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Minimum Wage Changes for July 1, 2026

The tables below summarize upcoming minimum wage updates by state and local municipalities, including the new minimum wage rate and its effective date. Jump to: State Minimum Wage Changes | Local Minimum Wage Changes State Minimum Wage Changes Back to top Local Minimum Wage...

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FTC Fines Are Not a Remediation Plan: Why Dealers Need a Defensible Safeguards Program

Key Takeaways FTC fines, State AG settlements, class actions, and cyber insurance claims are not remediation tools, they are consequences. Cyber incidents often trigger regulatory scrutiny, insurance reviews, litigation risk, and reputational damage beyond the immediate operational impact. A defensible Safeguards program requires documented evidence,...

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New Lab Services: VOC and Waste Analysis Compliance

Environmental Compliance Requires Analysis to Be Checked Off Your List Environmental compliance programs cannot be built on assumptions. Whether it’s hazardous waste classification or respiratory protection, regulators expect facilities to validate compliance through documented, site-specific testing — not industry folklore or outdated historical results. KPA is announcing two new products: Volatile Organic Compound...

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Good Intentions Aren’t a Shield: 6 Ways Auto Dealers Can Help Prevent FTC Audits

KEY TAKEAWAYS Compliance is judged by outcomes, not effort. Good intentions or “trying your best” don’t matter to customers or regulators. What counts is whether your dealership is actually compliant in practice. Proactive systems beat reactive fixes. Dealerships need structured, evolving compliance programs. Waiting for...

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Thermometer Sun high Degres. Hot summer day. High Summer temperatures

OSHA Updates Indoor/Outdoor Heat Illness Prevention National Emphasis Program: What You Need to Know

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) renewed its National Emphasis Program (NEP) for Heat Illness Prevention. It’s effective immediately as of April 10, 2026; there’s no grace period! OSHA regional and area offices are already authorized to conduct these targeted NEP inspections. The...

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California Dealers: Wondering if the “Battery-Embedded Product” Recycling Fee Applies to You?

From a popular Reddit thread to the substantiated Mercatus Center’s “Snapshots of State Regulations” report, California is the most regulated state in the U.S., with 420,000 regulations and counting. (New York comes in second at 300,000, and Idaho is the least litigious with only 31,000...

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Tax-Free Overtime: Are you Recording it Properly?

What does “Tax-Free Overtime” really mean? The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) created a tax credit with a limit of up to $12,500 for an individual and $25,000 for a married couple filing jointly for “qualified overtime pay.” Who is eligible for the OBBBA...

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Industry oil barrels or chemical drums, tank.container of barrels of hydrocarbons, oil, chemical reagents.hazardous waste concept.

What’s in Your Dumpster? The Hidden Compliance Risk at Your Dealership

Every day, materials leave your dealership. Used absorbents. Sludge from floor drains. Sanding dust. Paint booth filters. Spent solvents. Aerosol cans. They go into a drum, a tote, or a dumpster — and operations move on. But here’s the uncomfortable question: Do you know, with...

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