Site Map - Legal Report

09/18/2007 - A bill (H.R. 4373) introduced by Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) would require that the Homeland Security Department establish a system to inspect all cargo transported on passenger aircraft operated by a domestic or foreign air carrier.

09/18/2007 - A bill (H.R. 4422) introduced by Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT) would require each state to submit a written report on state agencies that store or keep explosive materials. The report, which would be submitted to the Attorney General at regular intervals, would also note which materials had been transported in interstate or foreign commerce.

09/18/2007 - A bill (H.R. 4460) introduced by Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY) would establish a grant program for campuses to install professional fire alarm detection systems or other fire detection and prevention technologies.

09/18/2007 - Courts examine investigative techniques used by security officers and a landowner’s responsibility for a contractor’s injuries. Plus, campus safety, cargo security, and disaster management are topics of proposed federal legislation.

09/14/2007 - A bill (S.B. 25) under consideration by the Colorado Senate would prohibit sexual orientation and gender discrimination in hiring decisions.

09/14/2007 - A landlord may be liable for negligent security, says an Illinois appeals court. Plus, congressional legislation on chemical weapons and tax credits for security expenses related to agricultural chemicals.

09/14/2007 - A new appellate case strengthens the trend of preemptively suing to break a noncompete agreement. William Manuel worked for an Ohio company. He resigned, promising not to work for a competitor, but he had already accepted such a job in Georgia. He then filed a preemptive lawsuit in Georgia, which has laws more favorable to employees in such cases. The Georgia court ruled that the noncompete agreement was unenforceable. A federal appeals court ruled that the Georgia court's decision would stand because the first lawsuit filed in such a case establishes the venue. (Manuel v. Convergys Corporation, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, No. 04-16032, 2005)

09/14/2007 - A new Wyoming law (formerly S.B. 129) makes it a felony to intentionally and surreptitiously record images of people in an enclosed area where they have an expectation of privacy, such as a bathroom, shower, or dressing room.

09/14/2007 - In South Carolina, employees become ineligible for unemployment benefits if fired for failing a drug test. A new state law (formerly A.B. 50) requires an employer to prove that it followed certain procedures before firing an employee for failing a drug test. If the company cannot offer such proof, the employee will not be disqualified from receiving unemployment benefits.

09/14/2007 - A bill (S. 2052) introduced by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) would provide a security-related tax credit for businesses that sell agricultural chemicals or manufacture, formulate, or distribute certain pesticides. The tax credit would be for 30 percent of the costs for protecting those chemicals and would expire in 2010. S. 2052 has three cosponsors and has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee.

09/14/2007 - The House Homeland Security Committee has approved a bill (H.R. 3197) that would regulate the purchase of ammonium nitrate. The provision must now be taken up by the House of Representatives.

09/14/2007 - An Illinois appellate court has ruled that a tenant who was raped outside her apartment may sue her landlord for inadequate security.

09/12/2007 - A federal court has determined that a man who has filed more than 400 lawsuits against companies for violating the American’s with Disabilities Act is a vexatious litigant and will not be allowed to file further claims. The man, who is handicapped, visited businesses—some of them hundreds of miles from his home—and then claimed to have been injured by doorways that were too small. (Molski v. Mandarin Touch Restaurant, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, No. CV 040450 ER, 2007)