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
2022-24 Montana Combined Integrated Report: Upper Missouri Waterkeeper Notice of Intent to Sue U.S. EPA for Alleged Clean Water Act Violations
Upper Missouri Waterkeeper (“UMW”) sent a July 15th document to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) styled: Notice of Intent to Sue EPA for Failure, Under Clean Water Act Section 303(d), 33 U.S.C. 1313(d), to Approve or Disapprove State of Montana's 2022-24 Combined…
Critical Minerals/Reducing U.S. Import Reliance with Substitution and Recycling Technologies: U.S. Government Accountability Office Report
The United States Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) issued a July report titled: Critical Minerals: Reducing U.S. Import Reliance with Substitution and Recycling Technologies (“Report”). The Report is transmitted to the following: The Honorable Gary Palmer, Chairman, Subcommittee on…
Wastewater Enforcement: Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment - Division of Environmental Quality and Cross County School District Enter into Consent Administrative Order
The Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment - Division of Environmental Quality (“ADEQ”) and Cross County School District – Cross County High School (“District”) entered into a June 15th Consent Administrative Order (“CAO”) addressing alleged violation of a Clean Water Act National Pollutant…
Nationwide Permit 12/Oil or Gas Natural Pipeline Activities: Sierra Club Files Judicial Challenge
Sierra Club and other environmental organizations filed a Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief (“Complaint”) in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia (“Court”) challenging the United States Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) prior issuance of Clean Water Act…
Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines: U.S. EPA Public Notices Okanogan County, Washington Reclamation Project
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has issued a notice in the July 16th Federal Register that Trout Unlimited Inc. (“Trout”) has applied for a Good Samaritan Remediation permit pursuant to the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2024 (“Act”). See…