Alaska
Native Corporations
On June 25, 2021, the US Supreme Court ruled that Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) are eligible to receive CARES ACT funds that were directed to Native American Tribes only.
Arkansas
Firearms
Effective July 30, 2021, the State will repeal its laws regarding the transport and storage of a firearm. Moving forward, the law does not include a previous provision preventing an employer from prohibiting employees from transporting or storing legally owned firearms in their private motor vehicles in the employer’s parking lot if the handgun is stored inside a locked personal handgun storage container that is specifically designed for the safe storage of a handgun. AR A.C.A. 11-5-117
California
Eviction Moratorium
On June 25, 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an extension to the State’s eviction moratorium through September 30, 2021.
Santa Clara County
On June 21, 2021, the County Public Health officer Dr. Sara Cody eliminated local teleworking and social distancing requirements.
Contra Costa County
On June 22, 2021, the Board of Supervisors extended its eviction moratorium through September 30, 2021.
City of San Francisco
On June 22, 2021, The Board of Supervisors voted to extend the City’s eviction moratorium through December 31, 2021.
City of San Francisco
On June 22, 2021, the Board of Supervisors voted to permanently limit the fees that third party delivery apps can charge.
Los Angeles County
On June 22, 2021, the Board of Supervisors extended its eviction moratorium until September 30, 2021.
City of San Rafael
On June 21, 2021, the City Council voted to extend its eviction moratorium until September 30, 2021.
Colorado
Business Operations
On June 24, 2021, Gov. Jared Polis signed CO H.B. 21-1027 permitting alcohol beverages to be sold for take-out and delivery.
City of Denver
On June 21, 2021, the City Council extended its disaster emergency declaration until July 19, 2021.
City of Denver
The Department of Excise and Licenses recently announced that applications are now open for marijuana delivery, transporter licenses and new store locations. There is not a cap on the number of licenses and permits available, and there is no deadline to apply.
City of Denver
Effective January 1, 2021, Customers will be required to provide their own bags or pay a fee for each store provided bag.
Connecticut
Cannabis
On June 22, 2021, Gov. Ned Lamont signed legislation that legalizes and safely regulates the adult-use of cannabis in the state.
Florida
Employee Development
On June 24, 2021, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed FL H.B. 1507 creating the Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help to create and revise provisions relating to workforce services including the Labor Market Estimating Conference, workforce opportunity portal, state board composition, Credentials Review Committee, state plan requirements, waivers, local workforce development boards, Master Credentials List, CAPE Industry Certification Funding List, industry certifications, SEAS program, workforce development metrics, Florida Talent Development Council, Open Door Grant Program, pre-apprenticeship/ apprenticeship program grants, Money-back Guarantee Program, automated consumer-first workforce system, career & education planning courses, digital credential courses, and student career service centers.
Student Workers
On June 24, 2021, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed FL S.B. 366 renaming the Florida Ready to Work Certification Program as the Florida Ready to Work Credential Program; providing where the program training may be conducted; requiring that certain students be covered by the workers’ compensation insurance of their employers in a work-based learning opportunity; requiring admissions counseling to use certain tests or alternative methods to measure achievement of college-level communication and computation by students entering college program.
Georgia
Safety Precautions
On June 22, 2021, Gov. Brian Kemp issued an executive order extending his public health state of emergency until July 1, 2021.
Hawaii
Travel Restrictions
On June 24, 2021, Gov. David Ige announced that effective July 8, 2021, the State will eliminate its pre-travel testing/quarantine requirement for domestic travelers who have been fully vaccinated in the United States.
Indiana
Unemployment Benefits
On June 25, 2021, Marion Superior Court Judge John Haley ordered a temporary stop to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s plan to halt the federal government’s unemployment benefits. The decision requires the state to continue to pay the extra $300 weekly payments to unemployed workers.
Iowa
Safety Precautions
On June 25, 2021, Gov. Kim Reynolds extended the public health emergency for thirty days.
Kentucky
Unemployment Benefit
On June 24, 2021. Gov. Andy Beshear announced a one-time $1500 bonus to individuals that rejoin the workforce.
Louisiana
Work Tax Credit
On June 24, 2021, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed LA H.B. 678 providing for an income tax credit for certain businesses that hire employees from work release partners.
Employee Classification
On June 24, 2021, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed LA H.B. 705 providing for the classification of employees; to increase the administrative penalties for the misclassification of employees; to provide relative to the failure to pay contributions; to provide criteria for classifying employees as independent contractors; to provide for applicability; and to provide for related matters.
Employee Taxes
Effective January 1, 2022, employers are not required to withhold income taxes from non-residents that work in the state for fewer than twenty-five days. LA S.B. 157
Maine
Employee Payment
Effective September 15, 2021, employers are prohibited from charging a fee to pay an employee via direct deposit. ME S.B. 367
Life Insurance
On June 24, 2021, Gov. Janet Mills signed ME L.D. 1150 legislation to prevent a carrier from varying premiums based on geographic area, age or tobacco use effective January 1, 2021,
Retirement Savings
On June 24, 2021, Gov. Janet Mills signed the Act to Promote Individual Retirement Savings Through a Public-Private Partnership. The law requires employers to allow covered employees to decide if they would like/not like to contribute to a Roth IRA. Covered employees will automatically contribute 5% of their salary if they do not opt out.
Maryland
Montgomery County
Effective July 1, 2021, the Minimum wage for small employers is increased to $13.50 per hour, the minimum wage for mid-size employers is $14.00 per hour and $15.00 per hour for a large employer.
Michigan
Safety Precautions
On June 22, 2021, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) released updates to its emergency rules for COVID-19 Workplace Safety.
COVID Relief
On June 23, 2021, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation to invest $2.2 billion in federal COVID relief funding to support the recovery of individuals, families, and businesses struggling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new funding assists families through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Emergency Rental Assistance program.
City of Ann Arbor
On June 21, 2021, the City Council voted to make discrimination due to hairstyle illegal in the city.
Barry County
On June 21, 2021, the County Commissioners announced that their state-of-emergency would terminate on June 30, 2021.
Wayne County
On June 26, 2021, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state-of-emergency for the County due to flooding and heavy rain.
Minnesota
Renville County
On June 22, 2021, the Board of Commissioners approved an ordinance that brings penalties in line with the state law for selling tobacco to individuals under the age of 21. License holders can receive a $300 fine (first offense), $600 (second offense within 36 months) and $1,000 for a third offense in the time period.
Mississippi
Leflore County
On June 21, 2021, the County Board of Supervisors voted to terminate its mask mandate.
Missouri
Insurance Licensing
On June 22, 2021, Gov. Mike Parsons signed MO S.B. 6, moving forward a producers’ license and insurance producers’ surplus lines license will be renewed every 2 years on the producer’s birth date, rather than every 2 years on the anniversary of the license being issued.
Professional Licensing
On June 22, 2021, Gov. Mike Parsons signed MO H.B. 476 permitting members of the military or veterans to use their military experience or training towards a relevant occupational license. This legislation also enacts the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact and modifies other provisions related to professional licensure.
Nebraska
Safety Precautions
On June 28, 2021, Gov. Pete Ricketts announced the termination of the State’s COVID-19 state of emergency.
Nevada
Elections
On June 11, 2021, Gov. Steve Sisolak announced that the State would hold a primary foregoing their traditional presidential caucus.
Non-Compete Agreements
Effective October 1, 2021, hourly workers are not required to adhere to non-compete agreements and cannot be sued by their employer for moving to a new employer. NV A.B. 47
New Mexico
Dona Ana County
On June 22, 2021, the County Commissioners voted to rescind its mask mandate.
New York
Safety Precautions
On June 24, 2021, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the state disaster emergency would end on June 24, 2021.
Oregon
Workplace Complaints
On June 15, 2021, Gov. Kate Brown signed OR S.B. 483 amending the Oregon Safe Employment Act providing protection to employees making “whistleblower” complaints against their employers.
Safety Precautions
On June 22, 2021, Gov. Kate Brown updated the county risk levels under the State’s public health framework. The State will lift all risk level health and safety restrictions when 70% of individuals receive their first dose of vaccine. Due to the state being close to achieving a 70% vaccination rate in the coming days, no further county risk level movements will be announced after this week.
Safety Precautions
On June 25, 2021, Gov. Kate Brown signed a recovery-focused executive order lifting all remaining COVID-19 health and safety restrictions issued under Oregon’s emergency statutes. Restrictions will be lifted when Oregon achieves a 70% first dose adult vaccination rate or on Wednesday, June 30, whichever occurs sooner.
Non-Compete Agreements
Effective January 1, 2022, the length of time in which non-compete agreements are enforceable is reduced to 12 months from 18 months. OR S.B. 169
Pennsylvania
Safety Precautions
On June 24, 2021, Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam announced that vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals would not be required to wear a facial mask after June 28, 2021.
City of Philadelphia
Effective July 1, 2021, the City’s plastic bag prohibition will begin after being delayed due to Covid-19. Employers are required to post signs in order to notify customers.
Virginia
Grants
On June 23, 2021, Gov. Ralph Northam announced an allocation of more than $11.1 million in Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) grants to help advance economic recovery efforts across the Commonwealth. The funding will support 20 projects focused on expanding workforce development and talent pipelines in key industries, growing startup businesses, entrepreneurial ecosystems, and increasing Virginia’s business-ready sites portfolio.
Washington
Unemployment Benefits
On June 21, 2021, Gov. Jay Inslee rescinded Proclamation 20-30 that suspended statutory job search requirements for applicants seeking unemployment insurance. This rescission is effective July 4, 2021.
Third Party Delivery
On June 21, 2021, Gov. Jay Inslee rescinded Proclamation 20-76 which limited the fees that third-party delivery services could charge restaurants for delivering food to customers. This rescission is effective immediately.
Evictions
On June 24, 2021, Gov. Jay Inslee announced an extension of the moratorium on evictions until September 30, 2021.
Snohomish County
On June 23, 2021, the County Council voted to initiate a $4.00 per hour hazard pay increase to grocery store workers.