On September 29, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed into law SB 53, the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act (“TFAIA”), establishing public safety regulations for developers of “frontier models,” or large foundation AI models trained using massive amounts of computing power. TFAIA is the first frontier model safety legislation in the country to become... Continue Reading…| Global Policy Watch
The California Civil Rights Council and the California Privacy Protection Agency have recently passed regulations that impose requirements on employers who use “automated-decision systems” or “automated decisionmaking technology,” respectively, in employment decisions or certain HR processes. On the legislative side, the California Legislature passed SB 7, which would impose additional obligations on employers who use these... Continue Reading…| Global Policy Watch
On September 19, 2025, the IRS published proposed regulations to implement and provide guidance regarding new Section 224, enacted as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21). The proposed regulations define qualifying payment methods, jobs that customarily receive tips, and exclusions from the deduction. Section 224 would allow single filers who earn up to... Continue Reading…| Global Policy Watch
The Trump Administration is considering multiple proposals to raise revenue from patent holders, including direct assessments on patent holders, changes to the existing patent fee schedule, and potentially a new mechanism for sharing profits from university-owned patents obtained through federal research funds. Patent Tax First, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is reportedly considering assessing a charge... Continue Reading…| Global Policy Watch
Germany has taken another step to improve the conditions for pharmaceutical research & development in Germany. Now, the Federal Government has adopted the “Standard Contractual Clauses” for pharmaceutical clinical trial agreements. In this blog, we discuss what the new standard clauses cover and how they will affect clinical trials in Germany. I. Background In... Continue Reading…| Global Policy Watch
The war in Ukraine, and other recent geopolitical conflicts, has underscored the need for EU-based defence capabilities to scale up to face these challenges. Several EU initiatives which have sought to stimulate investment are starting to bear fruit, as the European Defence Agency recently reported record high defence spendings in the EU (€350bn for 2024, a 19% increase... Continue Reading…| Global Policy Watch
Ahead of the July 2026 “joint review” of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”), the United States, Mexico, and Canada have each launched public consultation processes to solicit input from stakeholders on the operation of the USMCA, and possible changes those governments should seek to the Agreement as part of the review. In the United States, the Office... Continue Reading…| Global Policy Watch
On September 16, 2025, the European Commission launched a call for evidence to collect feedback and best practices on simplifying several key areas of the EU digital rulebook, ahead of its planned Digital Omnibus package. This initiative targets legislation related to data, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, aiming to reduce administrative burdens and compliance costs for... Continue Reading…| Global Policy Watch
On September 16, 2025, Judge Trevor McFadden of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed Dr. Ralph de la Torre’s effort to bar criminal or civil enforcement of the Senate’s resolutions holding him in civil and criminal contempt of Congress. In bringing his pre-enforcement challenge, Dr. de la Torre alleged that any... Continue Reading…| Global Policy Watch
In this increasingly growing digital landscape, companies are entrusted with vast amounts of sensitive personal information. From names and email| Global Policy Watch
On August 29, the Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) issued an enforcement report and press release covering its first year of enforcement of the Oregon| Global Policy Watch
Last month, the D.C. Circuit in In re: Sealed Case, 2025 WL 2013687 (D.C. Cir. July 18, 2025) invalidated a non-disclosure order (“NDO”) that applied to| Global Policy Watch
We have reached the six-month anniversary of President Trump’s landmark executive order that extended the regulatory review process run by the White| Global Policy Watch
In a recently announced settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), Illumina, Inc. (“Illumina”) agreed to pay $9.8 million to| Global Policy Watch
On August 6, President Trump issued an Executive Order (“EO”) (“Addressing Threats to the United States by the Government of the Russian Federation”)| Global Policy Watch
Earlier today, FDA issued a proposed rule that would extend the compliance date of the Food Traceability Rule by 30 months, i.e., until July 20, 2028. The| Global Policy Watch
On July 27, the United States and the European Union announced a trade framework agreement, following a meeting between President Donald Trump and| Global Policy Watch
On 23 July 2025, the International Court of Justice (the “Court”) issued its highly anticipated advisory opinion on Obligations of States in respect of| Global Policy Watch
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has taken the next major step toward implementing the General Services Administration’s (“GSA”) Revolutionary| Global Policy Watch
On 15 July 2025, the European Commission adopted an adequacy decision for the European Patent Organisation (EPO). This marks the first time such a| Global Policy Watch
Global Policy Watch is a publication providing resources on key public policy developments around the world.| Global Policy Watch
This is part of an ongoing series of Covington blogs on the AI policies, executive orders, and other actions of the Trump Administration. The first| Global Policy Watch