On March 15, 2021, Los Angeles County officially entered into the state’s Red Tier, permitting indoor dining at 25% occupancy. The County’s Department of Public Health issued a revised Public Health Order (the “Order”) with...more
On March 11, 2021, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (the “Department”) announced an anticipated reopening of certain activities between March 15 and March 17, as L.A. County moves to the lower risk Red Tier...more
3/12/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Entertainment Venues ,
Masks ,
Municipalities ,
Museums ,
Public Schools ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retailers ,
Shopping Centers ,
Vaccinations
The American Rescue Plan Act (“the Act”) was passed by the Senate on March 6, 2021, and is now headed for ratification by the House of Representatives and signature by President Biden. The $1.9 trillion stimulus includes over...more
On March 1, 2021, the Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District ruled in favor of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (the “Department”) officials who halted outdoor dining in November 2020 during a spike in...more
On February 23, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a legislative package of six bills providing relief to individuals and businesses experiencing hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these measures are...more
On February 24, 2021, the Los Angeles City Council voted 14-1 to pass an ordinance mandating that employers provide $5/hour in additional premium hazard pay for on-site grocery and drug retail workers.
The ordinance is...more
On February 23, 2021, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to institute a $5 per hour “Hero Pay” increase for frontline grocery workers and drug retailers in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. The...more
On February 18, 2021, Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock and Acting USDA Secretary Kevin Shea issued a joint COVID-19 update statement that current epidemiologic and scientific information available to the FDA and USDA...more
On February 5, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) published two notices of proposed ruling to delay the effective date of two rules finalized by the DOL under the Trump Administration regarding tips and independent...more
2/18/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Independent Contractors ,
Notice and Comment ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Freeze ,
State Labor Laws ,
Time Extensions ,
Tip-Pooling ,
Tipped Employees
On February 9, 2021, a divided Ninth Circuit Panel held that consumer claims against the P.F. Chang’s restaurant chain based on the term “Krab Mix” in certain menu items could proceed. The Court reversed a lower court...more
On February 4, 2021, the Senate voted 90-10 to approve a Restaurant Rescue Plan as an amendment to a larger budget resolution. Senate Amendment 261 was co-sponsored by Republican Senator Roger Wicker and Democratic Senator...more
On January 22, 2021, a divided Ninth Circuit panel ruled that a nutritional guide could constitute commercial speech subject to the Lanham Act.
The Lanham Act is best known for being the primary federal trademark statute...more
The Los Angeles County Public Health Department issued a new order outlining protocols for businesses to follow. These new rules are designed to decrease COVID transmission risk in restaurant settings....more
On January 21, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety that calls for a government review of worker safety standards for COVID-19. The Executive Order directs the Secretary of...more
On January 25, 2021, the California Department of Public Health announced that it was lifting the Regional Stay at Home Order for all regions statewide, including Southern California. Four-week ICU capacity projections for...more
On January 12, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) announced two updates to stakeholders regarding the agency’s Food Traceability Proposed Rule. The Proposed Rule was initially announced on September 12, 2020, and...more
On January 4, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it would set January 1, 2024 as the uniform compliance date for final food labeling regulations that are issued in calendar years 2021 and 2022.
In its...more
On January 5, 2021, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors considered an urgency ordinance requiring grocery stores to pay workers an additional $5/hour as “Hero Pay” due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supervisors Hilda...more
Effective beginning December 31, 2020, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health published a Mandatory Directive on Travel (Appendix W) and issued a Revised Temporary Order, both of which require a mandatory...more
On December 28, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Dietary Guidelines have been published by the USDA and HHS...more
On December 29, 2020, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly announced that the Southern California region would remain under a regional stay-at-home order indefinitely until ICU capacity goes above...more
On December 18, 2020, the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC) issued its 2018 Annual Report on the Sources of Foodborne Illness.
The report collects and analyzes foodborne-illness outbreak data for...more
On December 17, 2020, three U.S. agencies: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) announced the renewal of the Formal Agreement...more
On December 22, 2020, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) announced a final rule revising its tipped employee regulations. The final rule is designed to address and incorporate amendments made to section 3(m) of the Fair Labor...more
12/23/2020
/ Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Final Rules ,
Information Reports ,
Inspector General ,
NPRM ,
Tip Credit ,
Tip-Pooling ,
Tipped Employees ,
Wage and Hour
On December 21, 2020, Congress agreed to a $900 billion stimulus bill, passed as The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (“the Act”). The 5,593-page Act includes funds designated for direct relief, additional money for...more