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
Evaluation of the EPA's Oversight of Ohio's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permitting Program for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations: U.S. EPA Office of Inspector General Report
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) published a July 7th report titled: Evaluation of the EPA’s Oversight of Ohio’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permitting Program for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (“Report”). …
Pretreatment Enforcement/Clean Water Act: Mississippi Commission on Environmental Quality and Hattiesburg Yeast Manufacturing Facility Enter into Agreed Order
The Mississippi Commission on Environmental Quality (“MCEQ”) and USA Yeast Company LLC (“YC”) entered into an July 6th Agreed Order (“AO”) addressing alleged violations of a Clean Water Act Pretreatment Permit. See Order No. 7728 26. The AO provides that in 2023, YC and the City of Hattiesburg…
Hazardous Waste Enforcement: Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment - Division of Environmental Quality and University of Arkansas Fort Smith Facility Enter into Consent Administrative Order
The Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment - Division of Environmental Quality (“ADEQ”) and the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas, acting for and on behalf of the University of Arkansas Fort Smith, entered into an April 22nd Consent Administrative Order (“CAO”) addressing…
Title V/Clean Air Act: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Order Addressing Petition for Objection Related to Adams County, Colorado Petroleum Terminal
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) addressed in a May 19th Order a Petition for Objection to a Title V Operating Permit for the Phillips 66 Pipeline LLC (“Phillips”), Denver Terminal (“Terminal”) filed by the Center for Biological Diversity (“CBD”). See Petition VIII-2025-34…
Transportation/Hazardous Materials: U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Interpretive Letter Addressing 48-hour Forwarding Rule
The United States Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”) addressed in a June 11th Interpretive Letter the application of the federal Hazardous Materials Regulations (“HMR”) to the 48-hour forwarding rule. See Reference No. 25-0134. PHMSA was responding to an October 24…