Compliance Stuff

Just days before the first compliance deadline (April 24, 2026) for the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) final regulation on website accessibility for state and local governments, the department has extended that deadline by one year, as well as the companion deadline for smaller governmental entities. 0:00 4:35 Quick Hits The DOJ extended the deadline for compliance with the rules on website accessibility for most state and local governments from April 24, 2026, to April 27, 2027 . HHS has not yet acted to provide an additional extension on its website compliance regulation for “recipients” subject to the Rehabilitation Act, but may yet extend that May 2026 deadline. The additional year also lengthens the implied “grace period” that state and local government websites had to conform to the website accessibility rule. In an  interim final rule  published on April 20, 2026, in the  Federal Register , the DOJ justified this deadline based on the significant burdens associ...

Tomorrow (July 1, 2025), OSHA and MSHA will publish  over 30 proposed rules , many of which request public comment, in the Federal Register.  Included in OSHA’s slate of proposed rules is a Rescission of Coordinated Enforcement Regulations, and a proposed clarification of its Interpretation of the General Duty Clause .  Jackson Lewis is monitoring these developments and will follow up with more details as soon as possible. In the meantime, please contact your Jackson Lewis attorney with any questions or if you would like to discuss these proposed rules.   Source(s): Marsh, L. B. (2025, June 30).  BREAKING NEWS: OSHA, MSHA to Publish 30+ Proposed Rules July 1 . OSHA Law Blog. https://www.oshalawblog.com/2025/06/articles/breaking-news-osha-msha-to-publish-30-proposed-rules-july-1/ Federal Register Documents Currently on Public Inspection . (2025). Federal Register. https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/current#regular-filing-occupational-safety-an...

In a significant shift in labor law enforcement, states and localities across the United States are increasingly treating wage theft not merely as a civil infraction, but as a criminal offense . This trend in certain jurisdictions reflects a growing movement that the intentional denial of wages—whether through unpaid overtime, minimum wage violations, or misclassification of workers—should be prosecuted with the same seriousness as other forms of theft. A Shift Toward Criminalization Historically, wage and hour violations have been addressed through civil penalties, administrative fines, or private lawsuits. Enforcement agencies, such as the federal and state departments of labor, have traditionally exercised discretion in issuing civil penalties, liquidated damages, or other remedies for wage underpayments. However, a growing number of states and localities are now imposing criminal penalties for willful or repeated wage violations, with penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment. F...

Small Business Administration 13 CFR Parts 125 and 126 RIN 3245-AH68 AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Correcting amendments. SUMMARY: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is correcting a final rule that was published in the Federal Register on December 17, 2024. The rule clarified and improved policies surrounding a comprehensive revision to the HUBZone Program regulations published in 2019, among other changes. This document is making several technical corrections to the final regulations. DATES: Effective June 4, 2025. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ali...

Takeaways Even though we have the promise of a non-enforcement policy applying to the 2025 and 2026 deadlines of at least some provisions of the 2024 Final Regulations, the  2013 Final Regulations , the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, and other MHPAEA requirements remain enforceable.  Related Links Final regulations issued in September 2024 ERISA Industry Committee challenge to the final regulations Motion for Abeyance by the Departments 2013 MHPAEA Rule Article The Department of Labor (DOL), together with the Departments of Treasury and Health and Human Services) have decided to suspend enforcement of certain provisions of the nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTL)  final regulations issued in September 2024 .   Those regulations had been challenged in  federal court  by the ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) last year, and the Departments’ answer to ERIC’s complaint was due May 12, 2025.  In a  motion filed   May 9, 2025, the Depa...

  The second term of President Donald J. Trump started with a flurry of executive orders, presidential memoranda, and directives, some of which were signed on January 20, 2025, shortly after he took the oath of office. While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is not mentioned by name in those presidential documents, it will feel the impact of requirements outlined in several. In particular, several proposals for new OSHA standards or revisions to existing OSHA standards made during the last years of the Biden presidency will be impacted. Quick Hits On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued a presidential memorandum, “ Regulatory Freeze Pending Review ,” directing “all executive departments and agencies” to refrain from proposing or issuing “any rule in any manner” until a department or agency head appointed or designated by the president reviews and approves the rule. It immediately withdraws any rules that have been sent to the Office of the Federal Registe...