Between the Lines Blog
The LEARNSing Curve: Navigating Arkansas Education Law
A Short Survey of The LEARNS Act Three years later, the Literacy, Empowerment, Accountability, Readiness, Networking, and Safety Act (“LEARNS Act” or the “Act”) continues to reshape Arkansas education law. This article surveys the Act’s major provisions: (1) the Education Freedom Account program…
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…
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law Blog
Reducing Risk from PFOA and PFOS in Biosolids: Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority Comments Addressing U.S. EPA Draft Guidance
The Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority (“LRWRA”) submitted October 5th comments on a document the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published on June 29th titled: Draft Guidance for Reducing Risk from Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS)…
Microplastics/U.S. Government Accountability Office: Congressional Request to Review U.S. EPA Efforts to Assess Presence/Risk
24 Members of Congress and United States Senators have written the U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) in a September 28th letter asking that it: … conduct a comprehensive review of the Environmental Protection Agency's (“EPA”) efforts to effectively assess the presence and risks…
Oil Discharge Enforcement: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Manassas Biological Resource Center Enter into Order by Consent
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (“VDEQ”) and America Type Culture Collection (“ATCC”) entered into a August 31st Order by Consent (“Order”) addressing an alleged discharge of oil. The Order provides that ATCC owns and operates a private, nonprofit, global biological resource center…
Waters of the United States/Clean Water Act: Trout Unlimited Comments on U.S. EPA Supplemental Proposed Rule
Trout Unlimited (“TU”) submitted October 9th comments addressing the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s: Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Updated Definition of “Waters of the United States” (“Supplemental Proposed Rule”). See Docket No. EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322; 91 Fed. Reg…
Emerging Environmental Issues: Arkansas Environmental Federation Convention - October 8th Presentation
I undertook a presentation at the Arkansas Environmental Federation Convention titled: Emerging Environmental Issues (“Presentation”). The focus of the Presentation addressed various statutory and environmental media emerging issues. The Presentation addressed the following: Definition of…