Lewis Roca Blog

After much haggling, Congress passed its second major COVID-related relief package on December 21, 2020. The $900 billion package is included in the 5,593-page Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which is expected to be signed by President Trump shortly and will provide funding for the federal government between now and the end of the current fiscal year on September 30, 2021.

On December 16, 2020, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued new guidance to employers that want to require employees to get Covid-19 vaccinations when they become available to most Americans. The guidance also outlines the steps that employers must take before they can exclude unvaccinated employees from their facilities and job sites.

The experimental use exception, part of U.S. patent law for nearly two centuries, is becoming obsolete. Recent court decisions and changes under the America Invents Act (AIA)1 have raised doubts about the continued viability of the doctrine. Additionally, other legal provisions that offer protections similar to those of the experimental use doctrine and reduce the need …