Between the Lines Blog
NAIC Reciprocal Exchanges (E) Working Group Advances Proposed Amendments to Model 440 and Model 450
On July 22, 2026, the NAIC Reciprocal Exchanges (E) Working Group met virtually to discuss proposed amendments to the Insurance Holding Company System Regulatory Act (Model #440) and the Insurance Holding Company System Model Regulation (Model #450). Formed in November 2025 under the Financial…
The NAIC Data Breach: A Turning Point for Data Collection and Privacy in the Insurance Industry
On June 17, 2026, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) publicly disclosed that it had identified unauthorized access to its PeopleSoft systems. The breach—attributed to the threat actor group ShinyHunters and part of a broader campaign exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in…
Essential Employment Documents and Procedures for Growing Businesses
As your business grows and you begin hiring employees, the excitement of expansion can sometimes overshadow the critical need for proper employment documentation and procedures. Yet the foundation you lay during this stage of growth can make the difference between a thriving workplace and costly…
The Non-Compete Playbook: Everything Arkansas Employers Should Have in their Arsenal
A crucial employee leaves for a competitor. A promising candidate shows up carrying a non-compete from their former employer. Either way, the questions hit quickly: What can we do? What should we avoid? And what paperwork should we have in place to handle this sort of thing? What employers should…
NAIC Discloses Unauthorized Access to PeopleSoft Systems
Cybersecurity Incident at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Overview On June 17, 2026, the NAIC publicly disclosed that it identified unauthorized access to its PeopleSoft systems on or about June 11, 2026. The NAIC activated its incident response procedures and is working…
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law Blog
PFOA/PFOS/CERCLA: D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds U.S. EPA Final Rule Designating as Hazardous Substances
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (“D.C. Circuit”) addressed in an August 18th Opinion a challenge to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (“EPA”) designation of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (“PFOA”) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (“PFOS”) as…
Restricting the Operation of Unmanned Aircraft in Close Proximity to a Fixed Site Facility: Water Environment Federation/Other Water Organizations Submit Comments on FAA Proposed Rule
The Water Environment Federation submitted August 5th comments on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (“FAA”) proposed rule: Designation-Restrict the Operation of Unmanned Aircraft in Close Proximity to a Fixed Site Facility (“Proposed Rule”). See Docket: FAA-2026-4558. The other organizations…
Water Well Construction Committee/Arkansas Department of Agriculture August 21st Meeting Scheduled
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture announced the next Water Well Construction Committee (“Committee”) will meet on Thursday, August 21, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. The Committee will meet at the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Division Office in Little Rock, Arkansas. The…
PFAS/Clean Water Act: U.S. EPA Environmental Appeals Board Addresses Conservation Law Foundation Petition for Review of Manchester, New Hampshire NPDES Permit
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Environmental Appeals Board (“EAB”) addressed in an August 12th decision a Petition for Review by the Conservation Law Foundation (“CLF”) of Region 1’s renewal of a Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”)…
Wetland Program Plans Handbook: Association of State Wetland Managers Announces Updated Version
The National Association of Wetland Managers (“NAWM”) issued a document titled: Wetland Program Plans Handbook (“Handbook”). The Handbook is stated to have been developed as part of a project by NAWM to: … provide states and tribes with information about how to develop Wetland Program Plans…