November ’24 at-a-glance … regulations

New overtime rule overturned by District Court 

The new Department of Labor overtime rule set to take effect Jan. 1, 2025 has been overturned. U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan in Texas agreed with the state and a group of business organizations that argued the Labor Department exceeded its authority in establishing the rule. The agency has not said whether it plans to appeal. 

Proposed House bill would require greater scrutiny around agencies’ use of AI  

H.R. 10092 would require federal agencies that use, fund or oversee AI-based algorithms to have an office of civil rights focused on bias and discrimination. The bill is similar to regulations prohibiting employers’ discriminatory use of AI in California, Illinois and New York City. Other states are looking at similar regulations.  

Associations address industry-related concerns 

Our allied associations are hard at work: 

• A white paper by the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) addresses the organization’s concerns with a scope change the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is considering to its Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC). Details on the change are here. Comments are due Dec. 31.  

• The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed two amicus briefs arguing that EPA’s claim of its ability to limit or ban chemical uses to protect workers is “at odds with the Constitution and ignores Congress’s intended role for the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).” Previously, EPA determined that methylene chloride presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health. Many paint strippers, solvents and degreasers include the chemical.