Legislative Updates

On Dec. 27, 2020, the No Surprises Act was signed into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (H.R. 133; Division BB – Private Health Insurance and Public Health Provisions). The No Surprises Act addresses surprise medical billing at the federal level. Most sections of the legislation go into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, and the Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury, and Labor are tasked with issuing regulations and guidance to implement a number of the provisions. 

A detailed summary of the Act is available here. 

The interim rule is available here. 

The SECURE passed in 2020 requires sponsors of 401(k) and similar plans must annually disclose to plan participants an estimate of the monthly amount that their account balance would pay in the form of:

• A life annuity with equal payments over the participant's lifetime.
  

• A qualified joint and 100 percent survivor annuity with equal payments over the joint lives of the participants and a spouse.

The participant-disclosure requirement takes effect on Sept. 18, 2021, and applies to retirement plan statements sent to participants (typically on a quarterly basis) after that date.

The disclosure is intended to help employees determine their readiness to retire. It also is expected to encourage employees to consider annuitization of their retirement assets, meaning using some or all of their 401(k) funds to purchase a lifetime annuity. A lifetime income annuity is a contract with an insurance company that allows purchasers to convert a portion of their retirement savings into a predictable lifetime income stream.

Read Temporary Implementing FAQs from the DOL here. 

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has rescinded a final rule issued under the Trump administration that narrowed the definition of a joint employer under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The rescission makes it more likely that an employer will be determined to be a joint employer and thus liable under the FLSA for another employer's actions. This will most significantly impact franchise brands such as McDonalds Corporation. 

As part of the Omnibus Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy Bill, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has approved an amendment relating to pregnancy accommodations and barring reducing compensation for lactation breaks, among other changes. The amendment goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2022. Read more here.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has extended the deadline for filing the EEO-1 form from July 19 to Aug. 23.

Businesses with 100 or more employees and some federal contractors with at least 50 employees must submit an annual EEO-1 form, which asks for information from the previous year about the number of employees who worked for the business, sorted by job category, race, ethnicity and gender.

The EEOC did not collect such data in 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis. Covered employers now have until the new deadline to submit both their 2019 and 2020 data.

On June 23, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (POWADA)—that would make it easier for people to win claims of age discrimination by easing the standards of proof. If also passed by the Senate and signed into law, the measure would undo a 2009 U.S. Supreme Court decision that made age-discrimination claims more difficult to prove.

The United States will soon have a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery.

The House voted 415-14 on June 16, 2021 to make Juneteenth, or June 19th, the 12th federal holiday. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk, and he is expected to sign it into law.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the Affordable Care Act's (ACA’s) individual mandate, holding that Texas and other states did not have a legal right to sue. The ruling leaves the ACA intact.

As a result, employers should note that the health care law remains fully in effect, including all coverage obligations and reporting requirements.

OSHA issues new guidance for employers and a specific emergency temporary standard.

On June 8, Republican senators blocked the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have barred prospective employers from asking about applicants' salary histories during the hiring process. The legislation narrowly passed the House of Representatives in April.