In August, the Insights Association tussled with more state and federal privacy legislation, laws and regulation; considered the implications of COVID-19-related mandates for employers; analyzed pending changes to the pharmaceutical industry’s restrictions on interactions with doctors; and opposed a potential federal tax on companies operating online. We’re also nearing the finish line in our campaign to fix the California law requiring a minimum wage for research subjects.

This month, the Insights Association is dealing with new state privacy and data security laws, funding for the census, how insights offices can approach reopening as the pandemic ends, and a variety of other policy concerns, while helping to advance a fix to California A.B. 2257 through the state legislature.

This month, the Insights Association is dealing with new privacy legislation in more states, addressing more data tax problems, advocating for additional census funding, and making significant progress in efforts to improve California A.B. 2257.

The insights industry scored important legislative victories in the last month for pharmaceutical MR in Pennsylvania, data security in Utah, and more COVID-19 small business loans and grants at the federal level and in California. At the same time, we’re staring down lots of problematic legislation, including a new comprehensive data privacy law in Virginia and a complex excise tax on data collection in New York. Meanwhile, advocacy continues on issues like: California A.B. 2257; worrisome legislation in Congress that would allow for the unionization of research subjects; limitations on coronavirus-related exposure liability; the census; and restrictions on exit polling.

February may have the fewest days, but this month certainly is not short on legislative activity pertinent to the insights community, including comprehensive privacy bills, data security legislation, new taxes on the industry, liability limitation for COVID-19-related exposure, new leadership to oversee the census, and new rules for determining independent contractor status. Changes are also in the works for California A.B. 2257.

August is normally quiet in Washington, DC, but in keeping with the theme of 2020, this month has been more frenetic. While we beat back new taxes on the insights industry, the Insights Association has had to tangle with the demise of the U.S.-EU Privacy Shield for data transfer, further pandemic relief, some new threats to pharma MR, the finalization of CCPA, and an attempt to rush the 2020 Census that threatens the statistical viability of most marketing research and data analytics in the U.S.

The City Council for Washington, DC voted on July 28, 2020 to reject the proposed three percent tax on the sale of data, as requested by the Insights Association and a large coalition of interested businesses and associations.

The past month has seen significant developments on CCPA, COVID-19, data taxes, small business-crippling legislation in California, immigration work visas, and TCPA. The Insights Association is grateful for your membership and support in combatting these tough issues. Check out what we’re up to!

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act -- the $2 trillion spending law approved on March 27, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 economic crisis -- also changed the handling of net operating losses in federal tax law, which may be of interest to some insights businesses in need of liquidity.

The insights industry, like most others, faces a liquidity problem from the COVID-19 pandemic, so IA wanted to share this overview from an accountant and financial advisor of the new CARES Act provisions for retirement savings accounts that might help some of our members.