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Louisiana Data Privacy Act Becomes Law: SB 386 Signed as Act 502
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed SB 386 as Act 502 on May 29, 2026, enacting the Louisiana Data Privacy Act (R.S. 51:1780.1 et seq.), effective Jan. 1, 2027.
Louisiana HB 410: Recording-Notice Bill Heads to the Governor (2026)
Louisiana passed HB 410 on June 1, 2026, requiring notice before recording in-person conversations. The bill targets smart glasses and AI transcription and awaits Gov. Landry.
Louisiana HB 475: Disclosure Required Before AI-Recorded Medical Visits
Louisiana HB 475 (2026) passed the Legislature and awaits Gov. Landry's signature as of June 3, 2026. It would require providers to disclose AI-transcribed recording of medical visits.
Louisiana's Jody's Law Takes Effect August 1, Changing Bail and Adding Hit-and-Run Alerts
Louisiana's Jody's Law (Act 86, HB 806) took effect August 1, 2026, ending fixed bail schedules for hit-and-run suspects, ordering a rapid alert protocol, and raising penalties under La. R.S. 14:100.
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Madison Square Garden Faces Class Actions Over a Facial-Recognition Data Breach (2026)
Proposed class actions hit Madison Square Garden in June 2026 over an alleged facial-recognition data breach. The negligence claims are unproven. What the law says.
Madison Square Garden Sues Wired for Defamation Over Alleged Celebrity Risk List
MSG sued Wired for defamation on July 16, 2026 in New York court over a celebrity risk-list article. Nothing decided yet; here's what the lawsuit alleges.
Maine Court Rejects Strict Scrutiny in Religious Custody Ruling
Maine's Law Court held in Bickford v. Bradeen, 2026 ME 94, that the best interest standard, not strict scrutiny, governs religious custody calls.
Maine Health Care Noncompete Law: L.D. 2200 Takes Effect July 29
Maine's L.D. 2200 took effect July 29, 2026, restricting noncompete agreements against Maine health care practitioners unless they hold ownership interest and patient choice is preserved.
Maine's Employer Surveillance Law Takes Effect July 14: Notice Rules for Call Recording, GPS, and Cameras
Maine's L.D. 61 (26 M.R.S. Section 620-A) takes effect July 14, 2026, requiring employers to disclose call recording, GPS tracking, and camera monitoring.
Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act Takes Effect October 1, 2026
Maryland's Fair Chance Housing Act (SB 937, Chapter 752) took effect October 1, 2026: conditional offer first, written withdrawal reasons, $500 per violation.
Maryland Opens Expungement to 'No Finding' Dispositions Under Chapter 465
Maryland Chapter 465 took effect October 1, 2026, opening CP 10-110 expungement to no finding and terminated without finding case dispositions.
Maryland Rent Payment Credit Reporting Law Took Effect October 1, 2026
Maryland Ch. 772 and Ch. 773 took effect Oct. 1, 2026: landlords owning six or more units must offer tenants positive rent reporting, fee capped at $10 a month.
Maryland's High Court Upholds Child Victims Act, Reviving Decades-Old Abuse Claims
Maryland's Supreme Court upheld the Child Victims Act of 2023 in a 4-3 ruling, holding lawmakers could revive previously time-barred child sexual abuse claims.
Massachusetts Court Upholds Police Bodycam Under the Wiretap Law (2026)
The Massachusetts SJC ruled June 2, 2026 that police body-camera footage from a sobriety checkpoint was not a secret recording under the state wiretap law.
Massachusetts High Court Strikes Rent-Control Question From the 2026 Ballot
The Massachusetts SJC unanimously disqualified the 2026 rent-control ballot question in Cella v. Attorney General because it exempted religious properties, an excluded matter under art. 48. The 1994 rent-control ban stays in force.
Meta Ordered to Pay New Mexico $25 Billion in Consumer Deception Case
A New Mexico judge entered a $219.5 billion Unfair Practices Act penalty against Meta on October 21, 2026 and reduced it to $25 billion. What the order says.
Meta Reaches Deal With State AGs Over Teen Safety, Up to $17.1B
Meta agreed to pay state attorneys general at least $12.1 billion, rising to $17.1 billion, over Instagram and Facebook's design for minors. Verified against official AG releases.
Meta Smart Glasses Privacy Scandal: Class Action, Recording Laws, and What Users Need to Know
Class action alleges Meta shipped intimate Ray-Ban smart glasses footage to Kenya contractors for AI training. What federal and state recording laws say about it.
Michigan Bars Large Investors From Buying More Single-Family Homes (HB 6074)
Michigan's new Public Act 32 of 2026 (HB 6074), signed July 21, bars large institutional investors that control 100+ single-family homes from buying more, with civil fines up to $25,000 per home.
Michigan's Uniform Power of Attorney Act Is Now Law, Forcing Banks to Honor Valid POAs or Pay
Michigan's Uniform Power of Attorney Act, Public Act 187 of 2023, took effect July 1, 2024, setting agent duties and letting courts order a bank to accept a valid POA.
Middlesex Jury Awards $56 Million After Amazon Driver Fell Asleep and Hit Newburyport Man
A Middlesex Superior Court jury awarded $56 million to Malcolm Carnwath after Amazon Logistics stipulated to liability for a drowsy-driving crash in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Miller v. Collins: Federal Circuit Narrows VA Effective-Date Path
Fed. Circuit affirmed Aug. 21, 2026: VA's 2006 records rule turns on when records surface, not the original claim date. Miller v. Collins explained.
Minnesota Eviction Law Changes Take Effect August 1, 2026 Under HF 3809
Two Minnesota eviction law changes took effect August 1, 2026 under HF 3809: expedited hearings for landlord assault and a ban on naming minors as eviction defendants.
Minnesota Raises Workers' Comp Permanent Partial Disability Pay
Minnesota's permanent partial disability schedule rose about 20% today under 2026 Session Laws ch. 103, but only for dates of injury on or after Oct. 1, 2026.
Minnesota Supreme Court Rules Public Employers Keep CORA Discretion
The Minnesota Supreme Court held September 2, 2026 that public employers keep discretion over rehabilitation evidence under Minn. Stat. 364.03, subd. 3.
Mississippi's 50/50 Joint Custody Law (HB 1662) Takes Effect July 1, 2026
Mississippi HB 1662, signed April 8, 2026, takes effect July 1, 2026, creating a rebuttable presumption of equal joint custody. What it changes for parents.
Missouri Anti-SLAPP Law (UPEPA) Takes Effect, Replaces 2004 Statute
Missouri's anti-SLAPP law changed August 28, 2026: RSMo 537.528 is repealed and RSMo 537.529, the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act, takes its place.
Missouri Enacts Automatic 'Clean Slate' Expungement for Drug Offenses Under SB 1421
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed SB 1421 on July 8, 2026, creating an automatic expungement system for eligible drug convictions. Here's how it works.
Missouri Ends Child Marriage at 18, Closing a Long-Standing Path to Emancipation
Missouri's HB 737 raised the marriage age to 18 with no exceptions, effective Aug. 28, 2025, removing marriage as a route to emancipation for minors.
Missouri Pregnancy-Divorce Law Change Takes Effect August 28, 2026
Missouri's amended divorce statute, letting courts finalize a divorce during pregnancy, takes effect August 28, 2026, under RSMo 452.305 (HB 1908).
Missouri's Bentley and Mason's Law: Drunk Drivers Who Kill a Parent Must Now Pay Child Support
Missouri's HB1740, signed July 9, 2026, requires drunk drivers convicted of killing a parent to pay child support. Effective August 28, 2026. What it requires.
Montana Court: Public Record Alone Doesn't Start the Fraud Clock
Montana's Supreme Court reversed summary judgment in a Big Sky estate and LLC dispute, holding a public filing alone does not fix when a fraud claim accrued.
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Nebraska WARN Act (LB 921) Takes Effect: 90-Day Layoff Notice Now Required
Nebraska's LB 921 mini-WARN Act took effect July 18, 2026, requiring 100+-employee employers to give 90 days' layoff notice, 30 more than federal WARN's 60 days.
New Hampshire Expands Domestic Violence Law, Adds Sexual Assault Protective Order (2026)
New Hampshire expanded its domestic violence law and created a new sexual assault protective order on July 13, 2026. Here is what HB 1576 and HB 1651 change.
New Jersey Court: Anti-SLAPP Law Shields a Law Firm's Blog Post
A published New Jersey ruling holds that a law firm's website post about a case it filed is protected under the state's UPEPA anti-SLAPP law, not commercial speech.
New Jersey Enacts a Sweeping New Data Broker Law (A5328), Banning Sensitive-Data Sales
NJ Gov. Sherrill signed A5328 on June 30, 2026, banning sensitive-data sales and creating a data-broker registry with fees up to $1.5 million and $50,000 per-record penalties.
New Jersey FAIR Act Bans Algorithmic Rent-Setting Software
Gov. Sherrill signed New Jersey's FAIR Act (A3497) on July 20, 2026, banning landlords from sharing rent data or using pricing algorithms to coordinate rents. Effective July 2027.
New Jersey Supreme Court Orders Release of Police Body Camera Footage Under OPRA in Fuster v. Township of Chatham
New Jersey's Supreme Court ruled in Fuster v. Chatham that body camera footage is not a criminal investigatory record, ordering its release under OPRA.
New Jersey's First-in-the-Nation E-Bike Insurance Law Takes Effect July 19
New Jersey's e-bike law hit its July 19, 2026 compliance deadline: e-bikes must be registered, riders licensed, and motorized bicycles insured, a first-in-the-nation e-bike insurance mandate.
New York Bans Smart Glasses From Every State Courthouse
New York's court system banned camera and microphone smart glasses from all 1,240-plus state courthouses, effective July 20, 2026. What the rule covers.
New York Biometric Bill (S2539) Clears Senate, Heads to Assembly
New York's S2539 biometric bill passed the Senate 55-5 on May 12, 2026, and would require stores to post biometric scanning warning signs. As of June 3, 2026 it is not yet law.
New York Opens Workers' Compensation to All Workers for Mental Injury From Extraordinary Job Stress
A 2024 New York law, refined by a 2025 amendment, lets any worker, not just first responders, claim workers' comp for mental injury from extraordinary job stress.
New York Settles Dollar General Overcharging Case for $1.875 Million in Goods
New York announced a Dollar General settlement on October 15, 2026 over prices that rang up above shelf tags. State law, and why there is no claim form.
New York's Clean Slate Act Takes Effect: Millions of Old Convictions Now Seal Automatically
New York's Clean Slate Act took effect Nov. 16, 2024, auto-sealing eligible misdemeanors after 3 years, felonies after 8. What it means for background checks.
New York's Synthetic Performer AI Ad Law Takes Effect (2026)
New York's synthetic performer law took effect June 9, 2026: advertisers must disclose AI-generated humans in ads. What it requires, penalties, exemptions.
Newsom Vetoes AB 1542 as California CCPA Deletion Bills Advance
Newsom vetoed AB 1542 on September 27, 2026, rejecting a CCPA ban on selling sensitive personal information, while AB 883 tightens data broker deletion.
Newsom Vetoes Two California HOA Bills: AB 2439, SB 1238
Newsom vetoed California HOA bills AB 2439 and SB 1238 on September 20, 2026. Neither took effect, and the Davis-Stirling Act is unchanged.
Newsom's AI Order Seeks Kill-Switch Study, Not a Mandate
Executive Order N-9-26 (Sept. 18, 2026) orders AI kill-switch recommendations by Nov. 16, 2026. It does not mandate one. Deadlines, quotes, and analysis inside.
Ninth Circuit Affirms Classmates.com Yearbook Class Certification
The Ninth Circuit affirmed class certification on September 24, 2026 in Nolen v. PeopleConnect over Classmates.com yearbook names. No liability finding yet.
Ninth Circuit Finds Standing to Sue Over Health Data Disclosure
On October 9, 2026 the Ninth Circuit held in Black v. IEC Group, No. 25-5952, that plan members whose entrusted health data was disclosed have standing to sue, not that they win.
Ninth Circuit Strikes Idaho Delay on New Court Complaints
The Ninth Circuit held on September 3, 2026 that Idaho's policy of withholding newly e-filed civil complaints until a clerk processes them is unconstitutional.
Ninth Circuit: Section 230 Is a Defense, Not Immunity From Suit
The Ninth Circuit ruled on August 10, 2026 that Section 230 is a defense to liability, not immunity from suit, so it cannot block an immediate appeal and the social media addiction lawsuits proceed.
NJ Supreme Court Sets Facial-Recognition Discovery Floor
The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled June 24, 2026 that defendants must receive FRT software name, error rates, probe photo, and candidate matches in discovery.
NO FAKES Act Advances Out of Senate Committee: Federal AI Voice and Likeness Right Explained (2026)
The NO FAKES Act (S.4591) advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 18, 2026. It is not yet law. Here is what the federal AI voice and likeness bill would do.
North Carolina Makes Ski-Slope Hit-and-Run a Crime Under the New Winter Sports Safety Act (SB 648)
North Carolina's Winter Sports Safety Act (SB 648), signed in July 2026 and effective October 1, makes leaving the scene of a ski-slope collision a Class 1 misdemeanor.
NY Appeals Court Tosses Google Review Defamation Suit, Awards Fees
On October 7, 2026 New York's Second Department dismissed a lawyer's Google review defamation suit seeking at least $500,000 as pure opinion and granted the reviewer anti-SLAPP fees.
NYC Finalizes Click-to-Cancel Rule, Proposes All-In Pricing Rule for Junk Fees
New York City finalized a Click-to-Cancel rule effective October 1, 2026, the first US city to do so, while a separate all-in pricing rule on junk fees remains proposed, with an August 7, 2026 hearing.
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Ohio Anti-SLAPP Denial Affirmed in Facebook Defamation Case
Ohio's Fifth District affirmed the denial of an anti-SLAPP motion on September 21, 2026, letting a horse farm's defamation claim over a Facebook post proceed.
Ohio Anti-SLAPP Dismissal Reversed Over a Cancelled UPEPA Hearing
Ohio's Eighth District reversed a UPEPA anti-SLAPP dismissal on October 1, 2026 because the trial court cancelled the hearing R.C. 2747.04(A)(1) requires.
Ohio Appeals Court Reverses HOA Rental Restriction Ruling Against Six Lot Owners Over Missing Deeds
Ohio's Twelfth District affirmed part and reversed part of an HOA rental-restriction win in Alum Cliff Industries v. Hickory Woods, 2026-Ohio-2756, over deeds missing from the record.