On June 29, 2022, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to adopt a Healthcare Workers Minimum Wage Ordinance (the “Ordinance”). This comes after a 10-2 vote on June 21 required a second reading and vote....more
On July 1, 2022, the Responsible Beverage Service Training Program Act (Assembly Bill 1221) will go into effect. This means that Responsible Beverage Service training for alcohol servers and their managers at California...more
On June 2, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) announced the launch of a new “Supplement Your Knowledge” initiative, with resources targeted to consumers, educators and healthcare professionals.
The...more
On May 26, 2022, the California State Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 846 to expand the sale and delivery of to-go cocktails with a 32-0 vote. SB 846 would expand a 2021 law (SB 389), which allowed the sale of to-go...more
On May 19, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced that it was considering changes to tighten its guidelines for advertisers against posting fake positive reviews or manipulating reviews by suppressing bad ones....more
On May 12, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California’s minimum wage is projected to increase to $15.50 per hour for all workers beginning on January 1, 2023. The accelerated increase is required by Section 246 of...more
On May 6, 2022, a panel of three judges in the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit considered a challenge to California’s ban on foie gras. The law has been heavily litigated for nine years, including three sets of appeals...more
On April 20, 2022, a $15 million class action settlement was approved by the court in Hesse, et al. v. Godiva Chocolatier, Inc., over the objections of multiple State Attorneys General. Plaintiffs alleged that the company’s...more
On April 21, 2022, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board (Board) met and formally adopted a third version of the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) by a vote of 6-1.
The new ETS makes a number of changes to prior ETS...more
On April 21, 2022, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued a Health Officer Order to note that masking in all public transit within LA County and in LA County indoor transportation hubs continues to be...more
On April 18, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) issued draft guidance for stakeholders on evaluating the public health importance of food allergens other than the current major food allergens identified by...more
On April 8, 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced that it was using its Penalty Offense Authority to seek a $5.5 million penalty for deceptive environmental claims against Kohl’s, Inc. ($2.5 million) and...more
On March 25, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) announced a public process to update the “health” nutrient content claim for food labeling. This process will include the agency’s review of a voluntary symbol...more
On March 30, 2022, the Los Angeles City Council voted 13-1 to end the City’s mandate requiring customers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to use indoor facilities at restaurants, bars, gyms, personal care establishments,...more
On March 28, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States granted a petition for a writ of certiorari in the case of National Pork Producers, et. al. v. Karen Ross, 21-468.
The order means that the Supreme Court will...more
On March 16, 2022, the Ninth Circuit joined other appellate courts in finding that restaurants were not entitled to insurance coverage for losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. A panel of judges issued an unpublished...more
3/21/2022
/ Business Closures ,
Business Interruption ,
Business Losses ,
Commercial Insurance Policies ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Denial of Insurance Coverage ,
Insurance Claims ,
Insurance Litigation ,
Policy Exclusions ,
Policy Terms ,
Restaurant Industry
On March 9, 2022, the Los Angeles City Council held a special meeting to discuss amending the City’s proof-of-vaccine requirement. The Council voted to direct the City Attorney to prepare a new ordinance making the...more
On March 4, 2022, Los Angeles County’s revised Public Health Order (the “Order”) went into effect, significantly relaxing masking rules and indoor proof-of-vaccine requirements. As of March 3, 2022, Los Angeles County’s case...more
On February 23, 2022, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced that it would be modifying its Health Officer Order to allow establishments, businesses, and venues verifying vaccination status to make...more
On February 9, 2022, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 113, approving additional economic relief for the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill passed with strong bipartisan support, with a vote of 68-0 in the State Assembly and 27-0...more
On February 7, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state’s indoor mask mandate would expire on February 15, 2022, for vaccinated people.
New face covering guidance from the California Department of...more
On January 31, 2022, FDA released a list of draft and final guidance topics that are a priority for the FDA Foods Program to complete during the next 12 months.
The guidance topics include several focused on plant-based...more
The California Legislature expanded the Breaking Barriers to Employment Initiative by passing Assembly Bill 628, which amends Section 14033 of the Unemployment Insurance Code.
AB 628 builds on the 2017 California...more
In January 2022, FDA announced new initiatives focused on food safety, indicating that the agency will continue to prioritize that area. Several of these programs are designed to provide more transparency and more information...more
Continuing the trend of legislation in response to headline news, California passed SB 362 prohibiting the use of quotas at chain community pharmacies. This bill modifies California’s Pharmacy Law, which regulates all...more