by Rod Fliegel, Chad Kaldor - Littler
Washington State has an existing fair chance law (discussed here) but the statute, as amended by HB 1747, will impose additional obligations on employers that consider criminal records when vetting job applicants or employees. The amended statute takes effect for most employers in July 2026 and so employers should plan to update their criminal record screening policies and standard forms of notice.1
by Kathryn J. Russo of Jackson Lewis P.C. - The National Law Review
The Iowa Supreme Court recently clarified that a compliant random drug testing program under Iowa law requires excluding those who are not scheduled to work the day of the testing from the pool of employees who could be selected. Hampe v. Charles Gabus Motors Inc. d/b/a Toyota of Des Moines et ano., No. 22-1599 (Iowa Sup. Ct. Apr. 11, 2025).
Read more: https://natlawreview.com/article/getting-clear-compiling-random-drug-testing-pools-iowa
by Casey Kaiser, William Simmons, Littler - JD Supra
Wisconsin Supreme Court took a broad view of what constitutes an arrest record for purposes of the state’s employment discrimination law.
Applicants and employees with non-criminal arrests can be protected under the anti-discrimination provisions, and exceptions to the law’s protections are likely to be interpreted narrowly.
by Davis Polk
The Utah legislature amended its Artificial Intelligence Policy Act to focus on “high-risk” generative AI interactions and to establish a new safe harbor.
In March 2024, Utah became the first state to enact legislation specifically targeting generative AI (Gen AI). The Utah Artificial Intelligence Policy Act (UAIPA), which took effect on May 1, 2024, imposed certain disclosure obligations on entities using Gen AI tools to interact with their customers and confirmed that those entities cannot avoid liability under Utah consumer protection law because the violative statement or act derived from Gen AI. The UAIPA also sought to encourage AI innovation by establishing the Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy to administer an AI Learning Laboratory Program, consult with businesses and other stakeholders about potential regulatory proposals, and grant temporary “regulatory mitigations” to entities developing AI systems.
by Arturo Pérez-Estrada, Rocío Olea Salgado, Luis Cortés Panameño, Víctor Manuel Frías Garcés, Rodolfo Flores-Urquiza Sosa of Greenberg Traurig, LLP - The National Law Review
On March 20, 2025, Mexico’s new Federal Law on the Protection of Personal Data held by Private Parties (FLPPDPP) published in the Official Gazette of the Federation. Effective March 21, the new law replaces the FLPPDPP published in July 2010.
Among the key changes the decree and new FLPPDPP introduce is the dissolution of the National Institute of Transparency, Access to Information, and Protection of Personal Data (INAI). Before the decree’s publication, INAI served as an autonomous regulatory and oversight authority for matters related to transparency, information access, and personal data protection. As of March 21, 2025, these responsibilities will be transferred to the Ministry of Anticorruption and Good Governance (Ministry), a governmental body reporting directly to the executive branch. The Ministry will now supervise, oversee, and regulate personal data protection matters.
Read more: https://natlawreview.com/article/mexicos-new-personal-data-protection-law-considerations-businesses
by Jillian Snider - R Street
Although Colorado’s HB1291 (the “Transportation Network Company Consumer Protection” bill) is marketed as a public safety initiative, a closer look reveals a heavy-handed regulatory approach that threatens economic opportunity, consumer choice, and civil liberties. While rideshare safety is important, this bill introduces burdensome and unnecessary directives that could force businesses out of the state, drive up costs for riders, and disproportionately impact low-income workers seeking flexible employment.
by Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) finalized a rule that will remove an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of about 15 million Americans. The CFPB’s action will ban the inclusion of medical bills on credit reports used by lenders and prohibit lenders from using medical information in their lending decisions. The rule will increase privacy protections and prevent debt collectors from using the credit reporting system to coerce people to pay bills they don’t owe. The CFPB has found that medical debts provide little predictive value to lenders about borrowers’ ability to repay other debts, and consumers frequently report receiving inaccurate bills or being asked to pay bills that should have been covered by insurance or financial assistance programs.
by Brianna Brownlee, WJXT - News4JAX
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A new Florida law is now in effect, mandating that school volunteers pass enhanced background checks to ensure the safety and security of students.
The bill, signed into law during the 2023 state legislative session, officially took effect on March 1.
The new requirements apply to both new and existing volunteers who work with students.
Previously, volunteers were required to complete a Level 1 background check, which is name-based only. However, the new law requires volunteers to pass a Level 2 background check, which relies on fingerprints.
by Ed Sealover - The Sum & Substance
Seeking to protect Uber and Lyft customers, a group of Democratic lawmakers unveiled a bill Friday that would boost steps companies must take to perform background checks on drivers and ensure unauthorized persons are not picking up rides in place of those drivers.
The bill, sponsored by Reps. Jenny Willford of Northglenn and Meg Froelich of Greenwood Village, also would ensure transportation-network-company drivers work no more than 10-hour shifts and would require each ride to be continuously recorded via video and audio. It also would allow people injured by violations of the bill to file civil lawsuits against a TNC or a driver, and it would make violations of the proposed law deceptive trade practices under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, which allows for much greater financial awards.
by Sabinna Pierre - MSN
Oregon's state courts have cleared about 47,000 residential eviction records from people's backgrounds, a significant step toward reducing barriers to housing access under a new state law.
The law, ORS 105.164 (House Bill 2001, 2023), requires courts to "set aside" and "seal" past residential evictions that meet specific criteria. These sealed evictions will no longer appear in background checks, legally treated as if they never occurred.
