Federal Regulations to Ease Access to Healthcare Records Raising Privacy Concerns Landmark medical information-sharing rules, proposed this year by the Department of Health and Human Services, are intended to make it easier for people to see their medical records, manage their illnesses, and understand their treatment choices. The rules would require health providers to send…
New York passes Its Own DREAM Act The New York State Assembly and Senate pass the Jose Peralta DREAM Act. Under the proposed legislation, state tuition assistance programs would be available to undocumented immigrants who have attended high school within the state for at least two years and either graduated from high school or obtained…
NY Lawmakers Pass GENDA On January 15, the New York legislature passed the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or expression. Not only does this new law make it illicit to take adverse employment action against someone due to their gender expression or identity, but it also expands the…
Lessons Learned from Tonawanda Coke Corporation With the sources from which we receive information being so diverse and services purporting to handle your company’s research being so ubiquitous, it is important to know and understand the rules, regulations and statutes that govern your respective industry. Western New York residents are familiar with the near decade…
Buying Followers? You May Want to Focus on Your Brand Instead In this modern world of “influencers” and social media fame, it can be hard for brands and businesses to compete with those ranked in the top spots. Recently, some brands are fighting back against those brands using tactics such as sneaky algorithms and buying…
State Legislature Passes Budget On March 30, 2018, the New York state legislature passed a $168.3 billion state budget for 2018, in what Governor Cuomo called the “most difficult budget we’ve ever done,” due to a $4.4 billion budget gap as well as “attacks” from Washington, in particular the reduction of the state and local…
IRS WARNS OF FORM W-2 PHISHING SCAMS The IRS has issued a warning to employers to be cautious of a Form W-2 phishing scam. This scam seeks copies of the Form W-2s for employees. The scammers pose as company officials who send emails to their payroll personnel requesting informational copies of all employees’ W-2s. The…
Clean Power Plan Dismantled by E.P.A. The Environmental Protection Agency announced on October 10 that Scott Pruitt, the chief of the agency, had signed a measure to repeal President Barack Obama’s signature policy to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants known as the “Clean Power Plan.” The Clean Power Plan was first proposed by…
New York’s Paid Family Leave Is Set to Be Most Comprehensive Program of Its Kind Beginning January 1, 2018, New York’s Paid Family Leave will provide residents the opportunity to bond with a new child, care for a loved one with a serious illness or help alleviate the family pressures when a family member is…
President Trump Unveils Plan for Sweeping Tax-Cuts for Corporations On April 26, President Trump unveiled the blue prints to his plan for an overhaul of the tax code, including a proposal to lower the corporate tax rate to 15 percent. The current U.S. corporate tax rate is 35%, the highest among developed economies. Many smaller…