March 2020

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued guidance on March 24, 2020 to address potential disruptions to mandated drug and alcohol testing during the COVID-19 crisis. The FMCSA guidance, which will remain in effect until June 30, 2020, states in pertinent part:

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations provide…

On March 27, 2020, the City Council passed an ordinance mandating employers with 500 or more employees nationally offer Supplemental Paid Sick Leave for various COVID-19 related reasons described below. The ordinance is awaiting Mayor Eric Garcetti’s review and anticipated approval. Under the ordinance, covered employers must offer 80 hours of Supplemental Paid Sick Leave…

The NCAA Division I Council has voted to allow schools to permit spring sport student-athletes an additional season of competition and an extension of their five-year period of athletic eligibility on account of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

While it had previously announced that it would consider and potentially adopt modifications, changes, or waivers to current…

Texas employers no longer must provide paid sick leave to their employees in Dallas following the decision of U.S. District Court Judge Sean D. Jordan. ESI/Employee Solutions LP et al. v. City of Dallas et al., No. 4:19-cv-00570 (E.D. Tex. Mar. 30, 2020). The decision was released two days before enforcement of the Dallas…

As previously discussed, the Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) issued guidance pursuant to Governor Mike DeWine’s emergency declaration and order from March 9, 2020. Under Bulletin 2020-03, the ODI lifted certain restrictions for group health plans, limited premium increases, and expanded the rules for the continuation of coverage. Recently, the ODI issued FAQs to…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has silenced all major sports leagues. Instead of the anticipated opening of the 2020 Major League Baseball (MLB) season during the last week of March, MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) announced agreement on the specific terms governing the potential beginning of a coronavirus delayed start to the…

In the first bit of relief for individuals waiting for their I-765, Applications for Employment Authorization to be adjudicated and Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) to be issued, USCIS announced that it will start reusing previously submitted biometrics to process I-765 renewal requests, for now.

This is a temporary accommodation until the Application Support Centers (ASC)…

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed an Executive Order directing “health care facilities” designated by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to submit reports on capacity and supplies by 10:00 a.m. each day. The Governor signed Executive Order 111 on March 28, 2020. It is the tenth EO he has signed since the onset…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has severely affected the world of college sports. Division I conferences canceled their conference tournaments and the NCAA announced it would not be holding NCAA basketball championships this season, ending March Madness.

COVID-19’s impact, however, did not stop there. The NCAA issued a division-wide “dead period” on recruiting through April 15,…