Between the Lines Blog
When Selling Annuities Becomes Investment Advice: A Guide for Insurance Providers
For insurance companies and agents, the distinction between selling annuities and providing investment advice can blur unexpectedly. When annuity sales involve discussions about a client's securities portfolio or recommendations to liquidate investments to fund purchases, agents may inadvertently…
ANRC Takes Next Step Toward Implementing Arkansas's New Water and Sewer Grant Program
The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission voted unanimously on April 2, 2026, to recommend new finance rules that will govern how millions of dollars in water and sewer infrastructure funding are distributed, and the implications for utilities, municipalities, and water authorities across the state…
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…
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law Blog
Underground Injection Control/Safe Drinking Water Act: Eco-Justice Collaborative U.S. EPA Environmental Appeals Board's Petition Challenging Putnam County, Illinois Sequestration Project
Eco-Justice Collaborative (“EJC”) filed a May 7th Petition for Review (“Petition”) before the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Environmental Appeals Board challenging a Safe Drinking Water Act Underground Injection Control (“UIC”) Class VI Permit issued to Marquis Carbon…
Arkansas Advisory Committee on Petroleum Storage Tanks: May 27th Meeting
As noted in a previous blog post, Arkansas operates a petroleum storage tank trust fund that provides reimbursement for eligible storage tanks that suffer corrective action requirements and third-party damage claims due to a release of petroleum. The Advisory Committee on Petroleum Storage Tanks…
Air Enforcement: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Grand Island, Nebraska Beef Processing Facility Enter into Consent Agreement
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and Swift Beef Company (“SBC”) entered into an April 23rd Consent Agreement and Final Order (“CAFO”) addressing alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. See Docket No. CAA-07-2026-0070. The CAFO provides that SBC is the owner and operator of…
Compliance Pitfalls/Where Facilities Get Tripped Up: Jesslynn Hale (Trinity Consultants) Arkansas Environmental Federation Air Seminar Presentation
Jesslynn Hale undertook a presentation at the Arkansas Environmental Federation Air Seminar titled: Compliance Pitfalls: Where Facilities Get Tripped Up (“Presentation”). Jesslynn has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arkansas and is a Managing Consultant at Trinity…
Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit: National Alliance of Forest Owners/Arkansas Forestry Association Comments on Internal Revenue Service Proposed Regulations
The National Alliance of Forest Owners (“NAFO”) submitted April 6th comments on the United States Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (collectively, “IRS”) rules published in February regarding the Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit (“PTC”) under Section 45Z of the Internal Revenue…