As was illustrated by a House Judiciary Committee Hearing on April 18, immigration enforcement is nowhere near consensus. A bill introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), HR 2885, would make use of E-Verify mandatory for all employers. Rep. Smith regards the bill as a measure to stop identity theft, especially including theft of children’s identities
New CBO JCT Analysis of Affordable Care Act’s Impact on Employer Provided Health Insurance
If employers (especially small employers not subject to employer penalties) simply get out of the health care business without increasing their pay rates the anticipated offsets for higher income and payroll taxes simply will not occur and the deficit will increase.
Continue Reading New CBO JCT Analysis of Affordable Care Act’s Impact on Employer Provided Health Insurance
CBO Issues New Cost Estimate for ObamaCare–$1.762 Trillion over 10 years
Shortly, CBO will release an extensive analysis conducted with JCT of the incentives for firms to offer or not offer health insurance under the ACA, as well as a range of estimates of sources of coverage and federal budgetary outcomes that would result from the ACA under alternative assumptions about employers’ behavior.
Continue Reading CBO Issues New Cost Estimate for ObamaCare–$1.762 Trillion over 10 years
HHS Health Insurance Exchange Regulations Made Public
HHS has made its final (in some cases “interim final”) Exchange regulations under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA”) public. They are to be formally published in the Federal Register on March 27. The 644 pages of the HHS Regulations Final Rule on Health Plan Exchanges 032712.pdf cover standards for states to follow
NLRB Posting Rule Partially Blocked
[T]he provision of Subpart B that deems a failure to post to be an unfair labor practice, and the provision that tolls the statute of limitations in unfair labor practice actions against employers who have failed to post, do violate the NLRA and are invalid as a matter of law.
Continue Reading NLRB Posting Rule Partially Blocked
Health Savings Accounts Growing More Popular
A new report issued by the Employee Benefit Research Institute shows that Health Savings Accounts (HSA’s) and Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA’s) grew in popularity in 2011. Paul Fronstin, “Health Savings Accounts and Health Reimbursement Arrangements: Assets,
Account Balances, and Rollovers, 2006–2011,” EBRI Issue Brief, no. 367, January 2012. The report shows that the number of
OSHA Finally Releases its Fall Regulatory Agenda
On January 20th, the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) finally released its fall 2011 regulatory agenda on its website. It reveals that OSHA’s top priorities include small business review of an injury and illness prevention program rule, a request for information on revision of OSHA’s permissible chemical exposure limits, and a
No Mobile Phones for Commercial Drivers
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s ban on the use of hand-held mobile phones by commercial drivers is now effective. There are complex rules for who and what are covered, and very serious penalties on drivers and employers for violations. Employers in the industry definitely ought to establish written policies banning mobile phone use by CMV
Some IRS activity for employers to note
The Internal Revenue Service had some activity this past week that employers should keep an eye on. One was a new “Tax Gap” study, which analyzed the 2006 tax year. It found that overall compliance was statistically unchanged from 2001. Initial compliance was slightly better, but within the statistical margin for error, while payment
2012 starts off with questionable recess appointments
Earlier today the White House announced recess appointments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the National Labor Relations Board. The appointments were asserted to be recess appointments despite the fact that the Senate has not technically been in recess under the historical understanding of that term. Indeed, Congress has gone out of its way