Legal Focus

Despite continuing COVID limitations on access to the Nation’s Capitol, NSTA will once again be holding the annual bus-in in Washington DC April 6 through April 8, 2022. With the challenges of COVID, the critical driver shortage, and the aggressive push toward electric school bus fleets, there has never been a more critical need to educate law makers about the challenges and complexities of the school bus industry. Read further to learn how you can support advocacy efforts for the school bus i...

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, school districts nationwide have utilized some variation of both virtual and in-person instruction to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. While most school districts began the 2021-2022 school year in person, the Delta and Omicron COVID- 19 variants have forced some districts to once again consider temporarily closing school in favor of virtual instruction. School closure days have left many contractors wondering how they will be paid. To ensu...

Despite the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Act (the “PMMA”), being passed over five (5) years ago, many Pennsylvania employers face uncertainty when addressing employees or applicants who are medical marijuana cardholders. The laws around marijuana are quickly evolving with recent court decisions, and recreational marijuana laws are becoming more common in neighboring states. This article will discuss risk management and the employers’ and the drug testing companies’ role in Pennsylvania wit...

At the start of the 2021-2022 school year, 25 states had issued some form of COVID vaccination mandate, while 12 other states issued COVID vaccination mandate bans. Then on November 4th, OSHA published its Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) mandating COVID vaccinations for large employers, which was followed by a court ordered stay of enforcement issued on November 12th. As federal, state, and local government agencies continue to issue vaccination laws and policies, it is critical that contract...

As a number of regions across the country begin to experience a surge in coronavirus cases due to new variants, employers and local, state, and federal governments have begun to mandate vaccines in some capacity. Recently, the Biden Administration announced that they have directed the Occupational Health and Safety Administration to create a new rule which requires private employers with at least 100 employees to ensure that their employees are vaccinated or receive weekly Covid-19 testing. Addi...

As kickoff to the 2021-2022 school year is right around the corner, there are a number of lingering concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Many contractors are left wondering: What are the guidelines for wearing masks? Can I require my employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine? And what can I do about the shortage of drivers? Continue reading below for a recap on these specific issues. Click Here to Read More

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, views about mask requirements have been a divisive issue highlighting the competing interests of individual freedoms and public policy, against a background of conflicting views about the spread and mortality of the coronavirus generally. This is complicated by the fact that mask requirements may come from federal, state, or local sources; and is complicated even further by the dichotomy of vaccinated and unvaccinated people sharing public space. Thi...