Between the Lines Blog
Final Rulemaking Package Submitted for California Intervenor and AHB Fairness and Accountability Regulations
April 21, 2026
by Jerry Zimmerman
On April 20, 2026, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara submitted the final rulemaking package for the Intervenor and Administrative Hearing Bureau (AHB) Fairness and Accountability regulations (REG-2025-00006) to the Office of Administrative Law for final review. These regulations…
Trademark Scams: How to Spot Them and Protect Yourself
Trademark scams are on the rise, leading to confusion amongst trademark owners. In fact, in August 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) took the extraordinary step of sanctioning a foreign filing firm and terminating over 52,000 trademark applications and registrations…
Understanding Patient Safety Organizations: A Practical Guide
If you work in the healthcare industry, you have likely heard about Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs) and the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (PSQIA). This article breaks down what these frameworks mean and how they can protect sensitive safety information from disclosure in…
Service Animals in Arkansas Schools: What Every Administrator Should Know - Part Two
In a prior installment of this blog post we outlined the law that all Arkansas school administrators should know about service animals. Now we turn to a slightly less clear issue that comes up quite frequently: the difference between service animals and emotional support animals. The Mitchell…
Service Animals in Arkansas Schools: What Every Administrator Should Know (Part 1)
Navigating the ADA, Reasonable Accommodations, and Safety in Practice If you’ve ever had a parent or visitor arrive at your school event with a dog, you’ve probably found yourself asking: What are my legal responsibilities? What questions am I allowed to ask? How do I balance access, safety, and…
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law Blog
Arkansas Water Plan/Where things stand and what's ahead: Tate Wentz - Arkansas Environmental Federation Presentation
Tate Wentz undertook a presentation at the April 15th Arkansas Environmental Federation Water Seminar titled: Arkansas Water Plan: Where things stand and what’s ahead? (“Presentation”). Tate serves as the Agriculture Division Administrator at the Arkansas Department of Agriculture Natural…
Federal Environmental Statutory Citizen Suits: Ecological Rights Foundation Comments on U.S. EPA Proposed Rule Addressing Notice Requirements
The Ecological Rights Foundation (“ERF”) submitted February 26th comments on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) proposed rule addressing notification requirements for federal environmental statutory citizen suits. See 91 Fed. Reg. 8810. ERF describes itself as a: …
Air Enforcement: Mississippi Commission on Environmental Quality and Columbus Oil Company Enter into Agreed Order
The Mississippi Commission on Environmental Quality (“MCEQ”) and Dutch Oil Company (“DOC”) entered into an April 14th Agreed Order (“AO”) addressing an alleged violation of an air permit. See Order No. 7684 26. The AO provides that DOC operates a facility in Columbus, Mississippi. The facility is…
Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit: American Forest & Paper Association Comments on Internal Revenue Service Proposed Regulations
The American Forest & Paper Association (“AFPA”) submitted April 6th comments on the proposed regulations the United States Department of Treasure and Internal Revenue Service (collectively, “IRS”) published in February regarding the Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit (“PTC”) under Section 45Z of the…
Outdoor/Indoor Heat-Related Hazards: Occupational Safety and Health Administration Announces Updated National Emphasis Program
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) announced in an April 10th news release that it was updating a National Emphasis Program (“NEP”) for: Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards (“NEP”). See Directive Number: CPL 03-00-024. OSHA NEPs are temporary programs that focus its…