Legislative Updates By State
As of: April 20, 2021 Alaska City of Anchorage On April 12, 2021, the City Assembly approved an...
The Birch Blog
———PPE is Now A Qualified Medical Expense
According to new guidance from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the personal protective...
IRS Extends Deadline for Certain Qualified Medical Expense Plans
At the beginning of the pandemic in March of 2020, the President issued an emergency...
Coverage Requirements of COVID-19 Tests & Vaccinations
NEW FEDERAL FAQS EXPLAINS COVERAGE REQUIREMENTS OF COVID-19 TESTS AND VACCINATIONS Recently,...
Compensation Disclosure Requirements
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 (CAA) was signed into law by President Trump on...
HSA & FSA Mid-Year Election Changes
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 (CAA) was signed into law by President Trump on...
RECENT POSTS
Legislative Updates – June 1, 2021
Alabama Vaccine Passport On May 24, 2021, Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation AL S.B. 267 preventing the use of “Vaccine Passports.” In addition, state agencies, universities, and businesses are prohibited from requiring individuals to have received a vaccination...
Updated Guidance on Workplace Vaccine Requirements
On May 28, 2021, the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) updated its guidance related to COVID-19 vaccines. By way of background, the EEOC is responsible for administering a slew of workplace non-discrimination laws, including: the Americans with...
Paid Leave Related to COVID
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress has passed three bills that provide or enhance existing federal leave laws. These include the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), and the...
IRS Releases Long-Awaited COBRA Subsidy Guidance
Late in the afternoon of May 18, 2021, the IRS released its long-awaited guidance on the COBRA subsidy created by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). The guidance, IRS Notice 2021-31, is predominantly in question-and-answer format. It addresses eighty-six...
Department of Labor Issues New Cybersecurity Guidance
On April 14, 2021, the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance for plan sponsors, fiduciaries, plan participants, and plan beneficiaries on best practices for reducing internal and external cybersecurity...