The annual filing (and fee payment) for applicable self-insured health plans and specified health insurance policies used to fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI fee) is due by Thursday, July 31, 2025. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 720, Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return, is used to report and pay (in Part II, IRS No. 133, on page 2) the annual PCORI fee.

Continue Reading Reminder – Annual Deadline (July 31) to Report and Pay PCORI Fee is Approaching

The vast body of restrictive covenant law continues to develop across the country as states navigate refining their approach to non-compete and non-solicitation agreements with some expansions along with the general trend of more restrictions.

Below we outline recent developments regarding state non-compete and non-solicitation laws in Kansas, Virginia, Florida, New Jersey and Colorado.

Continue Reading States Continue to Refine Their Treatment of Non-Competition Agreements

On June 20, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 1318 (Amendment) into law, amending Texas Business & Commerce Code Section 15.50(b), which is commonly thought of as the “Texas physician non-compete buyout statute.” Specifically, the statute previously required that any non-compete restricting a physician’s right to practice medicine must include a buyout right, permitting the physician to pay a certain buyout amount to avoid the non-compete restriction.

Continue Reading Texas Caps Physician Non-Compete Buyouts and Adds New Limits Under SB 1318

On June 5, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision, overruling the Sixth Circuit’s “background circumstances” rule in employment discrimination cases. The background circumstances rule required members of a majority group to satisfy a heightened evidentiary standard to prevail on a Title VII claim.

Continue Reading Supreme Court – Same Burden of Proof Applies to All Plaintiffs in Title VII Discrimination Claims, Removing Greater Burden for “Reverse Discrimination” Claims

On May 1, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a Field Assistance Bulletin announcing that the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) will no longer enforce the 2024 independent contractor Final Rule previously established by the Biden administration for purposes of complying with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). 

Continue Reading DOL Announces Enforcement Position on Independent Contractor Rule

On May 19, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the launch of the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, which will use the federal False Claims Act (FCA) to pursue claims against recipients of federal funds that knowingly violate federal civil rights law. 

Continue Reading on the GovCon & Trade blog

In recent years, prescription drug prices have been top-of-mind for state legislators, who have responded by passing laws that seek to control that pricing in a variety of ways, including by regulating pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

Continue Reading Stuck in the Middle: Self-Funded Health Plans and Recent Challenges to State PBM Laws

As announced in our previous HR Law Talk blog post, the Paperwork Burden Reduction Act (PBRA) made important changes to employers’ responsibilities to furnish information to employees under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As part of the changes, employers may now provide “clear, conspicuous, and accessible” notice that individuals may request their Form 1095-B or 1095-C and distribute a Form 1095 only to individuals who request a copy, rather than furnish a Form 1095 annually to each covered individual. Recently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released additional guidance for employers, with more details about satisfying the notice requirement.

Continue Reading IRS Guidance Regarding ACA Employer Information Reporting Requirements