by Jack Dura - Associated Press
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in North Dakota has qualified for the November election, the state’s top election official said Monday. That sets up another vote on the issue in the conservative state after voters and lawmakers rejected previous efforts in recent years.
by Lindsey Tonsager, Libbie Canter, Priya Leeds - Covington
On August 2, 2024, Illinois’ governor signed into law S.B. 2979, a significant amendment to the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The law states that an entity that, in more than one instance, obtains the same biometric identifier or biometric information from the same person using the same method of collection in violation of BIPA’s notice and consent requirement has committed a single violation. As a result, each aggrieved person is entitled to, at most, one recovery for a single collective violation.
by Leigh White, CDF Labor Law LLP - JD Supra
Employers in California face significant challenges when it comes to accessing public records for background checks, particularly concerning criminal history and motor vehicle records. California’s employment laws are constantly evolving, and a recent court decision may expand an employer’s ability to access a potential employee’s motor vehicle records.
Read more: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/navigating-california-s-complex-7778141/
by Kimberley Lunetta, Michael Schlemmer, Zachary Shine - Morgan Lewis - JD Supra
Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly transforming the employment landscape, automating tasks, streamlining processes, and enhancing decision-making. At the same time, the technology raises concerns about potential biases, accuracy, and increasingly complex legal compliance.
As AI’s influence grows in the United States, so too has government oversight. Lawmakers and policymakers—from the Biden administration to city governments—have issued guidance, policies, and laws to govern the use of AI in the workplace, giving employers a new legal landscape to navigate.
Read more: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/ai-in-the-workplace-the-new-legal-8539979
by Jessica Arett, Emily Keimig, Brian Tengel, Venable LLP - JD Supra
On May 31, 2024, Governor Jared Polis signed into law Colorado House Bill 24-1130 (HB 1130), amending the Colorado Privacy Act (the CPA) to impose new requirements on controllers that process biometric data. The amendments go into effect July 1, 2025. Unlike the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), HB 1130 does not create a private right of action.
Read more: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/colorado-amends-state-privacy-law-to-7447050/
by David Stauss, Husch Blackwell LLP - JD Supra
Keypoint: While the act does not include many provisions found in the more recent consumer data privacy laws, it would expand privacy notice obligations in one significant way although the applicability and scope of that requirement is unclear due to the lack of an important definition.
On June 13, 2024, the Rhode Island legislature passed the Rhode Island Data Transparency and Privacy Protection Act (SB 2500 / HB 7787). The act will now move to Governor Daniel McKee for consideration. Assuming the act becomes laws, it will go into effect on January 1, 2026.
Read more: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/rhode-island-legislature-passes-2761107/
by Shore News Network
TRENTON, NJ — New legislation introduced in New Jersey aims to fortify the safety protocols surrounding construction and public works activities in school environments. The bill, which revises existing requirements for criminal history record checks, mandates that all workers involved in school construction or public works must demonstrate clean criminal records from the Federal Bureau of Investigation or State Bureau of Identification before commencing work.
by Sammy Heung - SCMP
Hong Kong employers will be able to check whether self-employed tutors and coaches have been convicted of any sexual offences before they are hired, under a voluntary government scheme in the fourth quarter of this year.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Tuesday the change to the Sexual Conviction Record Check Scheme will enhance the protection of children and the mentally disabled.
by Tony Lange - Cannabis Business Times
UPDATE: On May 30, the New Hampshire House voted, 252-117, against concurring with the Senate's amended version of House Bill 1633, and then the body voted, 261-108, to nonconcur and form a conference committee for the adult-use legalization legislation in an effort to resolve differences between the two chambers.
New Hampshire is on the verge of becoming the 25th state in the U.S. to legalize adult-use cannabis and the first to do so in 2024.
This potential halfway benchmark for the 50-state nation comes as the New Hampshire Senate voted, 14-10, on May 23 to approve an amended version of House Bill 1633.
by Fox Rothschild LLP, Brian Frederick, Kenneth Rosenberg - JD Supra
As employers have increasingly used artificial intelligence (AI) and other Automated Employment Decision Tools (AEDTs) to assist human resource professionals and hiring managers in reviewing voluminous resumes, federal and state governmental authorities have become concerned that these tools are disproportionately screening out female and minority applicants.
