As part of the rulemaking process and pursuant to the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA), OSHA will soon convene a panel of small business members to review and comment on a draft of the Injury and Illness Prevention Program (I2P2) regulatory text it anticipates publishing as a proposed rule. The agency recently announced that it expects to provide SBREFA members this draft by mid-August. The I2P2 rule remains one of the agency’s top priorities. Agency officials have indicated that they want to issue a final I2P2 rule in the next four years.
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Federal Court in Minnesota Provides Guidance on Non-Injury Retaliation Claims Under FRSA
Granting complete summary judgment to BNSF Railway Co., Chief Judge Michael Davis of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota interpreted and provided the railroad industry with guidance pertaining to the parameters of a non-injury based retaliation claim under 49 U.S.C. § 20109 of the Federal Railroad Safety…..
IRS Provides Relief for Nonresident Aliens Affected by COVID-19 Travel Disruptions
Because of travel restrictions, such as canceled flights and stay-at-home orders, the COVID-19 pandemic may have significantly limited a nonresident alien’s ability to leave the United States, regardless of whether the individual contracted the COVID-19 virus. An unexpected extended stay in the United States, however, could affect an individual’s tax residency classification or eligibility for certain tax treaty benefits. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently released Revenue Procedure 2020-20 to address the potential tax consequences for eligible individuals impacted by the COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Ontario Entering Province-Wide Shutdown on December 26, 2020
On December 21, 2020, the Ontario government announced province-wide shutdown measures, similar to those recently enacted by the governments of Alberta, Québec, and Manitoba. The government cited the “alarming rate” at which COVID-19 cases are increasing due to travel between public health regions that are subject to different levels of restriction, and the strain on the healthcare system as the driving forces behind the province-wide shutdown.