| Summary: Effective July 29, 2019, Georgia's Department of Banking and Finance amended certain disclosure and employee background check requirements that apply to residential mortgage brokers and lenders. To determine if an applicant is eligible for employment, the rule provides that employee files must contain documentation that shows that both the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance website and NMLS Consumer Access were searched for public records. Failure of any licensee to examine the Department's website and NMLS Consumer Access prior to employment is subject to a fine of $1,000 for each violation. It removes the requirements that a licensee obtain prior approval before a change in executive officers is made and it eliminates language that previously permitted a mortgage lender to avoid providing a Georgia-specific mortgage foreclosure statement by complying with a substantially similar disclosure as required by federal law.
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| Impact(s): Georgia residential mortgage brokers and lenders |
| Summary: Signed by Gov. J. B. Pritzker on June 25, 2019, the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (the "Cannabis Act"), legalizes the possession, use and purchase of recreational marijuana by individuals 21 years of age and older. The law will take effect on January 1, 2020.
The law continues to allow employers to prohibit the use of marijuana in the workplace and to allow employers to discipline/terminate employees who violate employment or workplace drug policies. However, the law also amends the Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act by defining "lawful products" to mean products that are legal under state law. As a result, under the Right to Privacy Act, Illinois employers are prohibited from discriminating against applicants and employees who use lawful products (i.e., marijuana) off the premises of the employer during nonworking and non-call hours.
The law includes some exceptions. Employers regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation's drug and alcohol testing regulations are exempt from the provisions of the act. Likewise, employers are not bound by the act if it interferes with the employer's ability to comply with federal or state laws or could result in the loss of federal or state funding.
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| Impact(s): Illinois employers |
| Summary: Effective August 28, 2 019, SB 295 will require Missouri school districts to conduct criminal background checks on volunteers. If the volunteers are not checked, they cannot be left alone with a student or have access to student records.
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| Impact(s): Missouri schools |
| Summary: The City of Columbia passed an Ordinance, effective August 6, 2019, which will remove the criminal history question from city job applications and delay it until after a conditional offer of employment. It also prohibits the city from inquiring into an applicant or employee's salary history.
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| Impact(s): All City of Columbia public employers |
