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The U.S. Senate recently passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes provisions aimed at addressing climate change, reducing the high costs of prescription drugs and lowering the deficit by approximately $300 billion. The $750 billion spending bill passed through the budget reconciliation process, meaning all 50 Democrats and one tie-breaker vote from Vice President Kamala…

On July 26, the Biden administration launched Heat.gov—a new website through the National Integrated Heat Health Information System web portal—to provide the public and decision-makers with information to understand and reduce health risks related to extreme heat. This one-stop hub contains clear, timely and science-based data to “equip local officials and the public with robust…

On Thursday, July 21, Amazon reached a deal to acquire One Medical, a network of boutique primary care clinics, for $3.9 billion. This is another substantial step in the e-commerce giant’s plans to become a player in the health care industry. Through this deal, Amazon hopes to improve how people book appointments and enhance the…

On Dec. 8, 2021, the Senate voted on and passed a resolution to repeal President Biden’s vaccine mandate for private employers. The resolution passed with a simple majority vote of 52 to 48. The resolution aims to overturn the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) emergency temporary standard (ETS) that requires private employers of 100…

On Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, President Joe Biden signed executive orders requiring federal workers and contractors to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Biden also directed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to draft a new emergency rule requiring all businesses with 100 or more employees to ensure all of their workers are either tested for…

An employer receives a written citation when it violates OSHA standards or regulations. The citation will describe the particular nature of the violation and will include a reference to the provision of the chapter, standard, rule, regulation or order the employer violated. In addition, the citation will provide a reasonable amount of time for the…

Employers now have some extra time to submit equal employment opportunity (EEO-1) workforce data from 2019 and 2020, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced on June 28, 2021. These reports were previously due by July 19, 2021. Employers now have until Aug. 23, 2021, to complete their submissions. The EEOC’s collection of this…

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires health insurance issuers and self-insured plan sponsors to pay Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute fees (PCORI fees). The fees are reported and paid annually using IRS Form 720 (Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return). Issuers and plan sponsors are generally required to pay the PCORI fees annually by July 31 of…

Each year, more than 5,000 workers are killed on the job. Additionally, more than 3.6 million employees are seriously injured each year while at work. Because of this, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) holds a nationwide event each August called Safe and Sound Week, which promotes the importance of companies incorporating safety and…

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) outlines requirements regarding labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) for hazardous workplace chemicals throughout the United States. To align its requirements with the United Nation’s Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), OSHA recently issued a proposed rule to update the…