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U.S. FEDRegulation

OFAC issues new Cuba Sanctions Regulations implementing May executive order

OFAC published a final rule on Sept. 30 establishing new Cuba Sanctions Regulations at 31 CFR Part 516 to implement Executive Order 14404 of May 1, 2026, on repression in Cuba. The regulations prohibit all transactions barred by the order and authorize sanctions against foreign financial institutions that conduct or facilitate significant transactions for blocked persons. OFAC issued the part in abbreviated form for immediate guidance and plans a fuller set of regulations with interpretive guidance, definitions, and general licenses.

Text (Federal Register) → · Thompson Hine SmarTrade, Office of Foreign Assets Control
U.S. FEDRegulation

OFAC amends Cuban Assets Control Regulations to restrict travel and block entrepreneur accounts

OFAC published a final rule (91 FR 61741) on Sept. 30, 2026, amending the Cuban Assets Control Regulations at 31 CFR Part 515, effective that day. U.S. persons may no longer engage in indirect financial transactions with entities on the Cuba Restricted List or travel to Cuba for professional meetings or group educational trips. The rule revokes the authorization for bank accounts of independent Cuban entrepreneurs, and banks must block those funds.

Text (Federal Register) → · Thompson Hine SmarTrade, Cuba Headlines, Office of Foreign Assets Control
U.S. FEDRegulation

OFAC writes 2020 Iran sectors order into sanctions regulations, with humanitarian exemption

OFAC published a final rule on September 30, 2026 (91 FR 61759), effective that day, amending the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations at 31 CFR part 560 to implement Executive Order 13902 of January 10, 2020. New section 560.211(c)(1)(iii) adds the order's blocking authority over persons in specified Iranian economic sectors, with exemptions for agricultural commodities, food, medicine and medical devices and for United Nations official business.

Text (Federal Register) → · Office of Foreign Assets Control
U.S. FEDRegulation

Treasury sets procedures for reviewing state stablecoin regimes under GENIUS Act

The Treasury Department, on behalf of the Stablecoin Certification Review Committee, issued an interim final rule on Sept. 30 setting the process and forms for state payment stablecoin regulators to certify their regimes under section 4(c) of the GENIUS Act. The committee, chaired by the Treasury Secretary with the Federal Reserve and FDIC chairs, will approve or deny certifications. None will be accepted until the information collection receives Paperwork Reduction Act approval. Comments are due Nov. 30.

Text (Federal Register) → · Forkast
U.S. FEDRegulation

USCIS finalizes EB-5 fee rule more than doubling investor petition charges

USCIS published a final rule on Sept. 30 that resets EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program fees for filings postmarked on or after Nov. 30. The Form I-526 standalone investor petition fee becomes $7,615 and the initial Form I-526E regional-center petition $7,850, each with a $75 technology fee. The rule creates Form I-527 for certain legacy investors at $10,330 and codifies provisions of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022.

Text (Federal Register) → · USCIS, Erickson Immigration Group, The Hindu BusinessLine
UKPeople moves

Pinsent Masons elects Richard Griffiths managing partner after contested vote

Pinsent Masons elected property group head Richard Griffiths as managing partner to succeed Laura Cameron on November 1, 2026, Global Legal Post and the firm reported on September 30, 2026. Cameron had sought a second term in a contested election against Griffiths and UK employment head Helen Corden. Griffiths will work alongside senior partner John Maciver, who takes office on October 1.

Announcement (Pinsent Masons) → · Global Legal Post, Law.com International, Scottish Legal News
UKFunding

NAHL posts H1 profit rise and near-debt-free path after Searches UK clearance

AIM-listed NAHL Group reported on September 30, 2026, that first-half revenue rose 5% to £18.3 million and profit before tax rose 31% to £2.3 million, with net debt at £1.1 million, Legal Futures and the company’s RNS said. The board said CMA clearance means the £1.234 million enterprise-value sale of Searches UK should complete imminently and, with a £1.85 million supplier-dispute settlement due by October 15, 2026, expects a net cash position by end of October.

Announcement (London Stock Exchange RNS / Stockopedia) → · Legal Futures
SINGAPOREPeople moves

Greenberg Traurig hires Baker McKenzie Singapore M&A leader Bee Chun Boo

Greenberg Traurig hired Bee Chun Boo, Baker McKenzie's Singapore M&A partner, as a shareholder, Law.com International reported on September 29, 2026, as the firm expands its Singapore practice. Greenberg Traurig said on September 30 that Boo has handled M&A and private equity matters across Asia for more than 28 years, representing buyers and sellers in sectors including health care, energy, mining and infrastructure.

Announcement (Law.com International) → · PR Newswire / Greenberg Traurig
CAL.Regulation

California bars marriage licenses and domestic partnerships for anyone under 18

Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1267, authored by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz), on September 30, 2026 (Chapter 850, Statutes of 2026). From January 1, 2027, no one under 18 may be issued a marriage license or establish a domestic partnership in California. The law repeals Family Code provisions that let minors marry with a court order and parental consent.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, MyNewsLA
CAL.Regulation

California requires pornographic websites to keep nonconsensual and underage content off their sites

Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1705 on September 30, 2026. From January 1, 2027, operators of pornographic websites must exercise ordinary care and take reasonable steps to ensure displayed and uploaded sexually explicit content does not include anyone who did not consent, was a minor when it was made, or did not consent to its upload. Uploaders must certify the depicted individuals' status under penalty of perjury.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

Rulings this week

All court orders

CAL.Regulation

California extends Cartwright Act to single-firm monopolization, with enforcement limited to AG and district attorneys

Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1776, known as the Compete Act, on September 30, 2026 (Chapter 826, Statutes of 2026). From January 1, 2027, the Cartwright Act prohibits any person from monopolizing or monopsonizing any part of trade or commerce. Only the attorney general or a district attorney may sue, and plaintiffs must prove substantial market power. Qualifying California small businesses are exempt.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, Palo Alto Online (CalMatters)
CAL.Regulation

California bars life and disability insurers from using genetic information except under set criteria

Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1798 on September 30, 2026. From January 1, 2027, life and disability insurers may not cancel, limit or deny coverage based on genetic tests, or require, request or use genetic information, except where specified underwriting criteria are met. Insurers, agents and insurance-support organizations may not seek a person's genetic information or full genome or base adverse underwriting on it unless those criteria are met.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
CAL.Regulation

California gives agencies 10 business days to answer public records requests

Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1821 on September 30, 2026, amending Government Code section 7922.535 of the California Public Records Act. From January 1, 2027, a state or local agency must decide whether a request seeks disclosable records in its possession, and notify the requester, within 10 business days rather than 10 days. In unusual circumstances it may extend that period by up to 14 business days, rather than 14 days.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
CAL.Regulation

California requires gene synthesis equipment makers and providers to follow federal screening framework

Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1864 on September 30, 2026. From January 1, 2027, manufacturers of benchtop nucleic acid synthesis equipment and providers of specified synthetic nucleic acids may not produce in California or sell or deliver to California customers unless they adhere to the federal Framework for Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening, as revised in September 2024, and publicly post an attestation of compliance.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
CAL.Regulation

California lets employers seek workplace violence restraining orders covering all employees at a site

Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1961 on September 30, 2026, amending Code of Civil Procedure section 527.8. From January 1, 2027, an employer may seek a workplace violence restraining order on behalf of all employees at a workplace, or at a location where a group of employees primarily work, when harassment, violence or a credible threat is directed at that site, without naming individual employees. The Judicial Council must update its forms by January 1, 2028.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
CAL.Regulation

California bars AI from independently performing licensed clinical functions and brings health chatbots under medical privacy law

Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1979 on September 30, 2026. From January 1, 2027, health facilities, clinics and physician offices may not use AI to independently perform clinical functions the law reserves for licensed professionals, and must ensure licensed clinicians keep independent judgment when care is informed by clinical decision support systems. Businesses offering health care chatbots to consumers become providers subject to the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
CAL.Regulation

California AB 2222 creates tax credits for local journalism jobs

Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2222, the Community NEWS Act, on September 30, 2026. For taxable years 2027 through 2031, qualifying local news outlets may claim a refundable credit of $20,000 for each of up to five full-time journalists, $15,000 for each additional full-time journalist, $7,500 per part-time journalist and an extra $15,000 per new position. Outlets must carry media liability insurance and publish an error-correction policy.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, Palo Alto Online (CalMatters)
CAL.Regulation

California requires community colleges and CSU to set generative AI procurement standards and training

Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2392 on September 30, 2026. From January 1, 2027, the California Community Colleges chancellor's office and the California State University must convene an intersegmental working group, with the University of California requested to join, to recommend generative AI procurement standards and training by January 1, 2028. They must deliver and annually review the training, keep completion records, and report each systemwide GenAI contract to the Legislature.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
CAL.Regulation

California extends likeness and impersonation laws to AI digital replicas

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1111 on September 30, 2026. From January 1, 2027, the Civil Code cause of action for using a person's voice or likeness without consent covers digital replicas, defined as computer-generated, highly realistic representations of a person who did not perform or whose performance was materially altered. Using a digital replica to impersonate someone counts as false impersonation under the Penal Code.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
CAL.Regulation

California bars using AI to fake public participation before government agencies

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1159 on September 30, 2026. From January 1, 2027, no one may knowingly use AI to falsely represent that a natural person appeared before, submitted information to or engaged with a government agency. Under the Public Records Act, open-meeting laws, the Administrative Procedure Act, CEQA and the Coastal Act, AI systems, autonomous agents and robots are not persons or members of the public.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
CAL.Regulation

California sets emergency-response duties for driverless vehicle makers from July 2028

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1246 on September 30, 2026. From July 1, 2028, autonomous vehicle manufacturers must use U.S.-based, California-licensed remote drivers, immediately dispatch local incident technicians after crashes or official requests, notify local jurisdictions of fleetwide failures, and let remote staff move or stop driverless commercial vehicles at an emergency official's direction. They must report response data to the DMV quarterly, and city attorneys may sue for civil penalties.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
CAL.Regulation

California lets child influencers make family vloggers delete paid content featuring them as minors

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1247 on September 30, 2026. From January 1, 2027, social media platforms must offer a clear and conspicuous way for a child influencer to ask a vlogger to delete or edit paid content featuring them as a minor. The vlogger, a parent, guardian or family member who was paid for such content, must remove the child within 10 business days, and may be sued for failing to.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
CAL.Regulation

California extends emergency rent-gouging limits to all rental housing and narrows landlord exemptions

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1365 on September 30, 2026, amending Penal Code section 396. From January 1, 2027, the emergency price-gouging ban covers rental housing regardless of initial lease length, and existing exemptions become affirmative defenses. Rent increases above 10% are defensible for repair costs only if incurred within a year before the emergency, while the unit was rented or offered for rent or intended for rent within six months.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
CAL.Regulation

California lets courts refer incompetent misdemeanor defendants to conservatorship on their own finding of grave disability

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1401 on September 30, 2026, amending Penal Code sections 1370 and 1370.01. From January 1, 2027, a court may refer a misdemeanor defendant found incompetent to county conservatorship if the court itself finds the defendant appears gravely disabled, not only on an expert's opinion. County behavioral health agencies may report confidential medical information to the court to determine eligibility for services.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
CAL.Regulation

California requires developers and users of clinical AI tools to identify and mitigate biased impacts

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 503 on September 30, 2026. From January 1, 2027, developers of AI clinical decision support systems used in health programs must identify systems with known or foreseeable risk of biased impacts, disclose intended uses and risks to deployers, and make reasonable efforts to mitigate that risk. Deployers must regularly monitor the systems and take reasonable, proportionate steps to mitigate biased impacts.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
CAL.Regulation

California bars lawyers and arbitrators from delegating legal work and decisions to generative AI

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 574 on September 30, 2026. From January 1, 2027, attorneys may not delegate the practice of law to generative AI and, when using it, must keep confidential and nonpublic information out of AI systems and verify outputs. No court filing may contain citations the responsible attorney has not personally verified, and arbitrators may not delegate decisionmaking to generative AI.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
CAL.Regulation

California opens CEQA-streamlined certification to fusion component plants and orders a fusion plan

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 925 (Ch. 831, Stats. 2026) on September 30, 2026. It lets developers of facilities that manufacture, produce or assemble components integral to fusion energy apply to the Energy Commission for certification as environmental leadership development projects, with CEQA streamlining, under Public Resources Code 25545. It also requires the commission to deliver a fusion energy strategic plan, including a licensing and permitting roadmap, to the Legislature by December 31, 2029.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, Neutron Bytes
CAL.Regulation

California requires assignees to name the original party in case titles

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 932 on September 30, 2026, adding Code of Civil Procedure section 369.6. From January 1, 2027, an assignee who has been assigned rights in a proceeding by the original real party in interest must identify that assignor and original real party in interest in the title of the case on the first document the assignee files in the proceeding.

Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
DEL.Regulation

Delaware bars employer retaliation for skipping meetings on politics, religion, or union views

Delaware Governor Matt Meyer signed House Substitute 1 for House Bill 84 on September 30, adding Section 711B to Title 19 of the Delaware Code. The law makes it an unlawful employment practice to discharge or discipline employees who decline employer-sponsored meetings or communications conveying the employer's views on political or religious matters, including unionization. Employees who skip such meetings during work time must still be paid. The Department of Labor received investigation, rulemaking, and civil-action authority.

Enrolled text (Delaware General Assembly) → · OnLabor
DEL.Regulation

Delaware governor signs SB 249 creating licensed harm reduction program framework

Delaware Governor Matt Meyer signed Senate Bill 249 on September 30, 2026, as 85 Del. Laws ch. 536, effective on signing. It adds Chapter 48 to Title 16, letting the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health license harm reduction programs under evidence-based regulations. Programs must offer sterile supplies, drug-checking equipment, opioid antagonists and disease screening, and personal possession of drug paraphernalia is decriminalized.

Enrolled text (Delaware General Assembly) → · State of Delaware News