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On August 29, 2018, despite industry criticism, the California state legislature passed AB 2998, which will require that levels of chemical flame retardants in covered products be below 1,000 parts per million.
Continue Reading California Bans Use of Most Chemical Flame Retardants in Children’s Products and Furniture as the CPSC Prepares to Take Action on the Flammability of Upholstered Furniture

If 2017 is any indication, the new year will bring a fresh cascade of changes – both announced and unannounced, anticipated and unanticipated – in the business immigration landscape. Few, if any, of these changes are expected to be good news for U.S. businesses and the foreign workers they employ.
Continue Reading Buckle Your Seatbelts: 2018 Will Be a Watershed Year in Business Immigration

In a move affecting retailers in the furniture and other wood-based industries, the EPA recently issued a series of amendments to its Final Rule implementing the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act, which added Title VI to the Toxic Substances Control Act. The Formaldehyde Final Rule sets formaldehyde emissions standards for composite wood products and includes requirements for the testing, third-party certification, import certification and labeling of covered products by manufacturers of those products.
Continue Reading Recent Amendments to EPA’s Formaldehyde Emissions Final Rule Affect Furniture Industry

On April 18, 2017, the state of Washington passed House Bill 1493, which sets forth requirements for businesses who collect and use biometric identifiers for commercial purposes. Under HB 1493, a biometric identifier includes a fingerprint, voiceprint, retina, iris or other unique biological patterns or characteristic used to identify a specific individual.
Continue Reading Washington State Passes New Legislation on Collection and Use of Biometric Identifiers

On March 14, 2017, the Consumer Review Fairness Act of 2016 will come into effect, 90 days after it was signed into law by President Obama. The Fairness Act was passed in response to an increase in the use of so-called “non-disparagement clauses” that prohibited consumers from sharing their honest opinions about a seller’s goods, services or conduct.
Continue Reading How Companies Can Comply with the Newly Effective Consumer Review Fairness Act

After a long and unconventional campaign, we finally know the election results: early next year, businessman Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, supported by a Republican Congress. What the election results mean for the nation’s retailers, however, remains an open question.
Continue Reading Top Issues Facing Retailers in the Trump Administration