INSIDE COMPLIANCE

Decriminalization Is Not Enough, Abolition Is a Must

March 7, 2022Logan SweeneyThe Marketplace, Uncategorized

In the United States, since the 1980s, the federal prison population has increased by roughly 790%. Specifically, presently within Illinois, there are approximately 76,000 citizens who are incarcerated. In 2014, Illinois appropriated and spent nearly $1.3 billion on prison budgets. Where even though cannabis is now legal, in Illinois, roughly 90 inmates are still incarcerated for offenses relating to the use, manufacturing, and selling of cannabis. According to the Last Prisoner Project, inmates remain incarcerated even though House Bill 1438 establishes that persons who have been convicted on an offense are granted a pardon because the Bill provides no resentencing or commutation procedures, and the process to have sentences pardoned is slow.

In examining the injustices of carceral punishment, statistics like these show that these injustices are not an anomaly, but rather the norm. Because prisons are premised on punishment, rather than transformative healing, health, and prevention, prisons are a human rights issue, rather than a criminal justice issue. Prisons are premised on punishment, rather than transformative healing and health, and prevention. As a result, resources and funding which are currently given to our present system of policing and prisons should be reallocated to tools that actually serve the community, rather than on incarceration.

EducationEmploymentHealth InsuranceJournal of Regulatory ComplianceRegulation

Will Congress Crack Down on the NFL?

March 4, 2022Krista SolanoAthletic Regulation

Within the past few years, the NFL has faced a plethora of scrutiny. Recent sexual harassment and discrimination allegations have pushed the NFL into Congress’ radar. Congressional roundtable discussions have highlighted the importance of regulating the NFL, but no changes have been made yet.

#NFL #sportsregulation #compliance

SEC Proposes New Mandatory Disclosures by Private Equity and Hedge Funds

March 2, 2022Danielle McNamaraFinance & Banking

Private equity firms and hedge funds, typically utilized by more knowledgeable and sophisticated parties, have not seen much governmental scrutiny in the past. However, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) recently passed a proposal that would force these funds to furnish basic disclosures to their investors and guard against conflicts. These changes stem primarily from the 2020 “meme stock” controversy that put a spotlight on vaguely policed private equity and hedge funds.

Journal of Regulatory Compliance

What’s the Tea?

March 1, 2022Puja ValeraUncategorized

When people hear the phrase “regulatory compliance”, they often think about the finance, banking, or tech industry – not the business of loose and pressed leaves. In fact, the tea industry has been on the rise and is projected to reach almost $69 billion by 2027. Within that market, the green tea segment is the highest growth contributor with an estimated $16 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach almost $26 billion by 2027. This leafy market comes with its own set of compliance issues and a potential for growth this year.

FDAFSMAJournal of Regulatory ComplianceRegulationTea

US Data Privacy Laws: Past, Present and Future

February 28, 2022Alyssa WolslegelUncategorized

Despite the technology and data collection sectors rapidly growing over the past few decades, laws protecting consumers in these spaces have barely expanded, if at all. The first, and only, comprehensive federal data privacy regulation was passed in 1974, roughly ten years before the first Mac computer was invented. Since then, we’ve seen a few more federal laws put in place to protect consumer data and even some states take actions into their own hands, but we have yet to see another comprehensive law from the federal government. This begs the question, will the federal government finally enact new data privacy laws for the country as a whole to adhere to, or will they continue to let states take the reins forcing companies to comply with multiple laws at once?

data collectiondata privacyJournal of Regulatory CompliancePrivacy & Securityprivacy lawsUS data privacy

The Ninth Circuit Rules on Net Neutrality, Putting State Regulations of the Internet from Mozilla v. FCC to the Test

February 25, 2022Gavin MartinThe Marketplace

Net neutrality (or network neutrality) is the idea that internet service providers (ISPs), such as Verizon or Comcast, should not be able to block or prioritize different sorts of data. The Ninth Circuit, which is comprised of Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, and Washington state, is the largest Court of Appeals in the United States both in population and land mass. Recently, the Ninth Circuit ruled in a case that net neutrality requirements applied to internet service providers in those states. This decision put to test the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia’s 2019 decision of Mozilla v. FCC, which ruled that states would be able to create regulations regarding net neutrality.

internetJournal of Regulatory Compliancenet neutralityninth circuitRegulationtechnologyTechnology and the Law

Sustainability en vogue — More Than Just a Fleeting Fashion Trend

February 25, 2022Daniela RakowskiUncategorized

“Sustainable,” “eco-friendly,” “ethical,” “recycled” — all buzzwords you might see the next time you’re shopping for a new outfit, designed to make you as a consumer feel like you’re making better choices to help reduce your carbon footprint. But what do those buzzwords really mean — is there any traceable impact the company has made to reduce its carbon footprint? In many cases, unfortunately not. The fashion industry has a major impact on climate change. It is estimated to contribute between 4 and 8.6 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases, and for the most part is largely unregulated. Any efforts to increase sustainability, such as by reducing pollution or eliminating labor abuses, are predominately voluntary commitments with little to no repercussions for failing to uphold those commitments.

environmental regulationfashion sustainabilityFashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Actgreenwashingnew yorkNew York FashionRegulationsustainability

The Financial Services Industry and Its Regulatory Landscape: 2021

February 24, 2022Jeffrey HymenFinance & Banking

Every year, hundreds of financial advisors and brokers across the country are convicted of a host of bad acts, which include conducting Ponzi schemes, misappropriating client funds and forging customer signatures. 2021 was no exception. Here are ten recent examples of how the legal system as well as regulators in the financial services industry, respond to allegations of fraud, misappropriation, improper hiring practices, and criminal activity.

broker-dealerCFPBcriminalFINRAfraudJournal of Regulatory ComplianceSEC

Lifting Mask Mandates: How Districts, Parents, and Students May Struggle to Comply

February 23, 2022Katia Cortes GuzmanUncategorized

On Friday February 4, 2022, a judge in Sangamon County, Illinois issued a ruling that prohibited mask mandates for school districts across the state. The ruling followed a lawsuit filed by parents from Peoria-area schools against 140 school districts, the governor, the Illinois State Board of Education superintendent, and the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. The lawsuit challenged mask mandates and other COVID-19 procedures implemented by Governor J.B Pritzker as COVID-19 grew rampant. The ruling exposes the difficulties in implementing and complying with COVID-19 safety measures as schools return back to in-person learning.

#COVID19Educationmask mandate

Nurse for Hire Services, the Next Uber?

February 22, 2022Micaela EngerUncategorized

The pandemic overloaded hospitals with increased patient volume, and after almost two years of battling COVID-19, health care worker burnout is at an all-time high. As a result of burnout, the healthcare industry is suffering from worker shortages, especially among nurses. Nursing shortages are straining hospital profitability, care delivery, and efficiency. Competition for labor will likely continue even after the pandemic. The healthcare labor shortage has attracted significant interest from venture capital. Venture capitalists are pouring millions into new healthcare worker staffing platforms. This week, a proposed measure was filed with the California attorney general’s office that could be on the ballot for the state’s voters this fall. The proposal seeks to classify certain healthcare workers as independent contractors, so that workers can find work online or through apps. The proposal to include health care in the gig economy presents the question of whether nurse staffing platforms will be the next Uber.

EmploymentHealthcare IndustryLabor and Employmentprivate equityRegulation