BW Insights

EEO-1 Pay Data Collection for 2017 and 2018

By BrownWinick | 05.08.2019

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that employers must report pay data for 2017 and 2018 by September 30, 2019. Pay data must be collected and reported with respect to race, sex and ethnicity. While the details regarding how to upload the required data have not yet been released, employers with 100 or more employees or... Read More

Is it a Pet or an Assistance Animal

By BrownWinick | 04.25.2019

In recent years, the number of requests for assistance and emotional support animals has increased significantly. Landlords and people managing senior housing facilities ignore or flatly deny such requests at their own peril. For purposes of housing, these requests need to be treated very differently than if a resident seeks to bring a pet into... Read More

2019 Legislative Session - Week 14

By BrownWinick | 04.22.2019

House and Senate Republicans have reached an agreement on the budget for next fiscal year (FY20). Under the joint plan, the state will spend $7.64 billion from the general fund. That’s a 0.2 percent increase from last year. Although lawmakers can legally spend 99 percent of ongoing revenues, the GOP proposal uses just north of 97 percent.... Read More

OIG Begins Investigation into Medicaid Managed Care Denials

By BrownWinick | 04.22.2019

The United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) recently announced that it is investigating denials by managed care organizations (“MCOs”) that contract with state Medicaid agencies. It its announcement, OIG recognized that the arrangement between MCOs and the State “shifts financial risk for the... Read More

IEDA and IEC Financial Assistance Programs

By BrownWinick | 04.17.2019

The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and the Iowa Energy Center (IEC) have opened two new programs to facilitate energy-related projects in Iowa, the IEC Grant Program and the Alternate Energy Revolving Loan Program. The IEC Grant Program is a competitive grant program for projects that provide a benefit to Iowans who purchase electric... Read More

2019 Legislative Session - Week 13

By BrownWinick | 04.12.2019

House and Senate Republicans are continuing to hash-out next year’s budget (FY20), but have yet to agree on the final figures. Those so-called “joint budget targets” lay out how much both chambers are willing to spend on big-ticket appropriations, like education, economic development, and health and human services. In the absence of joint targets,... Read More

2019 Legislative Session - Week 12

By BrownWinick | 04.05.2019

Lawmakers raced bills through committee this week, scrambling to beat the second legislative “Funnel.” Most policy measures that didn’t pass out of the House or Senate, and a full committee in the opposite chamber by Friday are dead for the remainder of session. Tax, spending, government oversight, and leadership bills are largely exempt from this... Read More

DOL Proposes Updates to Regular Rate Under FLSA

By BrownWinick | 04.03.2019

On March 28, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced another proposed rule to update regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The proposed rule would amend 29 CFR part 778 to revise the “regular rate” requirements under section 7(e) of the FLSA, 29 U.S.C. § 207(e). Under the default rule for calculating required overtime... Read More

2019 Legislative Session - Week 11

By BrownWinick | 03.29.2019

A vast majority of the Iowa House advanced a key piece of of the governor’s agenda this week. Under HJR 14, the state constitution would be amended to restore felons’ voting rights after they complete their sentences. Governor Kim Reynolds made the issue a centerpiece of her agenda this year, proposing the amendment in her January Condition of the... Read More

UnitedHealthcare Withdraws as MCO