Several federal and state laws address service animals in government buildings and public accommodations. I included a brief chapter on the topic in my 2008 animal control law book. Since then, there have been some important revisions to the regulations implementing … Read more

Recently enacted legislation restricts local government authority to adopt ordinances that “regulate standards of care for farm animals.” S.L. 2015-192. This change has implications for existing animal-related ordinances, specifically those related to animal cruelty and exotic animals. Local governments will … Read more

Last month, the North Carolina General Assembly enacted legislation (S.L. 2015-36) amending some of the specific reporting requirements that apply to employees and volunteers at facilities providing services for people who are mentally ill, developmentally disabled, or are substance abusers … Read more

The federal HIPAA regulations apply directly to certain types of entities and individuals, referred to as “covered entities” and “business associates.” These regulations govern standardization of electronic healthcare transactions and identifiers, as well as the privacy and security of health … Read more

It will now be much easier for county social services agencies and law enforcement officials to investigate reports of suspected financial exploitation of disabled adults and older adults. The Administrative Office of the Courts just approved a new form (AOC-SP-630) … Read more

It’s that time of year again. The newly-elected legislators are settling into their offices, committee chairs are being appointed and committees are being assigned, lobbyists are bustling about Jones Street, and policy priorities are beginning to take shape or emerge. … Read more

On August 20, the North Carolina General Assembly adjourned sine die (Joint Res. 2014-8). The term sine die is from the Latin “without day;” this type of resolution means that the legislature did not set a date to return to … Read more

This post is co-authored with Christine Wunsche, the Director of the School of Government’s Legislative Reporting Service. The pace in Raleigh is about to pick up this week as the North Carolina General Assembly returns to town on Wednesday for … Read more

Under state law a local government official or board may determine that a dog is “potentially dangerous.” When that happens, the dog’s owner has a right to appeal the decision. What rules govern these appeals? The statute is a little … Read more

Beginning October 1, 2013, individuals in North Carolina will be able to sign up to purchase private health insurance through the federal “marketplace” or “exchange” established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA or ACA). Some individuals will be … Read more