2023 Maryland Legislative Update

May 31, 2023

This legislative session felt like the Annapolis that we all knew before the pandemic with in-person hearings, folks roaming the halls and students visiting the state house for class trips. Excitement was in the air with the inauguration of a new Governor and the beginning of a new term for the legislature. The live streaming is now here to stay for all floor sessions, committee hearings, subcommittee sessions, and voting sessions.

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DC LEGISLATIVE ALERT: Changes to Condominium Act Warranty Provisions

January 25, 2023

Recently, the DC Council adopted amendments to the DC Condominium Act to revise the construction defect warranty provisions, along with the process for filing claims against the warranty bond required to be posted with the District of Columbia’s government to secure a condominium declarant’s warranty obligations.  Attorneys from Rees Broome were instrumental in the drafting and negotiating of the final version of the related Bill.  The Bill has been

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June 2022 – MD Legislative Update

June 1, 2022
This legislative session was certainly a hybrid to say the least. Both chambers met in person. The Senate held their committee and voting hearings in person while most of the House was virtual via Zoom. Everything was livestreamed via YouTube so you can go back any watch the hearing for any of the bills if you like. Sine Die (the last day of session) had a familiar feel of celebration and jubilee. The following bills passed the Maryland General Assembly in the 2022 session and are on Governor Hogan’s desk for signature. The laws will become effective (unless otherwise indicated) on October 1, 2022. Please contact us if you have any questions.
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BREAKING NEWS – FEDERAL VACCINE MANDATE EXTENSION FOR COMPLIANCE AND ISSUANCE OF OSHA TEMPORARY STANDARD VACCINATION AND TESTING APPLICABLE TO EMPLOYERS WITH 100 OR MORE EMPLOYEES

November 4, 2021

By Susan Richards Salen, Esquire

ETS for Large Employers Requiring Vaccination and Testing Issued

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued its Emergency Temporary Standard on COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing applicable to large employers (those that employ 100 or more employees). Access OSHA information on and full regulation here: COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov)

Key points of the regulation are as follows:

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POLICY ALERT – GENDER IDENTITY AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION DISCRIMINATION

March 5, 2021
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) recently released a policy memorandum to implement a January 20, 2021 Executive Order regarding Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation.  The Executive Order directs federal agencies that evaluate actions taken under federal statutes prohibiting sex discrimination to specifically include sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination as a form of sex discrimination.
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Virginia Legislative Alert

February 26, 2021

Last week, the Virginia General Assembly passed a Bill that provides an association’s Board of Directors with extensive authority to prohibit smoking within condominiums and property owners’ associations.  A Board of Directors of a condominium association may, by a majority vote of the Board, prohibit smoking both in the common elements and in units, unless the recorded condominium instruments contain existing language that would prohibit the Board from doing so.  A Board of Directors for a property owners’ association may prohibit smoking in common areas by a

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Client Alert – Paycheck Protection Program Audits

May 13, 2020
One of the signature provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on March 27, 2020, was the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), which was designed to incentivize small businesses to keep employees on their payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic when businesses might otherwise be forced to furlough or lay off employees.  Subsequent developments from the Small Business Administration and the Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin, have put businesses on alert that that may, or perhaps even will, be audited to verify that they met all of the qualifications for the PPP.
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Client Alert – Relief for Individuals under CARES

April 8, 2020

In addition to the many provisions under the CARES Act of 2020 providing relief to businesses, both large and small, Congress sought to assist individuals who may be feeling the economic effects of COVID-19, including those who have lost their jobs as a result.  Such relief comes at a price tag of approximately $600 billion of the $2 trillion total relief package.  This article summarizes some of the major provisions designed to aid individuals.

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