The Trump Administration has declared this month National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, calling on industry associations, law enforcement, private businesses, and others to work toward ending modern slavery and human trafficking. This proclamation follows the Administration’s efforts to combat human trafficking, which we have previously discussed here, and comes on the heels
January 2020
European Parliament Endorses Digital Health Resolution
On December 12, 2019, the European Parliament endorsed a non-binding resolution on enabling the digital transformation of health and care. The resolution calls on the European Commission to take a number of actions to foster the development of digital health systems in Europe to improve patient care and support research efforts — particularly those using…
State Legislatures Are Off to the Privacy Races, With New Hampshire in the Lead
While some state legislators are still putting away their holiday decorations, New Hampshire legislators introduced new data privacy legislation, New Hampshire House Bill 1680. The legislation is similar to the California Consumer Privacy Act (which we’ve written extensively about before, including here and here). It grants consumers access, portability, transparency, non-discrimination, deletion, and…
Dutch Court Decides on Scope of GDPR Right of Access
In late December 2019, the Court of The Hague (Netherlands) published a preliminary reference procedure (see here, in Dutch). The Court was asked to decide on the scope of the right of access under the GDPR.
The defendant in this case was a bailiff involved in the bankruptcy procedure. The individual who was target…
2019 Required Amendments List Includes Change Affecting 403(b) Plans
By Julie Edmond
We recently wrote about Rev. Proc. 2019-39, which provides for remedial amendment periods for 403(b) plans and establishes deadlines for 403(b) plans to adopt discretionary amendments and amendments that correct form defects. Rev. Proc. 2019-39 also announced the IRS’s intent to include changes to § 403(b) requirements on its annual Required Amendments List (the “List”).…
New California Workplace Laws for 2020
California employers are ringing in the new year with a host of new workplace laws. Here is an overview of new employment-related laws, along with recommendations for compliance. All of the laws, unless otherwise specified, went into effect on January 1, 2020.…
Four Federal Privacy Trends to Watch in 2020
Heading into the new year, California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) readiness remains top of mind for many businesses, especially as continued developments, such as the California Attorney General’s forthcoming implementing regulations, may implicate compliance efforts. State legislation will likely move forward in 2020. At the same time, however, companies should not lose sight of legislative…
Congress Likely to Pursue Legislation in 2020 to Address the Constitutionality of Patent Trial and Appeal Board Judges
The America Invents Act (“AIA”) may be back on Congress’s agenda this year. Enacted in 2011, the AIA established the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) to adjudicate patentability disputes. The Board is composed of administrative patent judges (APJs) who are appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and removable by either the Secretary or…
FTC Settles with Broker Who Allegedly Disclosed Personal Information of Yelp Reviewers
On January 6, 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued a California-based mortgage broker for allegedly disclosing the personal information of customers who left negative Yelp reviews, and filed a settlement of the claims.
According to the complaint, Ramon Walker is the owner and operator of Mortgage Solutions FCS, Inc., a broker connecting residential…
Digital Healthcare Act Takes Effect in Germany
Digital health applications that meet certain requirements will be covered by the German state health insurance schemes from 2020. This is one of the elements of the Digital Healthcare Act 2019 (Digitale Versorgung-Gesetz), which we discussed in an earlier post this year and which was approved by the German Parliament in November and…