Regulatory
Add to my areasEvery story on LexCircuit filed under regulatory: court orders, regulation, ethics opinions, litigation and research, each summarized across its sources.
Ashurst Perkins Coie hires Freshfields congressional investigations co-chair Austin Evers
Ashurst Perkins Coie has hired Austin Evers, co-chair of Freshfields' congressional investigations practice, as a partner in its complex litigation practice in Washington, D.C., the firm announced on October 28. Evers, a former associate deputy attorney general at the Justice Department, advises on congressional inquiries, government investigations, political-risk counseling and crisis management. The move comes days before the U.S. midterm elections.
Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · CDR News, Law360 Pulse
Rulings this week
- UK · EWHC Spares 5,000 late-served Dieselgate claims but makes claimants share costs
- 9TH CIR. Keeps California's captive audience meeting ban on hold
- CANADA Ontario Court of Appeal says licensed paralegals can negotiate accident benefits settlements for parties under disability
- UK · UKSC Backs insurer against Spain and France in Prestige oil spill arbitration case
SRA withdraws several tribunal cases after reviewing dishonesty allegations
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has withdrawn several prosecutions before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, sometimes late, after reviewing whether dishonesty allegations could be established, chief executive Sarah Rapson told the SRA board. Board papers also show plans to recruit up to 20 supervisory staff, £24 million returned to PM Law clients, 55 live immigration firm investigations and a projected £9.9 million deficit for 2025-26.
New York S.9508 requires security features and warning labels on internet-connected baby monitors
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill 9508 (Chapter 367 of 2026) on October 28, 2026, adding General Business Law section 399-iii for internet-connected baby monitors. The law bars manufacture, distribution, sale or offering for sale of a new monitor that broadcasts audio or video over the internet unless it includes security features preventing unauthorized hearing or viewing and a warning label. The act takes effect January 26, 2027, ninety days after signing.
Enrolled text (New York State Senate) → · Utica Phoenix
Skadden hires Weil SEC veterans Andrew Dean and Christopher Mulligan
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom has hired Weil, Gotshal & Manges partners Andrew Dean and Christopher Mulligan, both former Securities and Exchange Commission officials. Dean, a former co-head of the SEC Enforcement Division's asset management unit, joins Skadden's white collar and investigations group in New York. Mulligan, a former senior adviser in the SEC's Division of Examinations, joins its investment management group in Washington.
Announcement (The American Lawyer) → · Bloomberg Law, Global Legal Post
Legal Services Board approves SRA guidance enabling unlimited fines for economic crime
The Legal Services Board has approved the Solicitors Regulation Authority's amended fining guidance, letting it impose unlimited fines on solicitors and traditional law firms for economic crime without referring cases to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. The power comes from the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, which removes the £25,000 cap for such misconduct starting on or after March 4, 2024. The LSB handled the application under its exemption procedure.
New York S.5041 extends Address Confidentiality Program to victims of intimate-image dissemination
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill 5041 (A.6338) on October 27, 2026, her office said. The act amends Executive Law section 108(1)(i) to add victims of unlawful dissemination or publication of an intimate image, Penal Law section 245.15, to the definition of a victim of a sexual offense eligible for the Address Confidentiality Program, which provides a substitute mailing address through the Secretary of State. The act took effect immediately.
Enrolled text (New York State Senate) → · Office of the Governor of New York
New York S.9341A sets civil penalties for lodging facilities that omit trafficking-victim information
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed A.8939A, the same as S.9341A, on October 27, 2026, as Chapter 365 of the Laws of 2026. The act adds subdivision 3 to General Business Law section 206-f: a lodging facility that fails to provide the required information on services for human trafficking victims is liable for a civil penalty of $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for each later offense, after notice and a 30-day cure period. It takes effect November 26.
Eighth Circuit upholds vacatur of Federal Reserve's debit card swipe fee cap
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit on October 26, 2026, affirmed a ruling that struck down the Federal Reserve's 21-cent cap on debit card interchange fees, finding the Fed improperly let banks count costs not tied to individual transactions, such as fraud prevention. The Fed must now write a fee structure that reflects the incremental-cost standard Congress set in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act.
Order (Bloomberg Law) → · American Banker
Clio acquires AI regulatory monitoring platform Page
Clio has acquired Page, a Kitchener-Waterloo startup whose AI monitors bills, regulations and government hearings, and will build its horizon-scanning technology into the Vincent legal research platform over the coming months. Clio announced the deal at the opening keynote of ClioCon 2026 in Boston on October 26, 2026. Financial terms were not disclosed. It is Clio's ninth acquisition, and Page's 12-person team is joining the company.
Announcement (BetaKit) → · Legaltech News, LawSites
Latham hires California Privacy Protection Agency's first enforcement head
Latham & Watkins has hired Michael Macko, the California Privacy Protection Agency's inaugural head of enforcement, as a partner in its Bay Area privacy and cyber practice, Bloomberg Law reported on October 26, 2026. Macko, who left the agency last month, built its enforcement team, oversaw hundreds of matters and issued advisories on topics including data minimization.
Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Law360
Pennsylvania Act 117 requires bell-to-bell mobile device policies in schools by 2027-28
Pennsylvania enacted Senate Bill 1014 as Act No. 117 of 2026 on October 26, 2026, adding Section 1314-A to the Public School Code of 1949. The act requires each school entity to adopt a bell-to-bell phone-free policy by the start of the 2027-2028 school year. Policies prohibit student use of personal mobile devices during the whole school day on school property, with stated exceptions.
Enrolled text (Pennsylvania General Assembly) → · Philadelphia Weekly
Proclamation reshapes Canadian products subject to 50 percent section 338 duties, effective October 30, 2026
A presidential proclamation signed October 23, 2026 further modified the scope of Canadian products subject to the 50 percent additional duties imposed under Proclamation 11048 pursuant to section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930. Annex I removed listed products, including plywood sheets and certain paper and machinery lines, and added others, including specified valves and carpets. The changes apply to goods entered on or after October 30, 2026.
Virginia Executive Directive 6 requires statewide AI cyber-threat plan and Cyber Consortium
Virginia issued Executive Directive 6 on October 23, 2026, directing the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and the AI Task Force to prepare a coordinated cyber-threat response and infrastructure-hardening plan. The directive requires a Cyber Consortium under the Unified Readiness Framework, quarterly readiness briefings, and an independent privacy and security review of interoperable data systems. It takes effect on signing.
Text (Office of the Governor of Virginia) → · StateScoop
SRA confirms compliance officer separation rules will not take effect in January
The Solicitors Regulation Authority said on October 22, 2026, that its rules separating law firm management and compliance officer roles will not come into force in January as planned. The regulator will run working groups and test alternatives first, and in the meantime will proactively supervise higher-risk firms on governance and compliance independence.
Text (Legal Futures) → · Law Gazette
Pennsylvania Act 103 tightens Sunshine Act agenda notice for agency business
Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1150 was approved on October 22, 2026, as Act No. 103 of 2026, amending section 712.1 of Title 65 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, the Sunshine Act. From December 21, 2026, an agency may add a matter to its meeting agenda by majority vote only if the matter is an emergency, is de minimis, or was raised by a resident or taxpayer at the meeting; the general power to add items by majority vote is repealed.
Enrolled text (Pennsylvania General Assembly (palegis.us)) → · Bucks Independence
Pennsylvania Act 106 standardizes sexual assault evidence testing statewide
Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1212 was approved on October 22, 2026, as Act No. 106 of 2026, amending the Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection Act of 2006. Sexual assault evidence now counts as awaiting testing whenever it has been collected and not yet analyzed, removing the local law enforcement agency's discretion over whether a kit should be tested. Laboratories and local agencies report backlogged evidence through the statewide tracking system. The act took effect immediately.
Enrolled text (Pennsylvania General Assembly (palegis.us)) → · Pennsylvania Senate Republicans
Pennsylvania Act 108 creates statewide licensure for electrical contractors and electricians
Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1260 was approved on October 22, 2026, as Act No. 108 of 2026, the Electrical Services Licensure Act. From October 22, 2028, an individual may not provide electrical services for compensation unless licensed as an electrician or residential electrician by the new State Board of Electrical Licensure, and entities may not contract for electrical services unless licensed as electrical contractors. The board, fees, fines and penalties take effect December 21, 2026.
Enrolled text (Pennsylvania General Assembly (palegis.us)) → · Pennsylvania Senate Republicans
Pennsylvania Act 114 bars out-of-state dispute, arbitration and indemnification terms in Commonwealth procurement contracts
Pennsylvania enacted the Commonwealth Party Procurement Contract Terms Act (Senate Bill 1410) as Act No. 114 of 2026 on October 22, 2026. The act prohibits Commonwealth parties and local agencies from entering procurement contracts containing out-of-state dispute provisions, binding arbitration, non-Pennsylvania governing law or indemnification clauses. A prohibited term is void and unenforceable, and the remainder of the contract stays valid. The act takes effect December 21, 2026, and applies to contracts entered into, amended or renewed from that date.
Enrolled text (Pennsylvania General Assembly) → · Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill
Pennsylvania Act 115 ties Game Commission entry onto private land to the state constitution's search-and-seizure clause
Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1431 was approved on October 22, 2026, as Act No. 115 of 2026, amending sections 303 and 901 of Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. From December 21, 2026, Game Commission officers, employees and representatives may enter property outside buildings only in accordance with Article I, Section 8 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, the search-and-seizure clause; the former unconditional right to enter posted or unposted land is repealed.
Enrolled text (Pennsylvania General Assembly (palegis.us)) → · Pennsylvania Senate Republicans
Pennsylvania Act 99 requires disclosure of synthetic content that creates a false perception in advertisements
Pennsylvania enacted the Artificial Intelligence Deceptive Advertising Act (Senate Bill 806) as Act No. 99 of 2026 on October 22, 2026. From December 21, 2026, an advertiser may not knowingly, recklessly or willfully run an advertisement whose synthetic content creates a false consumer perception about the nature, origin or authenticity of goods or services without clearly disclosing that the content was modified or generated using artificial intelligence. The Attorney General and district attorneys enforce the act; civil fines reach $3,000.
United States requires FCC satellite emergency-alert rules under Mystic Alerts Act
The Mystic Alerts Act (H.R. 7022) was signed into law on October 22, 2026. It requires the Federal Communications Commission to publish a proposed satellite emergency-alert rule within six months and a final rule within eighteen months, in consultation with Homeland Security and FEMA. Covered mobile providers then file elections on satellite alert transmission within sixty days after the final rule takes effect.
Enrolled text (govinfo.gov) → · The White House
New York Chapter 315 enacts Francesco's Law on firearm safe storage
New York Assembly Bill 1962-B, known as Francesco's Law, was signed on October 21, 2026, as Chapter 315 of the Laws of 2026. The act amends Penal Law section 265.45 so an owner or custodian stores a rifle, shotgun or firearm in a safe storage depository or with a locking device whenever it is out of the person's immediate possession or control, without regard to who resides in the home.
Enrolled text (New York State Assembly) → · Sun Community News
New York Chapter 316 bars ammunition sales to persons prohibited from possessing rifles or shotguns
New York Senate Bill 7236 was signed on October 21, 2026, as Chapter 316 of the Laws of 2026, amending Penal Law section 400.03. A new subdivision 9 provides that an ammunition background check is denied if the purchaser is prohibited from possessing a shotgun or rifle, is barred under 18 U.S.C. 922(g), or is subject to a temporary or final extreme risk protection order.
Enrolled text (New York State Senate) → · New York State Assembly
New York City proposes rule requiring human option and disclosure for automated customer service
New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection on October 20, 2026, proposed a rule targeting chatbot and voice-response customer service "doom loops." Businesses serving New Yorkers would have to disclose automated systems, provide timely and reasonable help, and offer an easy way to reach a human representative. A public hearing is set for November 19, 2026, which is also the comment deadline.
Text (NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection) → · Gothamist, Bloomberg Law, New York Law Journal
New Jersey adopts mandatory responsible gaming rule for online operators, N.J.A.C. 13:69O-1.2A
New Jersey's Division of Gaming Enforcement adopted N.J.A.C. 13:69O-1.2A, effective October 19, 2026, codifying data-driven responsible gaming requirements for online gambling operators. Each operator must designate a responsible gaming lead, apply ten patron-play triggers that require a due diligence review, and run three phases of intervention for patrons found at risk, ending in account closure where the patron still meets the criteria.
Text (New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement) → · New Jersey Office of Attorney General, CDC Gaming, iGaming Times
United States directs Commerce study of critical infrastructure manufacturing within one year
The president signed H.R. 1721, the Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act, on October 20, 2026. The Act directs the Secretary of Commerce to conduct, within one year after enactment, a study identifying high-demand products in each critical infrastructure sector that are imported because of a manufacturing, material, or supply chain constraint in the United States.
Enrolled text (U.S. Government Publishing Office) → · The White House
United States extends BLM drilling permit fee authority through 2037
The License to Drill Act, H.R. 7831, was signed into law on October 20, 2026, amending section 35(d) of the Mineral Leasing Act. The act extends the Interior Secretary's duty to collect a fee for each new application for a permit to drill from 2026 through 2037, and directs that all fees collected for fiscal years 2027 through 2037 are transferred to the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Fund.
Enrolled text (govinfo.gov) → · The White House
West Virginia suspends dyed-diesel enforcement under 60-day emergency order
West Virginia declared a 60-day state of emergency on October 20, 2026, covering all 55 counties, and Executive Order No. 2-26 suspends state penalties for selling, storing, dispensing or using red-dyed diesel in highway vehicles. The order directs agencies to stop inspections aimed at detecting dyed diesel. The state motor fuel excise tax and commercial vehicle safety inspections remain in effect during the emergency.
Text (Office of the Governor of West Virginia) → · WV Office of the Governor, Bloomberg Law, American Quorum
Executive order creates NIH Women's Health Division and White House task force, revokes 2024 order
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on October 19, 2026 titled Advancing Women's Health to Improve Outcomes in All Phases of Life. The order directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the NIH Director, to establish a Women's Health Division within 90 days, creates a White House Women's Health Task Force, and revokes Executive Order 14120 of March 18, 2024 and a November 13, 2023 presidential memorandum.
Text (The White House) → · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Supreme Court agrees to decide whether 1868 federal ban on home distilling is constitutional
The U.S. Supreme Court on October 19, 2026, granted the federal government's petition in Department of Justice v. McNutt, agreeing to decide whether an 1868 law banning the production of distilled spirits at home is a valid exercise of Congress's taxing power. The Fifth Circuit struck the ban down in a suit by the Hobby Distillers Association, while the Sixth Circuit upheld it in a separate case.
Order (Supreme Court of the United States) → · CBS News, SCOTUSblog
DHS bars DeepSeek AI products from federal civilian agency systems and purchases
The Department of Homeland Security has ordered federal civilian agencies to remove products from Chinese AI developer Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co. and its affiliates from their IT systems and barred agencies from buying them, under a notice made public October 19, 2026, and published in the Federal Register on October 20. The order, dated July 24, also covers third-party products built on DeepSeek.
Text (Federal Register (Public Inspection)) → · CNBC, Bloomberg Law
OPM final rule amends administrative leave rules for workforce realignment and deferred resignations
Executive order waives Graham Act sanctions, restrictions and duties on Russia before October 18 start
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on October 16, 2026 implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 and waiving its duties, sanctions and restrictions. The order stated duty increases of 500 percent on Russian goods and 100 percent on goods from top importers of Russian oil and gas and top sanctions-evasion facilitators, then waived those duties under section 115 after certifying the waiver was in the national interests of the United States.
Text (The White House) → · Okay News, New Kerala
Democratic lawmakers renew Kirkland records request with October 29 deadline
Representative Jamie Raskin and Senators Richard Blumenthal and Adam Schiff renewed requests for records concerning Kirkland & Ellis’s $125 million pro bono agreement with President Donald Trump. In a letter released October 16, they alleged the firm had produced no responsive documents and set an October 29 deadline.
Text (U.S. House Judiciary Committee Democrats) → · Jamie Raskin, Richard Blumenthal and Adam Schiff
EOIR establishes Privacy Act records system for immigration fraud and unauthorized-practice complaints
The Executive Office for Immigration Review on October 15, 2026 published a Privacy Act system of records notice for JUSTICE/EOIR-006, covering Fraud and Abuse Prevention Program records on suspected immigration fraud, abuse and unauthorized practice of immigration law. A companion proposed rule would exempt the system from certain Privacy Act access provisions. Comments on routine uses are due by November 16, 2026.
Nuffield review by Christopher Hodges proposes single justice system and one legal regulator
A review published October 15, 2026 by Oxford emeritus professor Christopher Hodges for the Nuffield Foundation proposes merging courts, tribunals, ombudsmen, regulators and advice services in England and Wales into a single justice system. Resolving disputes: a framework for holistic reform also recommends replacing the eight frontline legal services regulators with a single independent regulator.
Paper (Nuffield Foundation) → · Law Gazette
Federal law restructures Crow Tribe water settlement funding into an MR&I Projects Account
President Trump signed S. 240, the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2025, into law on October 15, 2026, the White House said. The Act amends the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-291), repealing the municipal, rural and industrial water system provisions, creating an MR&I Projects Account in the Crow Settlement Fund that the Tribe uses for water infrastructure on its Montana reservation, and extending the Yellowtail Dam period to 20 years.
Enrolled text (Congress.gov) → · Northern Broadcasting System, GovInfo, The White House
Federal law defines adequate consideration for closely held ESOP stock under ERISA
President Trump signed S. 2403, the Retire through Ownership Act, into law on October 15, 2026, the White House said. The Act amends section 3(18) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1002(18)) to provide that an employee stock ownership plan fiduciary may rely in good faith on a valuation by an independent valuation expert or business appraiser using the principles and methodologies of IRS Revenue Ruling 59-60 in determining fair market value.
Enrolled text (Congress.gov) → · Business Wire, GovInfo, The White House
Federal law requires a chemical-analysis methodology to identify seafood country of origin
S. 283, the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, was signed into law on October 15, 2026, the White House said. The Act requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to jointly develop a standard methodology, based on chemical analysis, for identifying the country of origin of seafood, to support enforcement against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
Enrolled text (Congress.gov) → · U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation, GovInfo, The White House
Law Society AGM declines to take up SRA no-confidence motion from small-firm alliance
The Law Society refused to let the SME & Boutique Law Firm Alliance put a vote of no confidence in the Solicitors Regulation Authority board on the agenda of its October 14, 2026 annual general meeting, ruling that its bylaws barred late new business. Small-firm owners used the debate to warn that the SRA's paused compliance officer reforms would close their practices.
Text (Law Gazette) → · Legal Futures
Thomson Reuters adds Multinational Profile to CoCounsel Legal for cross-border research
Thomson Reuters introduced a Multinational Profile for CoCounsel Legal that pulls legal and regulatory content from more than 100 countries and territories into one research workflow, LegalTech.ca reported October 14, 2026. The company said users can compare requirements across markets, flag issues needing local counsel and inspect underlying sources. Broader next-generation CoCounsel Legal availability is planned across more markets through late October 2026.
Announcement (LegalTech.ca) → · TechNode Global
Regulatory intelligence startup SCOREalytics names former Kirkland partner Jennie Morawetz CEO
SCOREalytics, which sells an AI-assisted regulatory intelligence platform to law firms, corporations and private equity funds, named Jennie Morawetz chief executive on October 14, 2026. Morawetz, a former Kirkland & Ellis partner, had served as the company's chief strategy officer and general counsel since joining as a founding executive in 2025.
SRA appoints Caroline Corby as chair from November 23, 2026
The Solicitors Regulation Authority appointed Caroline Corby, chair of the Professional Standards Authority since 2021, as board chair effective November 23, 2026, succeeding Anna Bradley, the SRA said and the Law Society Gazette reported October 14, 2026. The Gazette noted she joins after criticism of the SRA's handling of the Axiom Ince, SSB Law and PM Law failures and rising compensation-fund contributions.
Text (Law Society Gazette) → · Solicitors Regulation Authority
Federal government finalizes immigration civil penalty procedures, adds mail-delay appeal exception
The Departments of Homeland Security and Justice published a final rule on October 14, 2026, finalizing the June 2025 interim procedures for imposing civil penalties for failure to depart, failure to comply with voluntary departure, and improper entry. The rule makes one change, permitting acceptance of late appeals where documented mail delays beyond the alien’s control caused the delay. It takes effect October 14, 2026.
Text (Federal Register) → · Public Justice
Willkie hires Westinghouse nuclear counsel Raphael Kuyler as Washington energy partner
Willkie Farr & Gallagher hired Raphael Kuyler, a nuclear lawyer who joins from Westinghouse Electric, as a partner in its power and renewable energy practice in Washington, Bloomberg Law reported October 13, 2026. Law360 Pulse covered the hire October 14. Bloomberg Law said Kuyler advised Westinghouse on nuclear regulatory matters worldwide and led contract negotiations for major reactor projects.
Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Law360 Pulse
Upper Tribunal sets February 2027 hearing on challenges to FCA motor finance redress scheme
The Upper Tribunal will hear challenges to the Financial Conduct Authority's motor finance compensation scheme from February 16 to 26, 2027, the FCA said October 13, 2026. Three lenders and consumer group Consumer Voice are challenging the scheme, which remains partially suspended. The FCA told lenders to prepare for the scheme being quashed, while a claimant firm said drivers are turning to litigation.
Filing (Financial Conduct Authority) → · Law Society Gazette, Legal Futures
Mayer Brown hires Sheppard Mullin's Joseph Jay as white collar co-chair
Mayer Brown hired A. Joseph Jay III, who co-led Sheppard Mullin's governmental practice, as co-chair of its global investigations and white collar defense practice, Bloomberg Law reported October 13, 2026. Jay said he moved to work again with practice chair Ken Wainstein, a former homeland security adviser to President George W. Bush; Bloomberg Law reported the pair wrote the University of North Carolina academic fraud report.
Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Mayer Brown
UK government responds to all 180 Leveson criminal courts review recommendations
The UK government published its response to Sir Brian Leveson's Independent Review of the Criminal Courts on October 12, 2026, setting out decisions on all 180 recommendations aimed at cutting the Crown Court backlog. It backs working with the legal profession on the criminal legal aid market's operating model, agrees in principle to regular legal aid fee reviews, and is exploring AI transcription of court proceedings.
Text (GOV.UK (Ministry of Justice)) → · Legal Futures, Law Gazette
UK consults on whistleblowing reform and SFO rewards for economic crime tips
The UK government opened a consultation on October 12, 2026 on whether the existing whistleblowing framework still works and on a proposed Serious Fraud Office scheme paying financial rewards to people who report economic crime. Rewards would be funded from corporate penalties and paid only after cases conclude; the consultation closes January 8, 2027.
Text (GOV.UK) → · Law Gazette
Leela exits stealth with $4.6M seed for agentic AI compliance in regulated finance
Compliance startup Leela launched its agentic AI platform for U.S.-regulated financial businesses out of stealth on October 12, 2026, alongside a $4.6 million seed round co-led by Array Ventures and Female Founders Fund, Legaltech News and PYMNTS reported. Founder and CEO Preeti Krishnan, a former Davis Polk attorney, said the platform turns regulations and policies into executable workflows while keeping humans responsible for consequential decisions.
Announcement (PYMNTS) → · Legaltech News
Michigan suspends dyed-diesel road bans for farm and logging vehicles through December 31
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2026-15 on October 12, 2026, declaring a statewide state of energy emergency. The order suspends Motor Fuel Tax Act provisions that bar dyed diesel in farm and wood-harvester vehicles on public roads. The suspension is effective immediately and runs no later than December 31, 2026.
Text (State of Michigan) → · Office of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Brownfield Ag News
D.C. judge vacates DOJ voter roll policy as unauthorized, arbitrary and capricious, and contrary to Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act
U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan vacated the Justice Department's Voter List Maintenance Policy on Oct. 9. She held that the Civil Rights Act of 1960, the NVRA and HAVA did not authorize it, and found it arbitrary and capricious under the APA and contrary to the Privacy Act and the Paperwork Reduction Act. The court granted partial summary judgment to Common Cause and individual voters.
Opinion (Democracy Docket) → · The Hill, Courthouse News Service
State and local law roundup, week ending October 9, 2026: 3 developments
Illinois and Iowa suspended state dyed-diesel penalties for farm hauling this week. Illinois Executive Order 2026-08, filed October 6, bars penalties for farm use of dyed diesel on highways through December 31, 2026; Iowa's October 7 disaster proclamation extends its suspension to livestock and feed loads through February 4, 2027. California's SB 799 (Chapter 980) lets the South Bay Regional Housing Trust fund moderate-income housing from January 1, 2027.
Entries (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor of Iowa, State of Illinois, Office of the Governor
Colorado adopts election rules requiring clerks to report court-ordered custody transfers and observers to carry authority letters
Colorado's Secretary of State adopted amended Election Rules (8 CCR 1505-1) on Oct. 9, 2026. Under rules effective immediately, a county clerk who transfers election records under a court order must give the order to the Secretary, notify the Secretary immediately and inventory the transferred items. Official observers must hold a Secretary-issued letter of authority, and clerks must admit them. Clerks must also file election plans 120 days before each election.
Text (Colorado Department of State) → · Colorado Secretary of State
Michigan caps county treasurer electronic parcel-record fees at 30 cents, $2,000 per request
Michigan enacted Senate Bill 102 as 2026 Public Act 112 on October 9, 2026, amending section 1 of 1895 Public Act 161. The act adds subsections (6) to (9) to MCL 48.101 for electronic copies of county treasurer records. A treasurer charges at most 30 cents per parcel record, capped at $2,000 per request, and transmits records electronically in a delimited, open-standards format.
Michigan Public Act 113 bars forced dealer-system access and requires written consent for protected dealer data
Michigan enacted the Motor Vehicle Dealer Data Collection Act as Public Act 113 of 2026 on October 9, 2026, with immediate effect. The act bars manufacturers and third parties from requiring dealer-system access or using protected dealer data without prior express written consent, limits charges to disclosed actual costs, and requires dealer data vendors to offer standardized open integration and 90-day contract termination.
Enrolled text (Michigan Legislature) → · Lexology, Autobody News
Michigan Public Act 114 revises limited-license psychologist licensing and Board of Psychology membership
Michigan enacted Public Act 114 of 2026 on October 9, 2026, amending the Public Health Code sections on psychologist licensing. The act revises licensure requirements for limited license psychologists, including supervised postgraduate experience, allows limited licensees to practice without supervision within their qualifications, and changes Michigan Board of Psychology membership. The Michigan Psychological Association states practice changes await Board of Psychology regulations.
Enrolled text (Michigan Legislature) → · MichiganVotes.org, Michigan Psychological Association
U.S. sanctions the International Criminal Court as an institution
On October 9, 2026, Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control added the International Criminal Court itself to the Specially Designated Nationals list under Executive Order 14203, blocking the court's property in U.S. jurisdiction and barring U.S. persons from dealing with it without a license. OFAC issued four general licenses, including General License 13, which authorizes transactions to maintain or wind down court operations through April 7, 2027. The ICC rejected the sanctions the same day.
Text (Office of Foreign Assets Control) → · International Criminal Court
Court of International Trade certifies class of importers seeking refunds of invalidated IEEPA tariffs
Senior Judge Richard K. Eaton of the Court of International Trade on October 8, 2026 certified a Rule 23(b)(2) class in Freestyle World v. CBP. It covers all importers of record that paid IEEPA duties between February 1, 2025 and February 19, 2026, excluding entities that filed separate refund actions. The class seeks an injunction directing liquidation or reliquidation without the duties. Barnes Richardson and Lieff Cabraser were appointed class counsel.
Opinion (U.S. Court of International Trade) → · InsideTrade.com, Law360, GEODIS
FTC sues Greenway Automotive over hidden dealer fees and fake prize mailers, files stipulated order requiring total-price disclosure
The Federal Trade Commission sued Greenway Automotive, its management company and five Florida Kia and Hyundai dealerships in the Middle District of Florida on October 8, alleging deceptive pricing and fake prize mailers, and filed a stipulated order settling the case. The FTC alleged more than 92% of consumers at the Kia dealerships paid on average over $3,350 above advertised prices. The proposed order requires total-price disclosure and includes no monetary payment.
Filing (Federal Trade Commission) → · Hudson Cook, The Dealership Guy
Korea's YK names former military prosecutor Woochan Shim to head defense industry group
Seoul-based YK Law Firm has hired Woochan Shim, a former army officer and military prosecutor, as a partner and head of its defense and defense industry group. YK said the hire, effective October 1, extends the group beyond military criminal and disciplinary cases into defense procurement investigations, administrative sanctions, contracts, regulation and corporate compliance.
Announcement (ChosunBiz) → · Aju Press, Law.asia
Pennsylvania requires water-supply evidence before final development approval under Act 58
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro approved Senate Bill 1287 on October 8, 2026, as Act No. 58 of 2026, amending Section 503.1 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. The act requires applicants whose subdivision or development will use water other than private wells to present evidence of water supply before final subdivision and land development approval. The House passed the bill 203-0 on October 6, 2026.
Wyoming authorizes oversize and overweight permits for agricultural hauling through November 7 under EO 2026-09
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon issued Executive Order 2026-09 on October 8, 2026, directing emergency relief permits for oversize and overweight loads of agricultural products on state highways, citing drought and strain on the agricultural supply chain. The order sets size, weight, lighting and permit conditions under Wyo. Stat. Ann. 31-18-804(n), extends to all agricultural products the relief EO 2026-08 gave livestock and feed, and expires no later than November 7, 2026.
Text (Governor of Wyoming) → · Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Wyoming extends the federal fuel-hauler hours-of-service waiver to intrastate deliveries through December 16 under EO 2026-10
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon issued Executive Order 2026-10 on October 8, 2026, directing the Wyoming Department of Transportation to recognize and adopt, for intrastate commerce, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration hours-of-service waiver for gasoline and diesel haulers. The driving-time limits in 49 C.F.R. 395.3, as incorporated by Wyo. Stat. Ann. 31-18-303, do not apply to carriers and drivers moving gasoline or diesel within Wyoming, subject to the FMCSA waiver terms, until 11:59 p.m. on December 16, 2026.
Text (Governor of Wyoming) → · Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation, Your Wyoming Link
Denver bars Caring for Denver tax spending on alcohol and staff wellness, lifts administrator cap to 7%
Denver's City Council passed Council Bill 26-1362 on Oct. 5, and the mayor signed it Oct. 7, amending the Caring for Denver tax ordinance. Administrative funds may no longer be spent on alcohol, regulated marijuana, tobacco or routine meals, and grants may not fund the nonprofit's own staff wellness programs. The nonprofit administrator's cap rises from 5% to 7%, and an extra 10% goes to a jail-alternatives facility for two years. Section 1 takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Reynolds widens dyed-diesel penalty suspension to livestock and other farm products
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a disaster emergency proclamation on October 7, 2026, suspending the dyed-fuel restrictions in Iowa Code sections 452A.74 and 452A.74A(1) for motor vehicles hauling soybeans, corn, livestock, livestock feed, soybean meal, fertilizer and other farm products, and suspending sales and fuel tax provisions on that fuel. The proclamation, which expands an earlier proclamation, took effect immediately and expires February 4, 2027.
New law requires annual report on federal projects $1 billion over budget or five years late
President Donald Trump signed S. 766, the Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025, on Oct. 7. The law requires the Office of Management and Budget to issue guidance within a year directing covered agencies to submit annual information on projects more than five years behind schedule or at least $1 billion over the original cost estimate. OMB must compile the submissions into an annual report to Congress and post it online.
Enrolled text (GovInfo) → · The White House, FEDweek, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks +1
Brown Rudnick launches national security practice in Washington with seven-person team
Brown Rudnick said on October 6, 2026, that it is launching a national security practice in Washington, D.C., with a seven-person team led by returning partner Patrick Gilman, most recently Greenberg Traurig's national security co-chair. The group includes six lawyers and a director of intelligence, and follows the firm's August addition of a 34-lawyer IP litigation group.
Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Brown Rudnick, Law360 Pulse
Seattle mayor signs ordinance banning grocery surveillance pricing
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson signed Council Bill 121267 on Oct. 5, after the City Council passed it on Sept. 22. Enacted as Ordinance 127515, it bars covered grocery retailers from using personal data to set individualized prices, requires pricing disclosures and record retention, and adds Chapter 7.35 to the Seattle Municipal Code. The pricing prohibition takes effect Sept. 1, 2027.
Text (Seattle City Council (Legistar)) → · Office of the Mayor, City of Seattle, Consumer Reports
Georgia waives penalties for on-road use of dyed diesel through Nov. 5
Gov. Brian Kemp signed Executive Order 10.06.26.01 on Oct. 6, 2026, directing the State Revenue Commissioner to waive penalties under O.C.G.A. 48-9-16(e) for selling, delivering or using dyed fuel oil for highway use. The order amends the Sept. 28 petroleum supply state of emergency, which suspended the state motor fuel tax and lifted commercial-vehicle weight limits, and renews the emergency through Nov. 5.
Text (Office of the Governor, State of Georgia) → · Discover Gordon County
Illinois suspends dyed-diesel road penalties for farm use through December 31
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed Executive Order 2026-08 on October 6, 2026, directing the Department of Revenue and State Police not to impose state penalties for the sale or on-road use of dyed diesel for farming and agricultural purposes through December 31. Users must keep records of plates, gallons, fill-up dates and agricultural use for four years. Pritzker also declared all 102 counties disaster areas for 30 days.
Text (Illinois Department of Revenue) → · Office of Governor JB Pritzker, NPR Illinois
Dechert hires former CFTC official Carl Kennedy to lead commodities and derivatives
Dechert said on October 5, 2026, that Carl Kennedy has joined as a partner and head of commodities and derivatives in its financial services group in New York. Kennedy, who joins from Katten Muchin Rosenman, represents swap dealers, futures commission merchants, and market infrastructure clients, advises prediction market platforms, and previously served as senior counsel and policy advisor at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Announcement (PR Newswire) → · Bloomberg Law
O'Melveny hires SEC enforcement lawyer D. Mark Cave as Washington partner
O'Melveny & Myers said on October 5, 2026, that D. Mark Cave has joined its white collar defense and corporate investigations practice as a partner in Washington, D.C., from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's enforcement staff. Cave advises corporations, financial institutions, investment advisers, broker-dealers, executives, and boards in SEC enforcement proceedings and related regulatory matters.
Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Law360 Pulse
Baker McKenzie hires Kirkland's Allison Murphy to co-lead congressional investigations
Kirkland & Ellis partner Allison Murphy joined Baker McKenzie on October 5, 2026, to co-lead its congressional investigations practice with former Justice Department official Rod Rosenstein. The hire comes weeks before midterm elections that will decide the balance of power in Congress, as large firms build out their congressional investigations benches.
Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Law360 Pulse, Law.com
Healey declares energy emergency, orders winter heating relief in Executive Order 659
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed Executive Order 659 on October 5, 2026, proclaiming an energy emergency through April 30, 2027. It directs agencies to create a one-time heating-oil benefit for households at 60 to 100% of state median income, supplement HEAP, fund removal of the SMART solar charge for at least three months, cut Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard costs by half and enforce against petroleum price gouging. The governor's office put the package at nearly $150 million.
Text (Mass.gov) → · Cape Cod Times
Michigan adds gift card fraud to its organized retail crime felony, effective January 3, 2027
Michigan enacted Public Act 109 of 2026 (HB 4598), amending MCL 752.1084 of the Organized Retail Crime Act. Starting January 3, 2027, it is a crime to knowingly, and with intent to defraud, acquire gift cards or redemption information, alter or tamper with them, exploit holders, issuers or sellers, or use such cards to obtain value. Organized retail crime is a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both.
Enrolled text (Michigan Legislature) → · MI House Republicans (gophouse.org), Governor Whitmer (michigan.gov)
Michigan bars youth transport companies from using restraints and overnight pickups under PA 111
Michigan enacted Public Act 111 of 2026 (HB 5514), the preventing restraints in youth transport act, effective October 5, 2026. Youth transportation companies taking minors to residential treatment programs may not use blindfolds, hoods or mechanical restraints, may use physical holds only when serious physical harm is imminent and staff are trained, and may not pick up a youth between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Violations carry civil fines up to $1,000.
Enrolled text (Michigan Legislature) → · Governor Whitmer (michigan.gov), MI House Republicans (gophouse.org)
Michigan requires schools to send parents annual notices on youth cannabis, tobacco and vaping risks under PA 104
Michigan enacted Public Act 104 of 2026 (SB 433), adding MCL 380.1509. By July 1, 2027, DHHS must develop a notice in English, Spanish and Arabic on the dangers of THC, tobacco, vapor, alternative nicotine and synthetic intoxicating hemp products, and update it every year. Starting in 2027-28, districts, intermediate districts, academies and nonpublic schools must get it to every pupil's parent by October 1 each year.
Enrolled text (Michigan Legislature) → · Governor Whitmer (michigan.gov), The Marijuana Herald
Norris scraps Crown Court Bench Division after outcry over judge-alone trials
The UK government said on October 4, 2026, that Justice Secretary Alex Norris will drop the planned Crown Court Bench Division, under which judges would have tried cases likely to draw sentences of up to three years without a jury. The Courts and Tribunals Bill, due back in the Commons on October 13, still ends defendants' right to elect jury trial for either-way offenses, keeps judge-alone trials for complex fraud and expands magistrates' sentencing powers.
Text (Law Gazette) → · GOV.UK, The Guardian, The Independent +1
Federal law roundup, week ending October 2, 2026: 2 developments
Two federal rules published September 29, 2026. The National Marine Fisheries Service added omitted inseason sablefish trip limits for West Coast groundfish fisheries, and the Environmental Protection Agency set a residue tolerance for the sodium salt of acifluorfen on sugar beet, with objections due November 30, 2026. Each item links to its Federal Register notice.
State and local law roundup, week ending October 2, 2026: 23 developments
Twenty-three state and local measures dated September 25 to 29, 2026. California enacted laws on prescribed fire, children's meals, added-sugar menu warnings, diaper ingredients, disposable vapes, supplement sales to minors and disability-form fees. North Dakota, Texas, Arkansas and Georgia issued fuel emergency orders. New Jersey and New York signed school, reentry, Rutgers and climate bills, Massachusetts set emergency adult foster care rates, and San Jose paused detention-facility applications.
Entries (California Legislative Information) → · North Dakota Office of the Governor, City of San Jose, Office of the City Clerk (Legistar), Office of the Texas Governor +6
Twenty-one states, DC and five cities ask First Circuit to review NHTSA fuel-economy rollback
Twenty-one states, the District of Columbia and five cities, including California and New York, petitioned the First Circuit on October 2, 2026, to review NHTSA's SAFE Vehicles Rule III, which sets a fleetwide average of 34.9 miles per gallon by 2031, down from 50.4 under the Biden-era rule. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the rule violates the requirement that standards be set at the maximum feasible level, Reuters reported.
Filing (California Department of Justice) → · Reuters, Courthouse News Service, Spectrum News +1
DeWine signs 90-day suspension of Ohio's gasoline and diesel fuel taxes
Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 519 on Oct. 1, cutting Ohio's 38.5-cent gasoline tax and 47-cent diesel tax to one-hundredth of a cent per gallon for about 90 days starting Oct. 4. Retail and motor fuel dealers must pass the full reduction on to buyers. The act, passed Sept. 30 with an emergency clause, appropriates $725 million from the General Revenue Fund to replace lost revenue.
Enrolled text (Ohio General Assembly) → · Ohio Legislature, Land Line Media
DOJ sues University of Delaware over in-state tuition for undocumented students
The Justice Department sued the University of Delaware and its Board of Trustees in federal court in Delaware on October 1 over a residency policy that gives in-state tuition to students without lawful immigration status. The complaint alleges Section VII of the policy violates 8 U.S.C. 1623 by denying the same rates to U.S. citizens from other states, and 8 U.S.C. 1621(d) because no state law authorizes the benefit.
Filing (U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware) → · U.S. Department of Justice, Inside Higher Ed, Border Report
DOJ sues Maryland and two counties over law enforcement mask ban and ID rules
The Justice Department sued Maryland, its attorney general, the state police training commission and Prince George's and Montgomery counties on October 1, seeking to invalidate state and county laws that bar law enforcement officers, including federal agents, from wearing masks and require them to show identification. The complaint alleges Maryland's SB 1 and the two county ordinances directly regulate federal officers and violate the Supremacy Clause and intergovernmental immunity.
Filing (U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland) → · U.S. Department of Justice, The Daily Record
HSF Kramer hires Sidley's Marie Manley to lead London life sciences regulatory
Nonbillable and Law.com reported on October 1, 2026, that Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer hired Marie Manley, Sidley Austin's London life sciences head, to lead its life sciences regulatory practice. Manley spent eight years at Sidley after heading regulatory work at Bristows; the move is HSF Kramer's second London partner hire of the week after private equity lateral Alex McCarney.
Announcement (Law.com International) → · Nonbillable
Legal Services Board drops planned diversity statutory policy statement
The Legal Services Board said on October 1, 2026, that it will not proceed with a draft statutory statement of policy on diversity after a November 2025–March 2026 consultation, keeping 2017 statutory guidance instead. Legal Futures reported consultation pushback on resources and cross-regulator fit; chair Monisha Shah said the board is concentrating on fewer consumer-risk priorities.
Text (Legal Services Board) → · Legal Futures
FCC sets Oct. 15 effective date for revised network-change disclosure rules
The FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau announced at 91 FR 62334 on Oct. 1, 2026, that OMB approved the information collections in Report and Order FCC 26-19, so the revised network-change disclosure and service-discontinuance rules in 47 CFR parts 51 and 63 take effect Oct. 15, 2026. From then, incumbent local exchange carriers no longer file network-change disclosures with the FCC and instead give notice through publicly accessible methods.
Text (Federal Register) → · NECA
State removes Syria from ITAR policy-of-denial list
The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued a final rule Oct. 1, 2026, removing Syria from the ITAR section 126.1 list of countries subject to a U.S. policy of denial for defense-article licenses and approvals. Future license requests for Syria will be reviewed case by case. The change follows the August rescission of Syria's state-sponsor-of-terrorism designation and took effect Oct. 1, 2026 (91 FR 62313).
Text (Federal Register) → · Associated Press, LexBlog
Minnesota eases harvest-hauler weight limits and fuel-transport hours through Oct. 31
Gov. Tim Walz signed Emergency Executive Order 26-11 on Oct. 1, 2026, effective immediately, directing MnDOT to issue a temporary emergency harvest permit so vehicles hauling corn, soybeans, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, carrots and forest products may exceed regular weight limits. The order also relieves fuel carriers from certain hours-of-service rules and runs until rescinded or Oct. 31, 2026.
Text (Office of Governor Tim Walz) → · Grand Rapids Herald-Review
USDA moves REAP grants to post-completion, performance-validated model
USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service published a final rule Oct. 1, 2026, restructuring the Rural Energy for America Program into a post-completion, performance-validated model. Projects must be fully built and operational before applying, with 12 months of pre-installation data and 12 months of production data. Ground-mounted solar and wind systems on certified cropland become ineligible. The rule (91 FR 62600) takes effect Oct. 16, 2026, with a 30-day comment period.
Text (Federal Register) → · Solar Power World, Michigan Farm News
Georgia cannabis commission amends Rule Chapter 351-1 on organization
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission voted on Sept. 30 to adopt amendments to Rule Chapter 351-1, governing the commission's organization. The commission posted its notice of intent to amend the chapter on Aug. 13 and held a public hearing Sept. 16. The amendments form part of a package rewriting Rule Chapter 351 to conform the state's medical cannabis rules to Senate Bill 220, which took effect July 1, 2026.
Text (Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission) → · The Marijuana Herald
Georgia cannabis commission amends Rule Chapter 351-2 on definitions
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission voted on Sept. 30 to adopt amendments to Rule Chapter 351-2, setting program definitions. The commission posted its notice of intent to amend the chapter on Aug. 13 and held a public hearing Sept. 16. The amendments form part of a package rewriting Rule Chapter 351 to conform the state's medical cannabis rules to Senate Bill 220, which took effect July 1, 2026.
Text (Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission) → · The Marijuana Herald
Georgia cannabis commission amends Rule Chapter 351-3 on applications
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission voted on Sept. 30 to adopt amendments to Rule Chapter 351-3, governing license applications. The commission posted its notice of intent to amend the chapter on Aug. 13 and held a public hearing Sept. 16. The amendments form part of a package rewriting Rule Chapter 351 to conform the state's medical cannabis rules to Senate Bill 220, which took effect July 1, 2026.
Text (Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission) → · The Marijuana Herald
Georgia cannabis commission amends Rule Chapter 351-4 on class 1 and class 2 production licensees
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission voted on Sept. 30 to adopt amendments to Rule Chapter 351-4, governing Class 1 and Class 2 production licensees. The commission posted its notice of intent to amend the chapter on Aug. 13 and held a public hearing Sept. 16. The amendments form part of a package rewriting Rule Chapter 351 to conform the state's medical cannabis rules to Senate Bill 220, which took effect July 1, 2026.
Text (Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission) → · The Marijuana Herald
Georgia cannabis commission amends Rule Chapter 351-5 on seed-to-sale tracking
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission voted on Sept. 30 to adopt amendments to Rule Chapter 351-5, governing seed-to-sale tracking. The commission posted its notice of intent to amend the chapter on Aug. 13 and held a public hearing Sept. 16. The amendments form part of a package rewriting Rule Chapter 351 to conform the state's medical cannabis rules to Senate Bill 220, which took effect July 1, 2026.
Text (Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission) → · The Marijuana Herald
Georgia cannabis commission adopts Rule 351-6-.11 authorizing home delivery
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission voted on Sept. 30 to adopt Rule 351-6-.11, creating a delivery framework for the state's medical cannabis program. The rule requires dispensaries to verify the recipient's identity and active Medical Cannabis Registry Card, keep recipient ID and registry records, and ship only to qualifying Georgia addresses. Shipments must be tracked and records kept; health-care institutions may receive deliveries for patients.
Text (Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission) → · The Marijuana Herald
Georgia cannabis commission amends Rule Chapter 351-6 on dispensing licensees
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission voted on Sept. 30 to adopt amendments to Rule Chapter 351-6, governing dispensing licensees. The commission posted its notice of intent to amend the chapter on Aug. 13 and held a public hearing Sept. 16. The amendments form part of a package rewriting Rule Chapter 351 to conform the state's medical cannabis rules to Senate Bill 220, which took effect July 1, 2026.
Text (Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission) → · The Marijuana Herald
Georgia cannabis commission amends Rule Chapter 351-7 on independent laboratories
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission voted on Sept. 30 to adopt amendments to Rule Chapter 351-7, governing independent laboratories. The commission posted its notice of intent to amend the chapter on Aug. 13 and held a public hearing Sept. 16. The amendments form part of a package rewriting Rule Chapter 351 to conform the state's medical cannabis rules to Senate Bill 220, which took effect July 1, 2026.
Text (Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission) → · The Marijuana Herald
Georgia cannabis commission adopts Rule 351-8-.07 listing grounds for product recalls
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission voted on Sept. 30, 2026, to adopt Rule 351-8-.07. The rule lets the commission require a production or dispensing licensee to recall a product on evidence that it exceeds Rule 351-7-.08 contaminant limits, contains an undeclared allergen, was not made by a Class 1 or Class 2 producer, or has a battery known to explode or ignite. For other risks, licensees get written notice and a chance to respond.
Text (Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission) → · The Marijuana Herald
Georgia cannabis commission amends Rule Chapter 351-8 on enforcement
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission voted on Sept. 30 to adopt amendments to Rule Chapter 351-8, governing enforcement. The commission posted its notice of intent to amend the chapter on Aug. 13 and held a public hearing Sept. 16. The amendments form part of a package rewriting Rule Chapter 351 to conform the state's medical cannabis rules to Senate Bill 220, which took effect July 1, 2026.
Text (Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission) → · The Marijuana Herald
Georgia cannabis commission adopts Rule Chapter 351-9 creating cannabis research permits
The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission voted on Sept. 30 to adopt new Rule Chapter 351-9, creating a research-permit pathway for the state's medical cannabis program. The chapter allows Georgia colleges and universities to partner with licensed producers to study cannabis under commission oversight. It was adopted alongside a delivery rule and recall factors as part of a package conforming the commission's rules to Senate Bill 220, which took effect July 1.
Text (Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission) → · The Marijuana Herald
Indiana governor extends gas tax suspension through Nov. 4
Indiana Governor Mike Braun signed Executive Order 26-33 on September 30, 2026, renewing the state's energy emergency for 30 days, Oct. 6 through Nov. 4, in all counties. The Gasoline Use Tax and Gasoline Excise Tax are suspended for that period, and the Department of Revenue must not collect them. WDRB reported it is the sixth extension of a holiday that began in April.
Text (Office of the Governor of Indiana) → · Indiana Capital Chronicle, WDRB
Indiana governor signs EO 26-34 letting farmers run road trucks on dyed diesel
Indiana Governor Mike Braun signed Executive Order 26-34 on September 30, 2026, suspending the special fuel restriction in Ind. Code § 6-6-2.5-62(c) for farmers and timber harvesters for the duration of the state energy emergency, now renewed through Nov. 4. They may run untaxed dyed diesel in highway vehicles for farm and timber work; motor carrier safety rules other than hours of service still apply.
Text (Office of the Governor of Indiana) → · Indiana Capital Chronicle
SRA pauses COLP and COFA separation rules after small-firm backlash
The Solicitors Regulation Authority paused rules requiring firms to separate the COLP and COFA roles from managers with unilateral decision-making power, the Law Gazette and Legal Futures reported on September 30, 2026. The Legal Services Board-approved rules, due from January 2027 for firms above turnover or client-money thresholds, are on hold while the SRA consults stakeholders. An SME firm alliance welcomed the pause but still plans a Law Society AGM no-confidence vote.
Text (Law Gazette) → · Legal Futures
California conditions state funding for recovery housing on Housing First core components
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1556 on September 29, 2026. The law adds Health and Safety Code Division 10.95, under which recovery housing programs must satisfy Housing First core components to receive state funding. Programs must offer substance-use-specific peer support, emphasize abstinence, offer permanent or interim housing, treat relapse alone as not grounds for eviction, and allow prescribed medications including buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California caps building-permit plan checks at two and makes postentitlement permit violations Housing Accountability Act violations
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1621 on September 29, 2026. Local and state agencies may not require more than two plan check and specification reviews for a building permit application. Failing to comply with any postentitlement phase permit requirement in Government Code section 65913.3, subdivisions (b) to (e), now counts as disapproving a housing development project under the Housing Accountability Act.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California imposes 25% annual tax on private detention facility operators from 2028
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1633 on September 29, 2026. The Private Detention Facility Tax Law, Revenue and Taxation Code section 53000 and following, imposes an annual tax on private detention facility operators equal to 25% of their California-derived gross income, beginning July 1, 2028, whether the contracting agency is federal, state or local. The CDTFA administers the tax, and revenue goes to the Due Process for All Fund.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California keeps CalWORKs eligibility for members detained in federal immigration custody
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1655 on September 29, 2026. It amends and adds Welfare and Institutions Code section 11269 so that a CalWORKs assistance-unit member detained in an immigration detention facility is treated as temporarily absent, and the household stays eligible. A written sworn statement is sufficient to establish the detention. The rule becomes operative July 1, 2027, or when the automation system is ready, whichever is later.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California extends CEQA exemption for affordable housing to 2037 and adds public university housing
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1732 on September 29, 2026. It amends Public Resources Code section 21080.40 to extend the CEQA exemption for qualifying affordable housing projects until January 1, 2037, and to expand it to public university and public college housing projects. Projects must meet labor standards, site and location criteria, recorded affordability requirements and, for vacant sites, tribal cultural resource conditions.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California requires 180-day public notice before approving private immigration-detention buildings
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1801 on September 29, 2026. It amends Civil Code section 1670.9 to bar cities, counties and public agencies from approving the building or reuse of buildings by private companies to detain people in civil immigration custody until they give 180 days' public notice, including weekly radio broadcasts and written notices in the area's top five languages, and hear comments at two public meetings. It applies to charter cities.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California lets cities permit Joshua tree removal for commercial projects and sets in-lieu fees
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1808 on September 29, 2026, as an urgency statute effective immediately. It amends the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act so the Department of Fish and Wildlife may delegate take permits for commercial and industrial projects to cities, and sets in-lieu mitigation fees of $1,000, $200 or $150 per tree by height. Some homeowner permits are exempt from CEQA until a programmatic EIR is certified or January 1, 2032.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California bars local building standards stricter than state code for factory-built housing
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1815 on September 29, 2026. Cities, counties and districts may not impose local building standards on factory-built housing structures that exceed or differ from the California Building Standards Code, including local energy and green-building amendments, except climate, geological or topographical changes backed by findings. It creates a rebuttable presumption favoring factory-built housing and covers buildings with at least 30% factory-built residential space.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California requires mobilehome parks to specify rule violations in tenancy-termination notices
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1817 (Chapter 793, Statutes of 2026) on September 29, 2026, amending Civil Code section 798.56. Mobilehome park management seeking to end a tenancy for a rule violation must serve written notice reciting each rule allegedly violated, specific facts on the date, place or circumstances of the violation, and the action required to comply. The homeowner has seven days to comply, and management keeps the burden of proving the violation.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California orders a statewide homelessness prevention strategy by 2028
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1924 (Chapter 794, Statutes of 2026) on September 29, 2026. New Welfare and Institutions Code section 8257.4 requires the state's homelessness council, by July 1, 2028, to develop a statewide homelessness prevention strategy in its Action Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, including a baseline estimate of first-time homelessness, agency roles, funding recommendations, goals and metrics, and practices such as emergency rental assistance, eviction defense and case management.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California creates a community-scale wildfire mitigation validation program
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1960 (Ch. 764, Stats. 2026) on September 29, 2026. It adds Public Resources Code section 4124.9, requiring CAL FIRE to set up a voluntary program recognizing communities that reach set levels of wildfire mitigation. Recognized communities may receive Wildfire Prevention Grants from fiscal year 2028–29. Recognition may not justify insurance rate, underwriting or mitigation-credit changes absent supporting empirical evidence.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California lets HCD shift residual receipts between developments of the same sponsor
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2020 (Chapter 795, Statutes of 2026) on September 29, 2026. New Health and Safety Code section 50406.4.5 lets the Department of Housing and Community Development, in its sole discretion, transfer its residual receipts share or excess reserves from one HCD-regulated rental development as equity to another owned by the same sponsor or an affiliate. Transfers may not impair other lenders' payment rights or leave replacement reserves below $1,000 per unit.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California launches rapid-response framework for invasive golden mussels
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2032 on September 29, 2026, as an urgency statute taking immediate effect. It adds Fish and Game Code section 2150.6 exempting water agencies with control plans from restricted-species permits for invasive-mussel maintenance and research, section 2301.5 requiring the Department of Fish and Wildlife to issue guidance by April 1, 2027 and quarterly infestation maps, plus Food and Agricultural Code section 12824.1 and Water Code section 13371 for rapid-response coordination against golden mussels.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California extends streamlined habitat-restoration permitting to 2032
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2045 on September 29, 2026. It extends the Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Act from January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2032. Department of Fish and Wildlife approval of a restoration project now covers take only of the species the proponent lists in its application, and the department must set an application fee schedule by January 1, 2030 and report to the Legislature by December 31, 2029.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California requires HOAs to fund reserves at levels keeping 30-year balances non-negative
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2050 on September 29, 2026. Beginning January 1, 2032, common interest development reserve studies must state the minimum reserve contribution that keeps the projected reserve balance from falling below zero over 30 years, and associations must fund at least that level each year. If the balance is projected to fall below zero, the association must transfer 15% of its gross annual budget to reserves or levy a special assessment.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California lets buyers choose private inspectors for factory-built housing and caps local fees
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2058 (Chapter 783, Statutes of 2026) on September 29, 2026. Once the Department of Housing and Community Development adopts regulations, due by January 1, 2029, a first user of factory-built housing may choose a department-supervised quality assurance agency to inspect installation. Local inspection and permitting fees are capped at 50% of nonfactory-built equivalents absent a substantial-evidence cost finding, and inspectors may not disassemble or damage the housing.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California requires major transit cities to zone regional transit hub districts for downtown housing by July 2027
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2074 on September 29, 2026. By July 1, 2027, each major transit city must designate at least one regional transit hub district where downtown housing developments are an allowed use eligible for streamlined ministerial approval. Cities may not set height limits below 150 feet or floor area ratios below six there, and at least a quarter of district area must allow 450 feet and a ratio of 12.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California tightens fire-tool requirements for forestry operations
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2075 on September 29, 2026. Operators of spark-producing equipment on or near forest, brush or grass land must keep a backpack pump extinguisher and enough round point shovels, at least 46 inches long, for every person within 25 feet of the equipment. The law defines 'person' to include business entities and removes the exception for emergency crews and utility service vehicles.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California streamlines approvals for essential local fire station projects
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2152 on September 29, 2026. It amends Public Resources Code sections 21189.81 to 21189.82 so the Governor may certify essential local fire station projects for CEQA infrastructure streamlining, including expedited litigation timelines. Qualifying projects must be undertaken by a local agency, be covered by a project labor agreement, and have the applicant pay trial and appellate court costs of any challenge.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California requires affordable-housing programs to accommodate factory-built housing by 2027
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2185 (Chapter 784, Statutes of 2026) on September 29, 2026. New Health and Safety Code section 50158 requires state housing agencies administering nine multifamily affordable-housing programs, including the low-income housing tax credit and Multifamily Housing programs, to revise their guidelines by July 1, 2027 to facilitate factory-built housing, treat it as an allowable use of funds, and make early deposits available for upfront material and factory-production costs.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California revises regional housing-needs allocation methodology
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2296 on September 29, 2026. It amends the regional housing needs allocation process so councils of governments receive University of California and California State University enrollment forecasts, and moves the deadline to form subregional entities from 28 to 34 months before a housing element update and the subregional share deadline from 25 to 31 months, except for some seventh-cycle regions.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California locks in original standards for modifications to SB 35 streamlined projects
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2390 (Chapter 799, Statutes of 2026) on September 29, 2026, amending Government Code section 65913.4, the SB 35 streamlined-approval law. Local governments must approve a modification to a streamlined project if it is consistent with the objective zoning, subdivision and design review standards in effect when the original application or notice of intent was submitted, and must evaluate later modifications with the same assumptions and methodology used before.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California makes density-bonus approvals nondiscretionary and exempt from CEQA review
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2433 on September 29, 2026, amending the Density Bonus Law, Government Code section 65915. From January 1, 2027, a city or county's grant of a density bonus, incentive or concession, or waiver of development standards is not discretionary and requires no CEQA review. Once an application is deemed complete, the city or county must give the applicant a density-bonus eligibility determination. Applicants filing a base density study may elect a floor-area-ratio bonus.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California requires extra density bonus for mixed-income student housing
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2480 (Chapter 801, Statutes of 2026) on September 29, 2026, amending Government Code section 65915. Cities and counties must grant an additional density bonus to a student housing development that gives 24% of its units to lower income students and adds units affordable to moderate-income students, if no more than 50% of total units are income-restricted. A moderate-income student is an independent student earning up to 120% of area median income.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California authorizes regional landscape wildfire-resilience grants
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2513 (Ch. 768, Stats. 2026) on September 29, 2026. It lets the Department of Conservation, CAL FIRE and the Wildlife Conservation Board directly award regional landscape grants to regional or local entities to carry out regional wildfire priority strategies, makes advance grant payments permanent, and adds ignition prevention and roadside vegetation modification to activities eligible for CAL FIRE's local assistance grants.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California expands HCD Portfolio Reinvestment Program to older at-risk affordable housing
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 750 on September 29, 2026. It amends Health and Safety Code section 50607 so the Department of Housing and Community Development may make loans and grants to rehabilitate and extend affordability of challenged developments, not only department-funded projects with expiring restrictions. Department-funded projects keep priority, and at least 10% of each funding round goes to challenged developments the department did not fund.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California lets for-sale density-bonus affordability be met through nonprofit homebuyer loans
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 939 (Chapter 790, Statutes of 2026) on September 29, 2026, adding Government Code section 65915.4. A developer may instead meet Density Bonus Law affordability for a for-sale unit by ensuring it is bought by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit housing corporation with a welfare exemption that sells to extremely low, very low or lower income families in a below-market interest rate loan program with a repurchase option. Cities and counties must ensure that purchase.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California sets ministerial ADU and junior ADU permit rules for residential zones
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 956 on September 29, 2026. It amends Government Code section 66323 so local agencies must ministerially approve two detached new-construction accessory dwelling units, up from one, on a single-family lot, with up to 800 square feet and four-foot setbacks. Agencies may not require correcting nonconforming zoning or fire sprinklers not required for the primary residence, and rentals must exceed 30 days.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California creates Community Anti-Displacement and Preservation Program
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1091 (Chapter 807, Statutes of 2026) on September 29, 2026. It creates the Community Anti-Displacement and Preservation Program, under which the Department of Housing and Community Development, through a nonprofit-lender program manager and regional housing entities, funds acquisition and rehabilitation of unrestricted housing with affordability restrictions of 55 years for rentals and at least 45 years for ownership. HCD must adopt program regulations by July 1, 2028.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California expands ministerial housing approvals on subdivided lots
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1116 on September 29, 2026. It amends Government Code sections 65852.28 and 66499.41 on ministerial approval of housing on subdivided lots: height limits apply to building height, not floor count, and new parcels on multifamily-zoned land may be as small as 480 square feet if the average is at least 600. New Civil Code section 714.9 voids deed restrictions that would preclude such housing, outside common interest developments.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California limits ADU impact fees to floor area above 750 square feet
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1117 on September 29, 2026. It amends Government Code section 66311.5 so that, for up to two accessory dwelling units on a lot, impact fees on an ADU larger than 750 square feet are charged proportionately and only on the area above 750 square feet. ADUs up to 750 square feet and junior ADUs up to 500 square feet remain exempt from impact fees.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California requires large water suppliers in fire zones to add wildfire procedures
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1153 on September 29, 2026. It adds Government Code section 8607.3, requiring water suppliers serving at least 3,300 people in high or very high fire-hazard severity zones to include wildfire incident procedures in their disaster plans beginning January 1, 2028. The bill creates no duty to build infrastructure for wildfire defense.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California lets nonprofit housing developers join public-entity insurance pools
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1170 on September 29, 2026. It amends Government Code section 990.8 to let nonprofit housing developers provide insurance through joint powers agreements and be coinsured under master policies alongside local public entities, with pooled self-insured claims not treated as insurance subject to Insurance Code regulation.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California bars cities and counties from approving new private detention facilities
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1367 on September 29, 2026. Government Code section 65850.05 prohibits cities and counties from approving a new land use that authorizes construction of a detention facility, or a change of use that lets an existing building serve as one. A detention facility is any structure a private entity operates for a governmental entity to hold people for criminal, civil or administrative purposes. The ban applies to charter cities.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California extends attorney general reviews of immigration detention facilities indefinitely
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1399 on September 29, 2026. It amends Government Code section 12532 to indefinitely extend the Attorney General's reviews of county, local, and private locked detention facilities housing noncitizens for civil immigration proceedings, including facilities holding minors for ORR or ICE. It deletes the inoperative and repeal dates and the apprehension-and-transfer-circumstances requirement, and guarantees the Attorney General full access.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California exempts Concord Naval Weapons Station redevelopment from surplus-land rules
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 328 on September 29, 2026, as an urgency statute effective immediately. It amends Government Code section 54221 so the former Concord Naval Weapons Station can be disposed of as exempt surplus land for a project expected to include at least 10,000 homes, with 25% restricted to lower-income households for 55 years for rentals or 45 years for ownership, a project labor agreement and 30 days' notice to HCD.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California deems San Diego's Midway Rising environmental report CEQA-sufficient
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 344 (Chapter 786, Statutes of 2026) on September 29, 2026, as an urgency statute effective immediately. New Public Resources Code section 21080.77 deems San Diego's Midway Rising Specific Plan Subsequent Final Environmental Impact Report sufficient for CEQA, so project approvals may rely conclusively on it, and makes its mitigation measures enforceable conditions of approval. The project covers about 4,254 homes, 2,000 of them deed-restricted affordable.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California opens detention-facility incident reports to public-records disclosure
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 423 on September 29, 2026. It adds Government Code section 7923.606 to the California Public Records Act, providing that recordings and written communications to state or local agencies reporting incidents at private detention facilities — and related law-enforcement records — are not confidential and must be disclosed on request, with limited redactions. The provision does not apply to the Attorney General, the Department of Justice, or the Department of Consumer Affairs.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California orders HCD realistic-capacity formulas for housing element site inventories by July 2028
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 457 on September 29, 2026. By July 1, 2028, the Department of Housing and Community Development must promulgate or approve formulas and tools to determine the realistic capacity of housing element inventory sites, and cities and counties may rely on them. Inventories must state the number of units allowed on each site at adoption and after rezoning, and committed assistance may include in-kind services.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California widens Infill Infrastructure Grant eligibility to streamlined housing sites
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 772 (Ch. 804, Stats. 2026) on September 29, 2026. It amends Health and Safety Code 53559 and 53559.1 to widen the Infill Infrastructure Grant Program of 2019: qualifying infill projects may sit on sites mostly bordered by previously developed urban uses, and qualifying infill areas include sites made ready for streamlined housing under the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022. HCD must rank applications on on-demand transit access and walkability.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California creates a Wildfire Resilience Loan Program without ratepayer funds
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 894 (Ch. 770, Stats. 2026) on September 29, 2026. It adds Public Resources Code sections 26090 and 26091, creating the California Wildfire Resilience Loan Program at the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority. Upon appropriation, the program will finance home hardening, defensible space and other wildfire-resilience improvements, and it may not use money collected from electrical or gas corporation ratepayers.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California sets rapid post-wildfire permitting and reporting duties
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 904 on September 29, 2026. It adds Government Code section 8608.2, requiring the Department of Housing and Community Development to report within 30 days of post-wildfire permitting suspensions and update every 60 days, with a rapid-permitting goal of 30 days; section 8608.3 creates a Title 24 suspension workgroup by July 1, 2028; and section 8608.4 electronic-filing mandates take effect January 1, 2028.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California voids HOA bans on energy-code-compliant window replacements
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 908 on September 29, 2026. New Civil Code section 4754 voids common interest development restrictions that effectively prohibit owners from replacing windows with California Energy Code-compliant windows. Associations may impose only reasonable installation restrictions and, in multifamily buildings of more than 20 units, limited aesthetic restrictions. Applications not decided in writing within 45 days are deemed approved.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California extends undertaking-bond protection to student housing developments
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 916 on September 29, 2026. It amends Code of Civil Procedure section 529.2 so defendants in suits challenging student housing developments, like affordable housing projects, may ask the court to require the plaintiff to post an undertaking if the action is meritless and brought in bad faith, vexatiously or for delay. The plaintiff’s liability is capped at $1 million, and courts may waive the bond for undue hardship.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
NHTSA finalizes SAFE Vehicles Rule III resetting fuel-economy standards for model years 2022-2031
NHTSA published a final rule on Sept. 30 recalibrating Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks for model years 2022 through 2031. NHTSA estimates the standards correspond to a fleetwide average of roughly 34.9 mpg in model year 2031. The rule ends trading of credits earned in model year 2028 and later and applies updated vehicle classification definitions from model year 2030. It takes effect Nov. 30.
Text (Federal Register) → · CollisionWeek, GM Authority, Business Fleet
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Missouri governor signs EO 26-19 letting farm haulers use dyed diesel and heavier loads
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed Executive Order 26-19 on September 30, 2026, declaring a state of emergency and suspending enforcement of the motor fuel restrictions in Section 142.932, RSMo, so vehicles used strictly for agricultural purposes may run on dyed diesel on state highways and local roads, but not interstates. Six-axle farm combinations may carry up to 90,000 pounds. The relief runs through October 30.
Text (Missouri Secretary of State) → · Office of Governor Mike Kehoe, Missouri Farm Bureau
California's SB 876 requires home insurers to offer 50% extended replacement cost and doubles emergency claim penalties from 2028
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 876 (Chapter 656, Statutes of 2026) on September 27. Starting January 1, 2028, insurers may not issue or renew a residential property policy without offering extended replacement cost coverage of at least 50% above the dwelling limit, must assign a primary point of contact on emergency claims within 30 days, and face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per act, or $20,000 if willful, for unfair practices tied to a state of emergency.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · CalMatters
Florida Cabinet approves designating CAIR, antifa and Muslim Brotherhood as domestic terrorist organizations
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet on Sept. 29, 2026, approved the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's designation of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, including CAIR-Florida, antifa and the Muslim Brotherhood as domestic terrorist organizations under HB 1471, Chapter 2026-28. CAIR's lawyers, including the ACLU, said they would seek an emergency order to stop the designations, which they said take effect Nov. 5.
Text (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) → · The Florida Senate, American Civil Liberties Union of Florida
Colorado sues Department of Homeland Security over $500M Hudson immigrant detention facility contract
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security challenging a five-year contract exceeding $500 million with The GEO Group to operate a 1,200-bed immigration detention center in Hudson. The complaint alleges federal officials violated the National Environmental Policy Act, the Administrative Procedure Act and the Immigration and Nationality Act by awarding the contract without the required environmental review.
Filing (U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado) → · Colorado Attorney General, Courthouse News Service, The Denver Post
Education Department repeals 2024 Title IX rule and recodifies prior text
The Education Department published a final rule repealing its 2024 Title IX regulations and recodifying the text that existed before the 2024 rulemaking at 34 CFR part 106. The department said the 2024 rule was vacated nationwide and had not been enforced for over a year and a half. The rule omits four obsolete provisions, including a sentence vacated by Victim Rights Law Center v. Cardona. It took effect September 29, 2026.
SBA removes affirmative action and disparate-impact provisions from Title VI rules
The Small Business Administration published a final rule rescinding provisions of its Title VI regulations (13 CFR part 112) that authorized or required affirmative action by SBA program applicants and recipients. The rule also removes references to employment practices and drops disparate-impact coverage, stating the regulations prohibit only intentional discrimination. SBA cited a December 2025 DOJ Title VI revision and Executive Order 14281. The rule took effect September 29, 2026.
Law roundup: seven FAA airworthiness directives, IRS and HUD fee changes, Nebraska harvest weight relief
Sixteen federal rules and notices published September 24 to 28, plus one Nebraska executive order. They include seven FAA airworthiness directives and new IFR altitudes, an IRS estate tax closing letter fee rising from $56 to $76, a 1.05% HUD Section 108 guarantee fee for fiscal 2027, PHMSA's adoption of ASME Section XII for transport tanks, FTC rules of practice changes, and Nebraska's 90-day, permit-free 25% weight allowance for harvest haulers.
Entries (State of Nebraska, Office of the Governor) → · Federal Register
State law roundup: 20 California laws on licensing, EV charging, elections and welfare, plus Alaska game rules
Twenty California laws signed September 18 to 25 and one Alaska regulation package. California extended three licensing boards to 2031, capped multifamily EV charger permit fees, widened streamlined EV permitting, allowed E15 under existing vapor-control certifications, set in-person vote-by-mail procedures, expanded translated election materials, dropped the CalWORKs 100-hour work test and will revoke licenses for six years after an injury DUI with four prior convictions. Alaska's archery and predator-control rules took effect September 23.
Entries (Alaska Online Public Notices) → · California Legislative Information
Federal law roundup: softwood lumber assessment, NHTSA target waiver, Access Board FOIA rules
Three federal final rules were published September 22 and 23. USDA clarified that the softwood lumber assessment of $0.41 per thousand board feet applies on a nominal count and added a U.S. South seat to the Softwood Lumber Board, effective October 22. NHTSA waived, for fiscal year 2027 only, the requirement that states' common highway safety targets match FHWA's. The Access Board replaced its FOIA regulations with a new 36 CFR part 1120.
California gives parents remote-meeting option with teachers
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1412 on September 28, 2026, amending Education Code Section 51101. From January 1, 2027, a parent, guardian or educational rights holder who cannot attend an individual meeting about their child in person has the right to communicate with the teacher by telephone or a school-approved web conferencing platform. Such meetings may not be recorded or transcribed, and the school must notify the parent of privacy and confidentiality risks.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California eases library-card rules for 16- and 17-year-olds
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 965 on September 28, 2026, adding Section 18732 to the Education Code. Beginning January 1, 2028, a public library may not require the presence of a parent or guardian to issue a library card to a California resident who is 16 or 17 years old. A library may still require a parent's or guardian's consent or signature unless the minor is emancipated.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California protects resident tuition for military dependents after transfer
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1346 on September 28, 2026, amending Education Code Section 68074. A dependent child, stepchild or spouse of an active-duty servicemember who holds resident tuition classification and is granted the right to reenroll at a California public college or university keeps that classification even if the servicemember has been transferred out of state or has retired from active duty. The change takes effect January 1, 2027.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
California grants priority college registration to veteran and GI Bill students
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2203 on September 28, 2026, adding Section 66025.4 to the Education Code. Beginning with the 2028-29 academic year, every California State University campus and community college district campus that runs a priority enrollment system must grant priority registration to students receiving a veteran-dependent fee waiver and to students using federal GI Bill benefits. The University of California is requested to do the same.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor
Boston sues Transportation Department over cancellation of $20M RAISE grant for Roxbury street project citing EV chargers
The City of Boston sued Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in Massachusetts federal court over the withdrawal of a $20 million RAISE grant awarded in 2022 for the Roxbury Resilient Corridors project. Boston alleges the department lacked authority under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to cancel the grant because the project included electric vehicle chargers, and that the rescission violated the Administrative Procedure Act and separation-of-powers principles.
Filing (U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts) → · Reuters, Law360, Boston 25 News +1
Fifteen states and Harris County petition Second Circuit to vacate FAA environmental review for commercial drone deliveries
A coalition of 15 states and Harris County, Texas, petitioned the Second Circuit to review and set aside the Federal Aviation Administration's nationwide environmental review for commercial drone package deliveries. The petitioners contend the agency violated the National Environmental Policy Act by approving nationwide operations without adequately analyzing safety risks and environmental impacts, including noise from delivery hubs. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the assessment falls far short of proper analysis.
Filing (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit) → · Reuters, Bloomberg Law, Law Commentary +1
FAA stops single-pilot exemptions for two-pilot Cessna Citation CE-500 jets
The Federal Aviation Administration said it would stop issuing exemptions that let certain Cessna Citation CE-500 aircraft certified for two-pilot crews operate with a single pilot, citing safety concerns and widespread non-compliance found in a review. Current exemption holders face rescission by separate action, and pilots holding logbook endorsements from exempted providers must now fly two-pilot configurations. The policy statement takes effect September 29, 2026.
Text (Federal Register) → · NBAA
California raises DMV violation points to three for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated
Governor Newsom signed AB 1685 on September 25, 2026. The act amends Vehicle Code sections 1808 and 12810. A conviction for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated with gross negligence will carry three DMV violation points instead of two, and DMV abstracts of such convictions will be disclosed for 10 years from the offense. The point increase becomes operative January 1, 2031.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California makes its Office of Tribal Affairs permanent in statute
California enacted AB 2507 (Chapter 449, Statutes of 2026), amending Government Code section 12012.3 to make the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs permanent. The statute creates a nine-member Tribal Advisory Committee of tribal chairs, three each from the northern, central and southern regions, and requires state agencies that engage tribal governments to designate a tribal liaison, adopt tribal consultation policies and keep the office informed of liaison appointments. Signed September 25, 2026, it takes effect January 1, 2027.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California exempts tribal contracts from competitive-bidding rules
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2187 on September 25, amending Public Contract Code section 10340 so state agencies may contract with federally recognized California Native American tribes without securing three competitive bids. A tribe fulfilling such an interagency agreement may subcontract with its wholly owned subdivisions or business enterprises if it provides a limited waiver of sovereign immunity and cost justification showing market equivalence.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor of California
Sixth Circuit rules states can regulate Kalshi sports event contracts, finding CEA does not preempt state gambling laws
A unanimous Sixth Circuit panel ruled that state regulators in Ohio and Tennessee can enforce gambling laws against Kalshi's sports prediction markets. Judge Gibbons wrote that Kalshi failed to prove event contracts are statutory swaps under CFTC exclusive jurisdiction, and alternatively held the Commodity Exchange Act does not preempt state gaming statutes. The court affirmed denial of an Ohio injunction and vacated Tennessee injunctive relief.
Order (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit) → · Courthouse News Service, CoinDesk, Unchained
California extends nonprofit security grants to offsite events
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1836 (Chapter 441, Statutes of 2026) on September 25, 2026, amending Government Code section 8588.9 to extend the California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program beyond fixed facilities to offsite events hosted by nonprofits at high risk of violent attack or hate crime. Cal OES administers the program, which funds security guards, temporary infrastructure and screening equipment; offsite-event security is capped at $25,000 per grant. The change takes effect January 1, 2027.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Office of the Governor of California
DWP fiduciary-duty chair says forthcoming guidance should help trustees make best decisions, not least challengeable ones
Sir Robin Knowles, chair of the Department for Work and Pensions technical working group on fiduciary duty, told a Society of Pensions Professionals conference that forthcoming guidance should give trustees confidence to make the best long-term decisions rather than those least open to challenge. A public consultation is expected later in 2026. The Society of Pensions Professionals said the guidance now appears likely to be non-statutory, though Knowles said industry-led guidance would still carry weight with regulators and courts.
Text (Pensions Expert) → · Solicitors Journal
California counts tribal colleges as part of public higher education
California enacted AB 1641 (Jackson), amending Education Code section 66010 so that tribal colleges and universities located in California and operated by an Indian tribal government count as part of state public higher education. The bill places tribal colleges alongside the California Community Colleges, California State University, and the University of California in statute. Governor Newsom signed the bill on September 25, 2026; it takes effect January 1, 2027, with the definition continuing under a successor provision in 2030.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California requires transfer and dual-enrollment pathways for tribal college students
California enacted AB 1769 (Ramos), adding Education Code section 66728 to build transfer pathways between tribal colleges and universities in the state and public postsecondary institutions. CSU trustees and community college districts offering baccalaureates must develop articulation agreements and concurrent-enrollment programs for students at tribal colleges; UC regents are asked to do the same. Governor Newsom signed the bill on September 25, 2026; it takes effect January 1, 2027.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
Trump signs Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act requiring annual FERC reports
President Trump signed the Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act (H.R. 3657) on September 25, 2026. The law requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to report to Congress within 180 days, and annually thereafter, on pending hydropower license applications for which applicants gave at least three years’ notice of intent to apply, listing each docket, its status and the anticipated issuance date. Sponsored by Rep. Kim Schrier, the bipartisan bill took effect on signing; no public law number had yet been assigned.
Enrolled text (GovInfo (U.S. Government Publishing Office)) → · The White House, Congress.gov, Renewable Energy World
Trump signs MAPOceans Act requiring public database of offshore recreation restrictions
President Trump signed the Modernizing Access to Our Public Oceans Act (S. 759) on September 25, 2026. The Secretary of Commerce, through NOAA, must set data standards within 31 months and, within four years, publish on a public website geospatial data identifying U.S. exclusive economic zone areas subject to restrictions on fishing, boating and other recreation, refreshed at least twice a year. The act took effect on signing; no public law number had yet been assigned.
Enrolled text (GovInfo (U.S. Government Publishing Office)) → · The White House, Congress.gov
Nebraska declares fuel emergency, allows untaxed dyed diesel on highways
Governor Jim Pillen signed Executive Order 26-21 on September 24, 2026, declaring a statewide emergency over distillate fuel shortages. For 90 days, registered highway vehicles may hold and use untaxed dyed diesel without state penalty, sales of the fuel to those operators are permitted, the Tax Commissioner must seek IRS penalty relief within three business days, and diesel taxes on Nebraska agricultural hauling are refundable via Form 84AG.
Text (State of Nebraska, Office of the Governor) → · Office of Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen
Nevada lawmakers clear sweeping cannabis rules on delivery, testing, and ads
Nevada's Legislative Commission approved LCB File No. R152-24 on September 24, 2026, completing legislative review of the Cannabis Compliance Board's comprehensive regulation package. The rules raise the per-trip delivery limit to 12.5 ounces and the per-consumer daily home-delivery limit to 2.5 ounces, overhaul testing, advertising, packaging, and disciplinary rules, and strengthen unlicensed-activity enforcement. The regulations take effect once filed with the secretary of state.
Text (Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau) → · The Marijuana Herald
California Supreme Court orders Riverside sheriff to return 650,000 ballots and affirms state AG oversight
The Supreme Court of California issued two unanimous opinions on Thursday ordering Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to return approximately 650,000 voted ballots seized following the November 2025 special election. Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero held that Elections Code section 15551, as it then read, prohibited removing ballots from election officials' custody even during criminal investigations. The court also held that Article V, Section 13 of the California Constitution grants Attorney General Rob Bonta binding supervisory authority over county sheriffs' investigations.
Order (Supreme Court of California) → · KQED, State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General, Horvitz & Levy LLP
Minnesota Attorney General settles False Claims Act suit against Partners in Nutrition for $18.5 million
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a civil False Claims Act lawsuit and concurrent settlement in Hennepin County District Court on Thursday against child nutrition program sponsor Partners in Nutrition. The agreement resolved allegations that the nonprofit submitted fraudulent meal reimbursement claims to the Minnesota Department of Education between October 2020 and February 2022. Partners in Nutrition agreed to pay $18,517,909.27, representing its entire remaining funds, produce internal records to investigators, and permanently dissolve as a corporate entity.
Order (District Court of Minnesota, Fourth Judicial District) → · Minnesota Attorney General's Office, FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, Sahan Journal
New York sues Polymarket alleging unlicensed gambling while company countersues in federal court
New York Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Kathy Hochul filed an enforcement petition in Manhattan state court on Thursday against QCX LLC, operating as Polymarket US, alleging the prediction market ran an unlicensed gambling business that offered sports event wagers to individuals under twenty-one. Polymarket countersued James and state gaming officials in Manhattan federal court several hours later, asserting that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission holds exclusive regulatory jurisdiction over federally registered event contracts and derivatives exchanges.
Filing (Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York) → · Office of the New York State Attorney General, Reuters, CNBC
Oregon governor orders AI safety standards for state procurement and use
Governor Tina Kotek signed Executive Order 26-26 on September 23, 2026, effective immediately. It sets state policy that Oregon shall seek to purchase, contract for, or use frontier artificial intelligence models that have received independent third-party safety review. The State Chief Information Officer must submit an implementation proposal to the Governor within 90 days, covering a definition of frontier model, standards for adequate third-party review, and evaluation of a “kill switch” requirement. The Governor reassesses the order every three months.
Text (Office of the Governor of Oregon) → · Office of Oregon Governor Tina Kotek
Trump tells the UN that US documents will say 'super intelligence' and that the Justice Department will watch AI
President Trump told the 81st United Nations General Assembly on September 22, 2026 that United States documents will use the term "super intelligence" in place of "artificial intelligence," and that the administration will watch the sector through the Justice Department rather than new regulation. No executive order, memorandum or Federal Register document had made the change as of that evening.
Text (UN Web TV) → · Reuters, The Hill, PBS News +5
Seattle council passes ban on algorithmic personalized grocery pricing, awaiting mayor's signature
The Seattle City Council passed Council Bill 121267 by 7-2 on September 22, 2026, adding a Fair Pricing and Transparency chapter (SMC 7.35) that bars grocery businesses with 20 or more locations, mixed-use retailers and delivery services from setting prices based on tracking or automated analysis of a consumer's personal data. Retailers must disclose discount eligibility criteria and keep records. The bill awaits the mayor's signature and takes effect September 1, 2027.
Text (Seattle City Council (Legistar)) → · Seattle City Council
NatWest/PKF survey: 40% of UK law firms would consider third-party investment; AI use near-universal
Illinois governor creates AI Cabinet by executive order to assess AI risks and regulatory options
Governor JB Pritzker signed Executive Order 2026-07 on September 22, 2026, effective on filing that day, creating the Illinois Artificial Intelligence Cabinet. The Governor must appoint academic and expert members within 30 days; senior leaders of DoIT, IEMA-OHS, IDFPR, ICC, ISP, IDPH and IEPA sit on it. Members develop AI incident-response and infrastructure-protection policies and evaluate conditioning data-center incentives on safety standards, AI-safety procurement requirements, and whether existing legal remedies suffice for AI-caused harm. It sunsets by December 31, 2027.
Text (Office of the Governor of Illinois) → · Office of the Illinois Governor (newsroom)
Husch Blackwell hires Cross River Bank AGC Kavitha Subramanian for consumer fintech practice
Kavitha Subramanian joined Husch Blackwell’s Consumer Financial Services practice as a member of The Link, Bloomberg Law reported on September 22, 2026. She most recently was associate general counsel at Cross River Bank and previously held chief compliance and privacy roles at Theorem and Jackson Hewitt.
Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Husch Blackwell
Illinois creates AI Cabinet to advise on incident response and safety policy
Gov. JB Pritzker signed Executive Order 2026-07 on September 22, creating the Illinois Artificial Intelligence Cabinet, a cross-sector group that advises state government on AI incident preparedness, safeguards for public assets and infrastructure, and further AI safety and accountability policy. The unpaid cabinet studies data-center effects on the grid and ratepayers, procurement standards, and strict-liability options; members will be named in coming weeks.
Text (Gov. Pritzker Newsroom) → · Capitol City Now
Morrison Foerster hires ex-Associate Deputy AG Paul Perkins to chair False Claims Act practice in DC
Paul Perkins joined Morrison Foerster as a Washington, D.C. partner in Investigations + White Collar Defense and chair of the False Claims Act practice, Bloomberg Law and the firm reported on September 22, 2026. He most recently served as Associate Deputy Attorney General after senior Civil Fraud Section roles at the U.S. Department of Justice.
Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Morrison Foerster
Mayer Brown hires Alston & Bird investigations partner Albert BJ Stieglitz in Washington
Albert "BJ" Stieglitz joined Mayer Brown as a partner in its Global Investigations & White Collar Defense practice in Washington, D.C., Bloomberg Law and the firm reported on September 22, 2026. He joins from Alston & Bird after nearly 13 years at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he led fraud and FCPA investigations in the Criminal Division Fraud Section and served a dual secondment to the UK Serious Fraud Office and Financial Conduct Authority.
Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Mayer Brown
Fiserv CLO Adam Rosman joins Nvidia-backed Nscale as chief legal officer ahead of IPO
Adam Rosman, chief legal and administrative officer of Fiserv, will become chief legal officer of Nvidia-backed AI infrastructure company Nscale as it pursues a New York IPO, Law.com Corporate Counsel reported on 22–September 23, 2026. A company release said he starts October 1, 2026 and will oversee legal, regulatory, and governance functions alongside Frank Slootman’s board appointment.
Announcement (Law.com Corporate Counsel) → · PR Newswire
Bessent says OpenAI management, not AI agents, is responsible for the Hugging Face intrusion
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on CNBC on September 21, 2026 that the Hugging Face intrusion is "the responsibility of the OpenAI management, not a bunch of agents," and that the administration will not take liability off AI labs' hands. OpenAI already faces an Alabama subpoena under the state's Deceptive Trade Practices Act, a 15-state preservation demand, and congressional inquiries, with documents due to Senator Josh Hawley by October 1.
Report (CNBC) → · OpenAI, Hugging Face, Alabama Attorney General +4
California broadens the Gambling Control Commission attorney seat to regulatory or gaming law experience
AB 2793 (Chapter 409), approved September 20, amended Business and Professions Code Sections 19800 and 19812 so that the attorney seat on the five-member California Gambling Control Commission requires 'regulatory or gaming law experience' rather than only 'regulatory law experience.' The commission's structure, party-balance cap, and cooling-off rules for gambling-establishment employment were unchanged.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California sets 48-month expiration for approved tentative subdivision maps
SB 1169 (Chapter 423), approved September 20, rewrote Government Code Section 66452.6 so that an approved or conditionally approved tentative subdivision map expires 48 months after approval, plus any local-ordinance extension of up to 36 months. Where the subdivider must spend at least $236,790 on offsite public improvements, each phased final-map filing extends expiration by 48 months, up to 10 years from approval.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California caps retention on public architecture and engineering contracts at 5 percent
SB 1205 (Chapter 424), approved September 20, added Public Contract Code Section 7204, capping retention on design-bid-build contracts and amendments entered on or after January 1, 2027, between a public entity and an architecture or engineering firm at 5 percent. Withheld retention must be released within 60 days after the firm's services are complete, regardless of project completion. Higher retention requires a pre-bid substantially-complex finding.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California lets officers and code enforcement boot vehicles of repeat illegal dumpers with delinquent fines
SB 1218 (Chapter 425), approved September 20, added Vehicle Code Section 22651.10, authorizing peace officers and salaried code-enforcement employees to immobilize a vehicle on a highway or public lands when the registered owner has five or more delinquent illegal-dumping violation notices, or two or more delinquent commercial-quantity dumping notices. Release requires identification, proof of payment or an active payment plan, and current registration.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California requires estate representatives to notify the child-support agency of a decedent's death
SB 1264 (Chapter 427), approved September 20, added subdivision (e) to Probate Code Section 9202, requiring a general personal representative or estate attorney with actual knowledge of a court-ordered child support obligation to notify the Director of the Department of Child Support Services within 90 days after letters are first issued. The duty applies to estates where letters are first issued on or after January 1, 2027.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California authorizes instructional alcohol tasting events under new tied-house exception rules
SB 1273 (Chapter 428), approved September 20, amended Business and Professions Code Section 25503.56, the tied-house exception for instructional tasting events on qualifying off-sale premises. Authorized licensees may conduct consumer tastings of wine, beer, or distilled spirits with per-person caps — one-fourth ounce for spirits, one ounce for wine, eight ounces of beer per day — and no charge may be made.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California extends battery producer stewardship to medium-format batteries with per-county collection minimums
SB 501 (Chapter 414), approved September 20, amended the Responsible Battery Recycling Act of 2022's stewardship-plan requirements in Public Resources Code Section 42422.1, extending the extended-producer-responsibility program to medium-format batteries. Plans must provide free-at-drop-off collection in every county: at least 10 sites per county or one per 15,000 people for small format, and at least five sites per county or one per 30,000 people in larger counties for medium format.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California requires body-worn camera policies to add a patient-footage redaction procedure by July 2027
SB 691 (Chapter 416), approved September 20, added subdivision (c) to Penal Code Section 832.18, requiring every law enforcement agency with a body-worn camera policy to add, by July 1, 2027, a procedure letting emergency service personnel request redaction — before any public release — of recordings showing a patient receiving medical or psychological evaluation, procedure, or treatment. Redaction may include blurring patient care and muting audio.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
Sacramento County and five cities must form a joint powers authority for housing and homelessness by January 2028
SB 802 (Chapter 417), approved September 20, enacted the Sacramento Regional Housing and Homelessness Joint Powers Authority Act, requiring Sacramento County and the cities of Sacramento, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights, and Folsom to establish a joint powers authority by January 1, 2028. The authority assumes oversight of the Sacramento City and County Continuum of Care, sets system performance goals, and coordinates prevention, outreach, shelter, and housing programs.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California requires qualifying cities and counties to offer remote building inspections for specified residential work
AB 1738 (Chapter 271), approved September 18, added Section 17970.9 to the Health and Safety Code, requiring California cities and counties to offer homeowners and their contractors the option of remote building inspections for specified residential work, including heat-pump installations, reroofs, small photovoltaic systems, and smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors. Larger agencies must comply by January 1, 2028; small agencies that issue remote inspections by July 1, 2028.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California lets localities authorize official-duty OHV use on highways
AB 2453 (Chapter 400), signed September 20, adds Vehicle Code section 21100(p), authorizing local authorities to regulate off-highway motor vehicle operation by peace officers and first responders on highways within their jurisdiction during official duties. The locality must adopt a publicly reviewed policy or plan posted on its website, limiting highway operation to five miles for accessing off-highway areas or patrol locations and specifying activities, timeframes, and required training and safety equipment.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California raises county pest-control registration fee caps
AB 2380 (Chapter 397), signed September 20, raises the maximum total registration fee for a pest control business to register in its home county from $25 to $75, with a $50 maximum for an additional county. It also raises the maximum fees for pest control aircraft pilots, pest control advisers, and Structural Pest Control Board registered companies in their home and additional counties, including fumigation registration and fees for adding operators and field representatives.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California requires electronic funds transfer for alcohol wholesale payments
AB 2375 (Chapter 396), signed September 20, requires licensed retailers' payments to licensed wholesalers for beer, wine, or distilled spirits to be made by wholesaler-initiated electronic funds transfer, received no later than 30 days after delivery. Cash, check, or money order is allowed only in specified cases such as failed transfers or temporary permits. Each party pays its own processing costs, and retailers may not accept rebates or incentives from the wholesaler's chosen processor.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California bars drones within 400 feet of ticketed events and amusement parks
AB 2113 (Chapter 383), signed September 20, makes it unlawful to operate an unmanned aircraft within 400 feet of an outdoor ticketed entertainment event or an amusement park. A covered event is a professional music, sporting, or performing arts event at a gated venue with capacity of 1,000 or more not subject to FAA restrictions. Exemptions cover venue consent, official business, and emergency responders. Violations are infractions punishable by a $500 fine.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California requires bars to offer drink-testing devices and post notices
AB 1982 (Chapter 377), signed September 20, requires applicants for and holders of Type 48 on-sale general public premises licenses to offer customers drug testing devices, such as strips or straws that detect controlled substances in drinks, at no more than a reasonable wholesale-based price. Licensees must post a prescribed notice about drink lids and test kits in a prominent location. Violations are not crimes, and licensees are shielded from liability for defective tests or inaccurate results.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California sets protest and election rules for Santa Fe Springs water-utility sale
AB 1712 (Chapter 371) authorizes Santa Fe Springs to sell its public water utility for consolidation with a bordering public water system when the council finds public ownership is not in the public interest. Conditions include fair market value and a four-fifths council vote. A 45-day protest period follows; protests by 10 percent of interested persons trigger a majority-vote election, and 50 percent or more bars the sale for a year. The act is repealed January 1, 2032.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
Michigan bans price optimization in auto insurance rates under 2026 PA 98
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 1013 on September 21, 2026, prohibiting insurers from using price optimization in no-fault auto insurance rating. The law adds MCL 500.2027a and was assigned Public Act 98 of 2026 with immediate effect. It codifies a 2024 Department of Insurance and Financial Services bulletin barring willingness-to-pay pricing in auto insurance.
Enrolled text (Michigan Legislature) → · Office of Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Michigan bans property and casualty insurers from price optimization in ratemaking
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 1013 on September 21, 2026, now 2026 Public Act 98, effective immediately. It adds section 2027a to the Insurance Code (MCL 500.2027a), making it an unfair or deceptive practice for a property and casualty insurer to use price optimization in ratemaking: charging on an insured's price tolerance through adjustments not actuarially justified and unrelated to risk of loss or expense. The governor's office says it codifies a 2024 DIFS bulletin.
Enrolled text (Michigan Legislature) → · Michigan Executive Office of the Governor
Michigan exempts CMS model arrangements from state anti-kickback law
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 1052 on September 21, 2026, now 2026 Public Act 97, effective immediately. It amends the Medicaid False Claim Act (MCL 400.604) so that model arrangements and model patient incentives authorized and sponsored by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services do not constitute a kickback or bribe under Michigan's Medicaid anti-kickback provision, which otherwise carries up to four years' imprisonment or a $30,000 fine.
Enrolled text (Michigan Legislature) → · Michigan Executive Office of the Governor
Michigan requires fee-free rent payment option in every rental agreement
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 373 on September 21, 2026, now 2026 Public Act 103, effective immediately. It amends MCL 554.633 so that a residential rental agreement may not impose an added charge or fee on every permitted method of paying rent: where more than one method is allowed, at least one must be fee-free. A violating provision is void. The Senate passed the bill 24-12 on July 3 and the House 99-5 on August 25.
Enrolled text (Michigan Legislature) → · Michigan Executive Office of the Governor, Detroit Free Press
Mayer Brown hires former Fed senior special counsel Andrew Hartlage for DC public policy practice
Andrew Hartlage joined Mayer Brown as a partner in its Public Policy, Regulatory & Government Affairs practice in Washington, D.C., the firm announced on September 21, 2026. He brings more than 13 years of financial services policy experience, most recently as senior special counsel in the Federal Reserve Board Legal Division, and was lately on assignment to the House Financial Services Committee staff.
Announcement (Pulse2) → · Mayer Brown
New York sets November RAISE Act registration rollout ahead of January compliance
New York said it would begin directing large frontier AI developers to register in November ahead of the RAISE Act’s January 1, 2027 compliance date. The law established requirements for public safety frameworks, model disclosures and incident reporting, with separate deadlines for imminent physical danger.
Enrolled text (The New York State Senate) → · Governor Kathy Hochul
DEA places diphenidine in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act
The Drug Enforcement Administration placed diphenidine (1-(1,2-diphenylethyl)piperidine), including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers, in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act by final rule published September 21, 2026 (91 FR 59695, FR Doc. 2026-19231), effective October 21, 2026. Anyone who manufactures, distributes, imports, exports, researches or possesses the substance becomes subject to Schedule I registration, security and recordkeeping requirements and to administrative, civil and criminal sanctions. The rule implements US obligations under the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
State Department rewrites its FOIA and public-access-to-information rules
The Department of State revised its public-access-to-information regulations at 22 CFR part 171, effective October 21, 2026 (FR Doc. 2026-19223), reflecting organizational and procedural changes and the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016. Electronic FOIA and Privacy Act requests for the Information Access Programs Directorate and the Directorate for Passport Services are accepted only via FOIA.gov or the Department's FOIA website. The rule simplifies procedures for describing records sought and points requesters to current component contact information.
California makes litigation-funder control of cases unauthorized practice of law
Governor Newsom signed AB 2305 on September 20, adding Article 7.5 (Business and Professions Code sections 6134 to 6134.14). For contracts entered on or after January 1, 2027, a corporate legal funder that interferes with a substantive litigation decision or controls a litigation function commits the unauthorized practice of law. Litigation practices may not accept funder terms that restrict withdrawal, bar reporting, or penalize resistance; such terms are void. Compliant nonrecourse litigation finance is not impermissible fee sharing.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California requires traction-battery labeling, registration, and fees
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 615 (Chapter 351, Statutes of 2026) on September 20, 2026, adding Part 11 to Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code. Battery suppliers and remanufacturers must register with the Air Resources Board within 90 days of chaptering and update annually. From July 1, 2028, new vehicle traction batteries need a permanent label and remanufacturers must relabel. From July 1, 2029, suppliers pay annual tiered cost-recovery fees; board regulations are due by July 1, 2031.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California permanently requires bars to offer drink-spiking test kits
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1982 on September 20, 2026, removing the January 2027 sunset on California's bar drink-safety law. Type 48 on-sale general public premises must continue offering drug-testing devices for sale at near-wholesale cost, keep them unexpired, and post one of two prescribed notices about drink lids and test kits. Violations are not crimes, and licensees are not liable for defective or inaccurate test results.
California authorizes workforce-housing tax increment financing districts
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2110 on September 20, 2026, as Chapter 381, enacting the Workforce Housing Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Act. It lets cities and counties establish workforce-housing enhanced infrastructure financing districts funded by tax increment financing. Financed housing must reserve all units for public safety, education, health care, or manufacturing personnel and lower- or moderate-income households, with affordability covenants of 55 years for rentals and 45 for owner-occupied homes. Bonds need two-thirds voter approval; effective January 1, 2027.
California expands postsecondary sexual-harassment definitions to cover sextortion and deepfakes
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2212 on September 20, 2026, adding Education Code section 66262.5 on sexual harassment in postsecondary education. The law defines affirmative consent, sextortion, digitized sexually explicit material, sexual exploitation, sexual violence, and technology-facilitated sexual harassment, and states that sexual harassment of students is a form of sex discrimination. The section becomes operative August 1, 2027.
California ends penalty exemption for paid influencers who hide campaign payments
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1130 (Chapter 335, Statutes of 2026) on September 19, 2026, amending Government Code section 84513 to remove the Political Reform Act exemption that shielded paid online political posters from penalties. From January 1, 2027, a person paid by a committee to post political content without the required disclaimer, and the paying committee, are jointly and severally liable for penalties, and the committee must flag the payment as a paid third-party post on its report.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California, TechCrunch, WebProNews
California makes seizing ballots or election records a felony before certification
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 282 on September 19 as an urgency statute, in force immediately. New Elections Code section 18579 makes it a felony, punishable by 16 months or two or three years in custody, to seize, cause, or assist the seizure of ballots, election records, or certified voting technology before results are certified. A person with authority who directs subordinates to seize such materials commits a separate felony punishable by two, three, or four years.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California, Washington Examiner, Unbiased Headlines +1
California rewrites deceptive-campaign-ad rules for the November election
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 502 on September 19 as an urgency statute so it governs the November 3, 2026 general election. The bill rewrites Elections Code section 20012: the ban on knowingly distributing materially deceptive election communications now turns on content material to a voter's electoral decisions or to public confidence in an election's process or outcome, the window narrows from 120 days to 30 days before an election, and disclosures must meet new color and font-size rules.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California, The Nerd Stash
California extends deepfake election-media ban to January 1, 2031
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 686 on September 19. The bill extends the repeal date of Elections Code section 20010, California's prohibition on distributing, with actual malice, materially deceptive audio or visual media of a candidate within 60 days of an election, from January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2031. Media that discloses it was manipulated is exempt; candidates keep injunctive and damages remedies through 2030.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California, The Nerd Stash
California expands Voting Rights Act to bar voter-suppression policies
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1164 (Chapter 338, Statutes of 2026) on September 19, 2026, revising the California Voting Rights Act of 2001. From January 1, 2027, no political subdivision or state agency may implement, impose or enforce an election policy or practice that results in, or is likely to result in, voter suppression, and no political subdivision may use a method of election that dilutes the vote of a protected class, defined as any race, color or language-minority group.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California
California requires governor's permission for out-of-state military entry
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 1354 (Chapter 329, Statutes of 2026) on September 19. New Military and Veterans Code section 570 bars military personnel of another state, territory, or district from entering California, or causing something to enter, to perform military duty or law-enforcement functions for another state without the governor's permission. Personnel in active federal service under Title 10, military compacts entered before January 1, 2027, and training exercises are exempt.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California, EIN Presswire
California bars law enforcement arrests within 200 feet of polling places through 2029
Governor Newsom signed SB 884, the Protect Our Polls Act, on September 19 as an urgency statute. New Elections Code Chapter 5 (from section 400) bars arrests within 200 feet of a polling place on election day except for crimes against persons or property or disruption of the polling place, requires ballot drop-off locations to open 30 days before an election, and lets counties widen the electioneering ban to 200 feet, for elections from November 2026 through 2029.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California, Washington Examiner, Unbiased Headlines
California requires one-day notice to state officials of law-enforcement probes into election records
Governor Newsom signed AB 1664 (Chapter 336) on September 19, 2026, as an urgency statute effective immediately. New Elections Code Section 23 requires a local agency, political subdivision or elections official to notify the Secretary of State and Attorney General within one calendar day of learning of a warrant, subpoena or law-enforcement investigation involving election records or certified voting technology. Either official may intervene in court to challenge it. The section is repealed January 1, 2030.
California narrows election deepfake ban to 30 days before a vote and lets depicted people sue
AB 502, approved September 19, 2026, as Chapter 333, amends Elections Code section 20012. Knowingly distributing materially deceptive content about candidates, elections officials or voting equipment with malice is prohibited within 30 days before an election, replacing the prior 120-day window, and through 38 days after for officials and equipment. The person depicted, rather than any recipient, may seek an injunction and damages. The urgency statute took effect on signing.
California extends its election deepfake law to 2031
AB 686, approved September 19, 2026, as Chapter 334, Statutes of 2026, amends Elections Code section 20010 and Code of Civil Procedure section 35 to extend the repeal date of California's deceptive-media election law from January 1, 2027, to January 1, 2031. The law bars distributing, with actual malice, materially deceptive audio or visual media of a candidate within 60 days of an election, and lets candidates seek injunctive relief, damages and attorney's fees.
Trump signs Graham sanctions act authorizing up to 500% tariffs on Russian imports
President Donald Trump signed H.R. 5334, the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, on September 18. The law authorizes tariffs of up to 500% on Russian goods and up to 100% on goods from leading buyers of Russian oil and gas, bans U.S. purchases of Russian sovereign debt, and extends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to 2031, with tariff decisions due 30 days after enactment.
Enrolled text (GovInfo (U.S. Government Publishing Office)) → · The White House, New York Post, The Fuse +1
California restricts "reef safe" marketing claims on sunscreen products
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1744 (Chapter 272, Statutes of 2026) on September 18, 2026, adding Business and Professions Code section 17580.7. From January 1, 2027, no one may represent in advertising or on the label or container of a sunscreen product sold in California that it is “reef safe,” “reef friendly,” “ocean safe” or similar unless the product contains no chemical ultraviolet filters such as oxybenzone or octinoxate. Violations are misdemeanors; the rule covers FDA-regulated over-the-counter sunscreens.
California shifts bond filings from county recorders to county clerks starting in 2028
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1828 (Chapter 275, Statutes of 2026) on September 18, 2026. From January 1, 2028, bond filings for legal document assistants, unlawful detainer assistants, process servers, professional copiers and notaries public move from county recorders to county clerks. Clerks must retain each bond for at least six years (ten for notaries), issue the registrant one certified copy as official proof, and the $7 filing fee gives way to a fee set under Government Code Section 54985.
California raises county recorder fees and mandates electronic recording systems
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2224 (Chapter 292, Statutes of 2026) on September 18, 2026, revising county recorder fee law from January 1, 2027. Recording and indexing fees rise to $15 for the first page and $4 per additional page, capped at reasonable costs, and recorders collecting the fee must implement an electronic recording delivery system. The act repeals nonconforming-page surcharges and per-name indexing fees, removes the 2027 sunset on electronic-recording contracts, and extends electronic recording to all document types.
California conforms background-check rules across licensed occupations and adds refingerprinting requirements
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2796 on September 18, 2026, as an urgency statute. The act conforms criminal-history background-check requirements across firearms permits, education contractors, massage professionals, professional fiduciaries, tax preparers, humane officers, financial-sector workers, escrow agents, care facilities, and certain Medi-Cal providers. It includes an FBI-authorization fallback and requires subsequent-notification refingerprinting under Penal Code Section 11105.2.
California widens tied-house shelf-service exception to wine and spirits in containers of 500 milliliters or less
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 744 on September 18, 2026, as Chapter 265 of the Statutes of 2026, effective January 1, 2027. It amends Business and Professions Code section 25503.2, the tied-house exception that lets manufacturers and wholesalers stack, rotate, inventory and service their brands at off-sale retail premises with the retailer's permission. The exception, previously limited to beer and single-serve wine and spirits, will cover beer and wine or distilled spirits in containers of 500 milliliters or less.
California bans public sale of large nitrous oxide containers
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 936 (Chapter 317, Statutes of 2026) on September 18, 2026, adding Chapter 10 to Part 15 of Division 104 of the Health and Safety Code. From January 1, 2027, no one may sell or distribute nitrous oxide containers holding more than eight grams or allowing direct inhalation, food-flavoured nitrous oxide, or inhalation devices, subject to medical, dental, culinary, automotive and manufacturing exemptions. Violations are infractions fined $500 to $2,000, with license suspension for repeat offenders.
Federal rules roundup, week to September 18, 2026: 16 Federal Register actions
This week’s roundup gathers 16 federal rules published in the Federal Register on 17 and September 18, 2026: nine FAA actions (six airworthiness directives, two instrument-procedure amendments, one airspace change), two Coast Guard temporary zones, a USDA milk-pricing correction, DHS domestic-sourcing rules for protective equipment, a DOE notice voiding its 2022 manufactured-housing standards, and two State Department ITAR rules, one adding Saudi Arabia and Peru to the major non-NATO ally list. Each item links to its Federal Register entry.
US Judicial Conference AI task force plans fresh generative AI guidance within a year
U.S. Circuit Judge Sidney Thomas said on September 17, 2026 that a 24-member federal judiciary AI task force is preparing further generative AI recommendations for judges within the next year after the Judicial Conference met in Washington. The Administrative Office separately said interim guidance already cautions courts not to delegate core judicial functions to AI and holds users accountable for AI-assisted work.
Text (Reuters) → · U.S. Courts, Law360
Trump signs Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act directing national BOP assault standards
President Donald Trump signed the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act (S. 307) into law on September 16, 2026. The law requires the Bureau of Prisons to fully implement within 90 days the recommendations from a 2023 Justice Department inspector general report on inmate sexual harassment and assault of staff. It then directs the inspector general to analyze fiscal 2022–2025 incident data and the attorney general to issue national prevention, reduction, and punishment standards by rule.
Enrolled text (GovInfo (enrolled bill text)) → · The White House
California allows conditional sale of aftermarket emissions parts pending CARB approval
Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1069 (Chapter 244, Statutes of 2026) on September 16, 2026; it takes effect January 1, 2027. The law creates a conditional approval pathway for makers of emissions-related aftermarket parts. Manufacturers that file complete California Air Resources Board executive-order applications, backed by emissions testing and technical documentation, may sell, advertise and install parts while the board completes its review. Conditional approvals last two years; CARB keeps authority to approve or deny the final order.
California extends smog-check exemption to collector cars through the 1985 model year
California signed Senate Bill 1392 on September 16, 2026. The law phases in biennial smog-check exemptions for collector motor vehicles meeting Vehicle Code section 259 criteria, extending eligibility from pre-1976 vehicles to pre-1986 model years by 2033. The exemption phases in one model year at a time beginning January 1, 2028, for pre-1981 vehicles. Older collector cars at least 35 model years old gain partial test exemptions if insured as collectors and meeting emissions standards.
Newsom signs wildfire recovery package: smoke-damage insurance rules and permanent mortgage forbearance
Governor Gavin Newsom signed four wildfire-recovery bills in Altadena on September 15, 2026. Assembly Bills 1642 and 1795 direct state agencies to set standards for testing and remediating lead and asbestos contamination from wildfire smoke, require insurers to cover qualifying testing, cleanup and restoration, and bar cutoff of living-expense coverage until homes are safe. Assembly Bills 1842 and 1847 create permanent mortgage-forbearance protections and double the forbearance window for Los Angeles fire survivors from 12 to 24 months.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California, Desert Sun, Los Angeles Issue
EPA finalizes repeal of 2024 carbon pollution standards for coal and gas power plants
The Environmental Protection Agency published a final rule on September 17, 2026 repealing most of the 2024 Carbon Pollution Standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants, effective November 16, 2026. The repeal removes emission guidelines for existing steam units and the carbon capture-based standards for modified coal units and new base load gas turbines. Administrator Lee Zeldin announced it in Houston on September 14, projecting $310 billion in savings; EPA also proposed rescinding all remaining power-sector greenhouse gas standards.
Enrolled text (Federal Register) → · EPA, CNN, NPR Illinois
UK JCHR calls for AI Bill, single statutory oversight body, and bans on some AI uses
On September 14, 2026 the UK Joint Committee on Human Rights published a report saying existing law is fragmented and ill-equipped for AI human-rights risks. It recommends a dedicated AI Bill, a single independent statutory AI oversight body with enforcement powers, stronger lifecycle duties for higher-risk systems, and prohibitions on certain incompatible uses.
Enrolled text (UK Parliament (JCHR)) → · Law Gazette, BBC News
Trump signs Stop Secret Spending Act requiring other-transaction awards on USAspending.gov
President Trump signed the Stop Secret Spending Act of 2025 (H.R. 2069) on September 11, 2026. The law amends the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note) to add other transaction agreements to the federal awards agencies must report on USAspending.gov, gives agencies up to three years to transmit that data automatically, and requires an annual posting of the total federal award spending withheld from the site and the reasons for withholding it.
Enrolled text (GovInfo (enrolled bill text)) → · The White House, Congressman Jimmy Panetta
CFTC finalizes 30% whistleblower award presumption for awards up to $5 million
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission approved a final rule on September 11, 2026 establishing a rebuttable presumption that whistleblower awards of $5 million or less will be 30 percent of the monetary sanctions collected. The presumption is subject to Commission discretion and its analysis of the relevant factors. The rule, published September 16, 2026 at 91 FR 58576, takes effect October 16, 2026.
Enrolled text (GovInfo (Federal Register)) → · Crowdfund Insider
FCC finalizes Covered List equipment rule with online marketplace FCC-ID duties
The Federal Communications Commission's equipment-authorization rule expanding its Covered List national-security restrictions was published in the Federal Register on September 11, 2026 (91 FR 57798), and takes effect October 13, 2026. The rule closes a component-part loophole by denying authorization to devices incorporating logic-bearing hardware components from Covered List entities. It also extends marketing rules to online marketplaces and requires them to display devices' FCC IDs at the online point of sale, with limited exceptions.
EU Cyber Resilience Act reporting duties for digital products apply from September 11
As of September 11, 2026, the EU Cyber Resilience Act requires manufacturers of products with digital elements to report actively exploited vulnerabilities and severe security incidents through ENISA's Single Reporting Platform. Early warnings are due within 24 hours of awareness and fuller notifications within 72 hours. Legal IT Insider and Stevens & Bolton flagged the deadline on September 10, 2026.
Text (Legal IT Insider) → · Stevens & Bolton
California bans manufacture and sale of toys with AI companion chatbots until 2031
California chaptered Senate Bill 867 on September 10, 2026, prohibiting the manufacture, sale, exchange, and possession for sale of any toy that includes an AI companion chatbot. The four-year moratorium runs through December 31, 2030, covering physical products designed, marketed, or manufactured for play by children under 16. Violations carry the same civil liability provisions as California's companion-chatbot operator law.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Reuters, Mondaq (Ballard Spahr LLP)
UK SME boutique firms lobby SRA and Law Society over COLP/COFA separation rules
Twenty-eight firms in a new SME & Boutique Law Firm Alliance sent open letters to the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Law Society on September 8, 2026 seeking changes to LSB-approved rules separating compliance officer roles. The rules stop individuals who can unilaterally control a firm from serving as COLP or COFA where turnover exceeds £600,000 or client money exceeds £2 million, from January 2027. The alliance wants the start postponed.
Text (Legal Futures) → · Solicitors Regulation Authority