasoline. Specifically, the rule will require the oil industry to reduce sulfur in gasoline from 30 parts per million to 20 parts per million. The result would be cleaner air and less smog, according to a report in ...

February 27, 2014

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NYT/CBS Poll: Six Percent Favor Obamacare As Is

Moving beyond the like/dislike polls of Obamacare since 2010, in which the majority has always opted for "dislike," the latest poll by CBS and the New York Times posed three options: (1) like Obamacare as it is, (2) keep Obamacare but modify it, and (3) scrap it totally. Only six percent of respondents chose option one to keep Obamacare pristine, 50 percent chose option two, and...

February 25, 2014

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Obamacare Said to Reach 4 Million Enrollees

Administration officials told The Huffington Post yesterday that another 700,000 individuals have signed up for Obamacare in February, bringing the total up to the 4-million range. The goal, however, is 7 million by the end of March, meaning in one month they'll have to sign up another 3 million. "With individuals and families enrolling in coverage every day, we continue to see s...

February 25, 2014

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HIPAA Audits to Return With a Vengeance

Following issuance of the landmark HIPAA Omnibus Rule in 2013, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is now gearing up for another round of HIPAA privacy and security rule audits, targeting 1,200 firms -- both covered entities and business associates. Specifically, the audits will focus on 800 covered entities and 400 business associates, but the number represents "an oversupply," a...

February 24, 2014

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CMS Actuary Predicts Premium Hikes for 11 Million in Small Business

In a just-released report, the Chief Actuary for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) predicts that 11 million individuals covered by small business health plans will experience premium increases, while 6 million will see reductions. The report pegs the pending rate hikes to the new community rating system implemented by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on Jan. 1, 2014. The c...

February 22, 2014

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DOL Backs Off on Small Farm Regulation

Under pressure from farm-state congressmen, the Department of Labor (DOL) has withdrawn a memorandum that enabled the agency to inspect, regulate and fine farms with fewer than 10 workers, something which has been banned by law since 1976. Brian V. Kennedy, assistant DOL secretary, responded to three letters from congressmen with a written reply on Feb. 10, indicating that it was never th...

February 21, 2014

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EPA Proposes New Rules to Protect Farm Workers

Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced proposed revisions to the Worker Protection Standard in order to protect the nation’s two million farm workers and their families from pesticide exposure. “Today marks an important milestone for the farm workers who plant, tend, and harvest the food that we put on our tables each day,” said Gina McCarthy...

February 20, 2014

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Final Rule Issued on ACA 90-Day Waiting Period Limitation

The U.S. Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services have announced the publication of final regulations implementing a 90-day limit on waiting periods for health coverage, as specified in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). "This is a common sense measure that helps workers access employer-sponsored health insurance while providing employers flexibility," said Assi...

February 19, 2014

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CBO Weighs In on Proposed Minimum Wage Hikes

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has analyzed the effects of raising the federal minimum wage, using two options: One raising the minimum wage to $9 an hour in two steps, and one raising the wage rate to $10.10 in three steps. Not surprisingly, the CBO concluded that the "$10.10 option would have substantially larger effects on employment and income than the $9.00 option would.&...

February 18, 2014

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New Jersey Seeks Supreme Court Reversal of Sports Betting Ban

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is taking his case for statewide sports betting to the U.S. Supreme Court after having his bid to overturn a federal ban rejected by three other courts. In November 2011, New Jersey voters approved a bill establishing sports betting, and Christine signed it into law in January 2012. The NFL, NCAA, three other major sports leagues and the U.S. Department of J...

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