Compliance Stuff

  After a legislative lull last year, 2026 has brought a new wave of state privacy lawmaking activity. A number of states have introduced comprehensive state privacy bills during the legislative cycle, reflecting a continued trend toward expanding individual privacy rights and creating new compliance obligations on businesses that collect and process personal data. While many of these proposals follow established frameworks modeled after existing state privacy laws, several include new provisions addressing emerging issues such as artificial intelligence (AI) and consumer health data. The tables below summarize certain key details of the state privacy bills introduced during the 2026 legislative cycle. Comprehensive privacy bills (in progress as of March 2, 2026) These bills largely mimic existing comprehensive privacy laws passed since 2018. Certain new provisions are summarized in the last column. State Link to bill Date introduced Title Summary of provisions Alabama HB 351 Janua...

A bill that has advanced to the Arizona Senate would allow employees to seek damages and injunctive relief against employers that violate state or federal laws prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) “policies” and “concepts.” If passed and not vetoed, this legislation could increase uncertainty and liability for employers with programs and practices that could be labeled as unlawful DEI policies. 0:00 7:23 Quick Hits Arizona House Bill 2135 proposes a private right of action allowing employees to seek statutory damages against employers for violating DEI policies. The legislation could expose employers to significant liability, with minimum damages set at $100,000, amid growing federal scrutiny of lawful DEI initiatives. It is unclear at this time whether it will be passed and signed into law by the governor. Arizona House Bill (HB) 2135, titled “ Prohibited Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policies ,” would create a private right of action under Arizona law against covered...

  States and cities are as busy as ever passing new workplace regulations throughout the calendar year. Here is our mid-year report summarizing the notable labor and employment laws that take effect from roughly July through October.  Arizona Bill / Ordinance / Regulation Main Topic Summary Effective Date Arizona HB 2032 Workers’  Compensation Provides exceptions for assigning a workers’ compensation risk plan. 7/26/2025 Arizona SB 1159   Wage and Hour Increases the maximum amount of unpaid wages an employee may seek to recover through a claim filed with the state labor department. 7/25/2025 Arizona: Tempe Heat Safety Standards Ordinance Workplace Safety Requires employers contracting with the city to implement written heat safety plans and provide breaks and heat safety training for employees working outdoors. 7/9/2025 This article provides a general snapshot of generally applicable labor and employment laws taking effect soon. Please note that while some of the law...

  Missouri Passes Proposition A: Minimum Wage Increase and Paid Sick Leave In November of 2024, Missouri voters passed  Proposition A  which increased the state’s minimum wage to $13.75 per hour starting Jan. 1, 2025 with additional increases annually thereafter and requires employers to provide paid sick leave to employees starting May 1, 2025.   Legal Challenges to Missouri’s Proposition A Missouri business groups have challenged the passage of this ballot measure by filing a lawsuit in December 2024 with the Missouri Supreme Court. The lawsuit challenges the ballot measure on the following grounds:   The Missouri Constitution requires ballot initiatives to contain a single subject. Proposition A contains at least two clear, unrelated subjects – minimum wage and earned sick leave.   The Missouri Constitution requires the title of the ballot measure to clearly express its single subject. Proposition A’s title is unclear and contains multiple subjects. ...