Insights

Washington, D.C. – July 17, 2023: Crowell & Moring hosted its 24thannual George Bailey Public Service Awards ceremony. Named after the hero of the classic movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” these awards recognize the firm’s lawyers and staff who have made a substantial impact on the lives of others.

On August 1, 2024, Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance, one of the final Title IX regulations of the U.S. Department of Education released on April 19, 2024, will go into effect. The new regulations address the previous administration’s rollback of Title IX protections, and include, among other things, an expanded definition of sex discrimination that provides new protections for LGBTQ+ individuals against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. For example, the new rules prohibit schools that receive federal funding from barring transgender students’ use of pronouns that correspond to their gender identities, or denying transgender students access to facilities, like locker rooms and restrooms, that match their gender identities. Other notable changes in the new regulations include the following: (1) protection from all sex-based harassment and discrimination, including that based on sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity, or pregnancy or related conditions; (2) broadening the definition of “hostile environment” harassment to include conduct that is so severe or pervasive that it limits or denies a person’s ability to participate in the education program or activity; (3) increased accountability by requiring schools to take prompt and effective action to end any sex discrimination in their education programs or activities, prevent reoccurrence, and remedy its effects; and (4) protection against retaliation for students, employees, and others who exercise their Title IX rights.

Yesterday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed Senate Bill S74A, better known as the Grieving Families Act (“the Act”), which was meant to overhaul the state’s wrongful death statute. The Bill was delivered to the governor's desk on December 28 and, after she was unable to secure last-minute support to proposed changes to the Bill, Governor Hochul vetoed the bill on January 31.

In late 2021, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law the Comprehensive Insurance Disclosure Act, which imposes affirmative insurance disclosure requirements on parties to civil actions. The Governor’s signature came with an approval memorandum stating that the information required to be disclosed must be “properly tailored for the intended purpose, which is to ensure that parties in a litigation are correctly informed about the limits of potential insurance coverage.”