The regulatory landscape surrounding the CTA continues to evolve, creating uncertainty for reporting companies. This alert provides a summary of recent developments and guidance for navigating these changes.

While there were no legislative developments in the Lone Star state, there were several appellate decisions of note for employers.

The Trump administration’s 2025 energy policy prioritizes aggressive fossil fuel development, dismantles environmental regulations, and scales back support for renewable energy projects. This approach marks a stark departure from the Biden administration’s emphasis on renewable energy and emissions reductions.  Instead, Trump’s administration is focused on increasing oil, gas, and coal production through deregulation, reviving pipeline projects, and reducing environmental oversight, all under the banner of energy independence and economic growth.

There were several major developments in Missouri labor and employment law during the past previous year, including minimum wage rate changes, revisions to Missouri’s paid sick time statutes, and recent Court of Appeals decisions.

Several updates to Arkansas employment laws took effect in 2024, including by virtue of new case law, changes to the unemployment insurance statute, increase in the minimum wages, and workforce development initiatives.

This alert discusses the major developments in Kansas labor and employment law from the previous year, including tax credits for individuals with disabilities, earned wage access legislation, employers’ filing requirements related to unemployment, and recent U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas holdings.

The status of federal agency proceedings using Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) was cast into further doubt on February 20, 2025, when the Department of Justice (DOJ) informed the Senate Judiciary Committee that the DOJ will no longer defend the constitutionality of “for cause” removal provisions for those judges.

On February 18, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order (February 18 EO) that fundamentally changes the scope of Executive Branch oversight of “independent regulatory agencies” and commissions that regulate securities, labor, financial services, transportation, energy, and consumer protection.