'The big one': Online data privacy bill gives Montanans opt-out option

by Seaborn Larson Lee Newspapers - Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Montana's new consumer data protections law takes effect Tuesday, joining a handful of states that have advanced legislation on the matter before action by the federal government.

Senate Bill 384, also known as the Consumer Data Privacy Act, gives Montanans the rights to access or obtain copies of their data collected by online companies. The law will also give people the right to request a business delete personal data held by a company and opt out of the data collection process for purposes of targeted advertising or sale of their data to other companies.

Sen. Daniel Zolnikov, R-Billings, said the universal opt out is "the big one" in the bill's provisions.

Read more: https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/montana-data-privacy-bill-takes-effect/article_6e639b3b-12cb-53da-81fa-6f4dc97cf9c8.html?mkt_tok=MTM4LUVaTS0wNDIAAAGV7Scnpfm4snGNoLeMRHpIeAMdoeBmOsFu1SbCzHTjM21FQSQ1xFiUupWUG5ltY0r9x0kT7rTzLB3TK3rZJqQnFSR3wKxEn4w2pePfikxdHy2w

New Pittsburgh Ordinance Protects Workers Using Medical Cannabis: 4 Steps Employers Can Take Now

by Brian Balonick, Emily Town, Fisher Phillips - JD Supra

Pittsburgh employers must prepare for new workplace protections for medical cannabis patients due to a new anti-discrimination ordinance that will likely be signed into law. The new rules would prohibit employers from discriminating against employees or job applicants – including by requiring drug testing as a condition of employment – based on the individual’s status as a certified medical cannabis cardholder. We’ll explain everything you need to know and give you four steps you can take to prepare for the rules to take effect.

Read more: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/new-pittsburgh-ordinance-protects-4133716

NJ issues notices to 25 landlords claiming they discriminated based on criminal records

by Megan Burrow - NorthJersey.com

New Jersey issued notices to 25 landlords across the state it claims illegally denied housing to applicants based on their criminal history, state Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced this week.  

The state Division on Civil Rights alleges the landlords violated New Jersey’s Fair Chance in Housing Act by asking criminal history-related questions on housing applications that are against the law, by stating to potential applicants that they would not consider applicants with prior criminal records, or by posting housing advertisements or maintaining housing policies that do not comply with the housing act.

Read more: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2024/09/20/nj-notifies-landlords-they-discriminated-based-on-criminal-records/75308480007/

Pennsylvania lawmakers introduce adult-use marijuana legalization bill

by MJBizDaily Staff - MJBizDaily

An adult-use marijuana legalization bill introduced on Friday is the first bipartisan cannabis reform bill to appear in the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives.

However, it is uncertain whether this latest effort can overcome the partisan gridlock that’s kept other cannabis legalization proposals from passing in the state Senate.

Sponsored by Democratic state Rep. Emily Kinkead and Republican Rep. Aaron Kaufer, House Bill 2500 follows a proposed marijuana legalization framework that the duo proposed in a June memo.

Read more: https://mjbizdaily.com/pennsylvania-lawmakers-introduce-adult-use-marijuana-legalization-bill/

Landmark AI Discrimination Bill Stalls Out in California Legislature, But Other AI Measures Advance

by Benjamin Ebbink, Fisher Phillips - JD Supra

California lawmakers knocked back a chance to pass a groundbreaking AI discrimination that would have required employers to provide notification – and perhaps an accommodation – to workers when artificial intelligence is used in certain critical ways during hiring or employment. The bill, which would have also required employers and AI developers to establish robust governance programs and conduct impact assessments to mitigate against algorithmic discrimination, was poised for passage but ultimately lawmakers could not agree on a final version before the legislative session ended at midnight on Saturday night. We expect to see legislators take another crack at such a proposal in 2025, so this isn’t the last you’ve heard of this proposal. Meanwhile, three other AI-related bills advanced to the governor’s desk and will be closely monitored before the September 30 deadline for action. What do employers need to know?

Read more: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/landmark-ai-discrimination-bill-stalls-9064254

New Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance Imposes Obligations on Employers

by Jeffrey Horton Thomas, Fox Rothschild LLP - JD Supra

Starting September 3, 2024, employers must comply with involved new requirements if they wish to consider criminal backgrounds in making hiring or promotional decisions for positions that will perform work in any unincorporated area of Los Angeles County.  The requirements — imposed by the County’s Fair Chance Ordinance — will be significantly more burdensome for employers than those under the statewide Fair Chance Act or the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance.

Read more: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/new-los-angeles-county-fair-chance-2782431/

No blood, no job? Companies using blood analysis for employee screening: report

by Dexter Tilo - Human Resources Director (HRD)

A new report is calling for new provisions in Australia's privacy and workplace relations laws amid findings that some organisations are requiring blood analysis from job applicants.

Research from the Australia Institute's Centre for Future Work found that some organisations are using blood analysis to screen future employees for "health risks" that they allege may impact job performance.

Read more: https://www.hcamag.com/au/specialisation/recruitment/no-blood-no-job-companies-using-blood-analysis-for-employee-screening-report/502250

Former Employee Sues Amazon Over Alleged Fair Credit Reporting Act Violation

by Nothern California Record

A former Amazon employee has lost her appeal in a class action lawsuit against the company, alleging violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Lovenia Scott filed the complaint on January 8, 2020, in San Francisco City & County Superior Court against Golden State FC, LLC (now known as Amazon.com Services LLC) and Amazon.com, Inc.

Read more: https://norcalrecord.com/stories/662606621-former-employee-sues-amazon-over-alleged-fair-credit-reporting-act-violation

North Dakota voters to weigh in again on marijuana legalization

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.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/north-dakota-marijuana-legalization-ballot-initiative-election-8f5a443e1dca69cd3ded19c4e9acb3d6

Illinois Enacts BIPA Amendment Limiting Violation Accrual

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.

Read more: https://www.insideprivacy.com/data-privacy/illinois-enacts-bipa-amendment-limiting-violation-accrual/