NAW Government Update
Get the latest NAW Government Relations Update on labor laws, tax and economic policies, government, and the key primaries in the Midwest.
Get the latest NAW Government Relations Update on labor laws, tax and economic policies, government, and the key primaries in the Midwest.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday approved a rule that will require some public companies to report their greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks, after last-minute revisions that weakened the directive in the face of strong pushback from companies.
Read The Associated Press
On Jan. 9, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a long-awaited final rule concerning when employers can classify workers as independent contractors under federal law. This is the final version of the Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which DOL proposed in October 2022 (the “Final Rule”). It establishes a six-factor test for determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor, and takes effect March 11, 2024.
Read more at GT Law
On September 13, 2023, a bill, entitled Higher Wages for American Workers Act, proposed by six Republican senators would require all employers to use the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify program to authorize employment eligibility, and would increase the national minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $11.
Read HR Dive
Introduced in March 2020, the SEC’s proposed climate disclosure rule would require public companies to report data associated with climate-related risks and emissions, including their own emissions and emissions that come from their supply chain. According to a recent report from PwC and Workiva, Inc., 70% of companies are proceeding with compliance now.
Read Smart Industry
Last week, Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced bipartisan legislation – The Timber Innovation for Building Rural Communities Act – to improve forest health, reduce wildfire risk, sequester more carbon, and boost rural economies by supporting innovative timber products.
Read Sierra Sun Times
On Wednesday, July 26, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted new rules requiring publicly traded companies to disclose hacking incidents, a measure officials say is to help the investing public contend with the mounting cost and frequency of cyber attacks.
Read Reuters
On Thursday, July 27, 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced new commitments to advance affordable housing supply and tenant protections, focused on the Administration’s goal of lowering housing costs.
Read DWM
In continuing efforts to ensure supply chain stability, on July 9th The Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a program of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), announced it awarded $400,000 to each of its MEP National Network Centers in every state and Puerto Rico for a totaling funding of $20 million to be used to develop programs to make domestic supply chains more resilient and efficient.
Read MH&L
President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s 99-page debt ceiling bill that would suspend the nation’s debt limit through 2025 to avoid a federal default while limiting government spending goes before Congress this week. Details on what’s in and what’s out have now been released.
Read AP News