Legislation + Regulation

  The states that currently have EPR (extended producer responsibility) laws that cover packaging, including plastic packaging, are Maine, Oregon, California, Colorado, Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington. These laws place responsibility on producers for the end-of-life management of packaging, including plastic packaging, often requiring registration with a producer responsibility organization (PRO), reporting, and payment of fees [...]

  Fluorescent lamp bans have been passed in ten US states, and four of those states have effective dates of January 1st, 2026, for at least one category of fluorescent lamps. The four states are Hawaii, Maine, Minnesota, and Illinois. The fluorescent lamp categories banned on January 1 vary by state. The following table shows [...]

  China’s tightening of rare earth export controls, this month, has intensified global supply chain concerns with specific repercussions for the lighting industry. Beijing’s Ministry of Commerce expanded its rare earth export list, adding five new elements for a total of twelve. The new regulations extend beyond raw materials, also covering refining technologies, equipment, and [...]

  A new emergency rule issued by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, aimed at improving roadway safety by restricting eligibility for non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and commercial learner’s permits. This action follows a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) audit revealing that several states, notably California, issued CDLs to drivers who were ineligible [...]

  Mexico is undergoing one of the most significant overhauls of its telecommunications regulatory framework in decades. The recently enacted EMI Laws and reforms to the Federal Law on Telecommunications and Broadcasting are transforming how the industry is governed, streamlining oversight, and introducing new compliance standards for operators and digital services across the country. At [...]

  The U.S. Department of Commerce has implemented a major expansion of Section 232 tariffs, raising the duty rate to 50% on a broad spectrum of steel and aluminum products, including both raw materials and a newly created category of “derivative” goods. This action significantly increases the coverage of tariffs, now affecting 407 product categories [...]

  The American Lighting Association (ALA) put out a great tariff update, last week. Republished with the permission of ALA: Pause on China Tariffs Extended for 90 Days This week, President Trump signed an Executive Order extending the ongoing tariff truce with China by 90 days, pushing the new expiration date to November 10, 2025. Before [...]

The House Appropriations Committee recently approved the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, a critical legislative measure that sets federal spending priorities for agencies like the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This bill attempts to save the popular ENERGY STAR program within the EPA—an initiative long [...]

The Trump administration has created sweeping changes and accelerated phase-outs to energy efficiency and clean energy tax credits through the new One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Key implications of the OBBBA are: Accelerated Sunset of Major Credits: The OBBBA rapidly ends or shortens the lifespan of most major tax credits related to residential and [...]