Legislation + Regulation

  I was recently struck by a pair of articles in Home News Now, about the reduction in furniture imports and exports in 2025 versus 2024. The reductions suggest tariffs are reducing trade flows on both sides of the furniture market: imports fell almost three times more than exports (on a percentage basis), narrowing the [...]

  A large number of states either have passed or are considering mandatory battery recycling laws, known as “extended producer responsibility,” or EPR laws for batteries. These laws can impact lighting manufacturers that include handheld remote controls or potentially stand alone smart control components containing batteries. By 2027, more than 61 million Americans will live [...]

  In February 2026, the Oregon Building Codes Division’s Residential and Manufactured Structures Board (RMSB) approved updates for the 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code (ORSC). While the headline changes focus on high-efficiency heat pumps, several lighting efficiency and control updates are included in the new standards to align with current LED technology and regional climate goals. These updates [...]

  The EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) will indirectly but materially raise the security bar for IoT products sold in North America, because global manufacturers will tend to converge on CRA‑compliant designs and lifecycle practices rather than maintain separate security baselines for different regions. Why CRA matters outside Europe The CRA applies to any “product [...]

  Maine’s LD 1934, titled “An Act to Promote Responsible Outdoor Lighting,” enacted in January 2026, establishes strict, comprehensive regulations to reduce light pollution from new or replaced public outdoor lighting, both residential and commercial. The law mandates specific lighting standards, including a 0.1 lux limit on light trespass into wilderness areas and a required [...]

  LightNOW has recently reported on the new Maine Dark Sky Law enacted in January, as well as a new proposed Hawaiian Dark Sky bill. Both set restrictive / aggressive requirements at night, for both residential and commercial outdoor lighting. The American Lighting Association is tracking more than a dozen Dark Sky state bills across [...]

  A strict new statewide light pollution bill has been introduced in the Hawaii State House, HB 1579. This latest proposed dark sky state legislation aims to protect human health, astronomy, and native wildlife, such as sea turtles and seabirds, that are disoriented by bright coastal lighting. Context HB 1579 would apply statewide to outdoor [...]

  The 2025 NYC Energy Conservation Code (NYCECC) tightens lighting efficiency and control requirements, aligns more closely with the latest NY state energy code, and retains or strengthens prior NYC‑specific lighting provisions. NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) is expected to begin enforcing the new code on March 30, 2026 when updated compliance software is fully available. Filings [...]

  Big picture The Department of Labor’s rule (effective March 11, 2024) replaced the 2021 Trump-1.0‑era independent contractor rule and restored a broader, six‑factor “economic realities” test to decide whether a worker is an employee or a genuine independent business under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The rule makes it generally harder to classify [...]