Expert Compliance Insights & Tips for Businesses

July 3, 2019

52 view(s)

Obamacare Appeals Hearing Moves Forward

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals originally set a deadline of today for the filing of supplemental briefs on the question of whether Blue State attorneys general (AGs) and the House of Representatives have standing in the case of the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare), and surprisingly, Red State AGs requested a 20-day extension, which was denied. Instead, ...

5th Circuit Adds Twist to ACA Ruling Appeal

June 27, 2019

32 view(s)

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is set to hear arguments on appeal of a district judge's ruling that the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare) is unconstitutional, but it is now questioning whether anyone has the standing to argue against the ruling. The Trump administration's Department of Justice (DOJ) has already agreed in toto with Judge Reed O'Connor's ruling, so the appeals court is...

June 26, 2019

70 view(s)

Supreme Court Upholds Power of Regulators, Mostly...

In a case that various interest groups wanted to see end what is known as "Auer deference," the Supreme Court instead affirmed the 1997 decision behind the principle but in so doing sought to place limits on government regulators. The Auer deference means that justices at all levels should defer to government agencies' interpretations of regulations if the regulations are ambiguous. In a ...

June 24, 2019

37 view(s)

DOL Issues NPRM on Apprenticeship Programs

Two years after an executive order by President Trump asked the Department of Labor (DOL) to develop an apprenticeship program, the department this morning finally announced it had issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to accomplish that very goal. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta The NPRM, according to the de...

only-one-of-two-known-photos-of-supreme-court-in-session

SCOTUS to Hear ACA Risk Corridor Case

June 24, 2019

39 view(s)

The Supreme Court today agreed to hear a case brought by health insurance companies claiming they are owed $12 billion by the government for unfunded Obamacare risk corridor payments. This 1932 photo of the Supreme Court, taken by a camera smuggled into the courtroom, is one of only two known to exist. Photography in the chamber i...

June 20, 2019

45 view(s)

Five Cities Sue Trump Administration Over Obamacare

A coalition of five cities has sued President Trump and officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for deliberately "sabotaging" the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare). The suit hinges on a clause in the Constitution and on the judicial review powers set forth in the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The clause in question is known as the "take care" clause, whi...

June 19, 2019

40 view(s)

Drug Companies Sue HHS to Block Price Rule

They're mad as heck and they ain't gonna take it anymore, so we'll see you in court, says Big Pharma. Merck, Eli Lilly and Amgen are being joined by the National Association of Advertisers in suing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over a rule taking effect in July that will force manufacturers to reveal pricing in their consumer drug ads. Their bone of contention: The rul...

June 17, 2019

50 view(s)

New Rules Shake Up Employer Health Insurance

The Trump administration is rolling out rules that will allow employers to fund Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) so that their employees can purchase health insurance on their own. The rules, which take effect on Jan. 1, 2020, are currently being finalized by the departments of Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services. The rules follow on the heels of President Trump's October 2...

June 10, 2019

47 view(s)

SCOTUS Ruling Makes Bias Defense Tougher

The Supreme Court this month resolved a split among the circuit courts regarding Title VII lawsuits and discrimination filings with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The U.S. Supreme Court building, completed in 1935. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in employ...

June 10, 2019

70 view(s)

First HIPAA Lawsuit by State Attorneys General Settled

Medical Informatics Engineering Inc. (MIE) has agreed to pay $900,000 to 16 states whose attorneys general had sued the company over a data breach in violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). OCR Director Roger Severino Simultaneously, MIE settled with the Department of Health and H...

81 of 329

Options

Recent Articles

Practical articles on HR, Safety, compliance, and people operations—written for real businesses, not legal textbooks.

DOJ Challenges EEOC's Stance on Disparate Impact Claims

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently issued a legal opinion that may signal major changes ahead in federal workplace discrimination enforcement. In a June 9, 2026 memorandum, the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) expressed the opinion that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's...

Department of Labor Issues 2026 Civil Penalty Update: No Adjustments This Year

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently published its annual update announcement regarding federal civil monetary penalties under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act. In a notice published in the Federal Register on May 27th, 2026, the DOL announced that no penalty increases...

U.S. Department of Labor Issues New Opinion Letters on Overtime Exemptions, Bonuses, and Compensable Time

On May 29th, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released several new opinion letters addressing key wage & hour issues. Specifically, one of the four documents informed readers whether an exempt employee could perform additional work in a secondary role at an hourly rate and still be eligible...

EEOC Issues New National Enforcement Plan Through 2029

On June 4th, 2026, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a new 2025-2029 National Enforcement Plan (NEP). The NEP sets the EEOC’s specific subject-matter priorities from June through fiscal year 2029.

U.S. Department of Labor Officially Restores Prior Overtime Exemption Rules

On May 14th, 2026, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced it has officially rescinded the 2024 overtime exemption rules. Specifically, the WHD published a technical amendment to restore previous 2019 regulations that dictated overtime exemptions for...

View All Articles