On August 28, 2017, Missouri House Bill (HB) 1194 will take effect and the (1) City of St. Louis’ minimum wage will decrease from $10.00 per hour to the state minimum wage of $7.70 per hour and (2) Kansas City’s minimum wage, which was previously scheduled to increase from $7.70 to $8.50 per hour on September 18, 2017, will remain unchanged.

Texas is the 47^th state to join the fray of states enacting statewide bans on texting while driving. The new law prohibits drivers from reading, writing, or sending electronic messages unless the vehicle is stopped.

California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has approved new regulations that expand the protections available for people who identify as transgender. The regulations also expand protections for gender identity and gender expression.

Effective July 1, 2017, large employers in Georgia that pay sick leave to their employees—or choose to do so in the future—must allow their employees to use paid sick leave to care for their “immediate family members.” 

Leave policies that allow employees to take leave to care for or assist their sick biological or adopted children must also allow leave to care for or assist a sick foster child.