RILA Report 

RILA held its annual Loss Prevention, Audit & Safety (LPAS) Conference in Dallas, Texas April 22-25, 2012. The conference saw record-breaking attendance, forward-thinking session content, dynamic speakers who are experts in their field, unprecedented networking opportunities, high-level engagement and an impressive exhibit hall floor. By all accounts, LPAS 2012 was a tremendous success!

RILA’s General Counsel (GC) Committee held its semi-annual on May 4, 2012. Held in Washington, DC, the day-long meeting was attended by fourteen general counsels from the nation’s leading retailers.

The SEC continues to struggle to issue a final rule on Dodd-Frank Section 1502 regarding the use of conflict minerals. You’ll recall that Section 1502 seeks to reduce the funding of armed conflict in the DRC and adjoining countries. Publicly traded companies are required to report in their annual 10-K filing their due diligence efforts to determine 1) which of their products contains tin, tantalum, tungsten, or gold (3TG), 2) the sources of these minerals used in their products and 3) whether or not they are “conflict free.”

As Panama continues to grow and invest in infrastructure, RILA is keeping a sharp eye on the new opportunities emerging for retailers.

As the 12th negotiating round continued in early May in Dallas, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks progress at a positive rate in several areas. In November 2011, TPP leaders agreed that they would try to substantially finish the talks by July 2012, with tough issues and a legal review to follow in the second half of 2012.

On December 23, 2011, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Treasury Department issued 250 pages of proposed and temporary regulations designed to “clarify” current regulations relating to the deduction and capitalization of expenditures in connection with tangible property.

2012 has turned out to be a promising year in the efforts for eFairness. Hard-fought victories in conservative states like Virginia and Georgia and agreements in both Nevada and Texas helps bring home the message to Congress; the only real solution is a comprehensive federal solution.

Last month, the U.S. Senate held a vote on S.J. Res 36, a resolution of disapproval on the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) rulemaking on ambush elections. The vote was mainly along party lines, failing to pass by a count of 45-54.

In a case brought by the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, of which RILA is a member, the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the National Labor Relations Board's ambush elections rule is "invalid."

Following the April 16 filing of the is the petitioner's brief and appendix for the Kindred Nursing Centers case (formerly known as Specialty Healthcare) case, RILA filed an amicus brief.

Beginning in 2014, large employers (50 or more full-time equivalents) are required to offer coverage to their full-time employees that is affordable and of a minimum value or pay tax penalties for those employees who receive tax credits/subsidies for Exchange coverage.

In April, RILA filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to a Request for Comment on opt-out confirmation text messages. RILA’s comments supported a petition filed by SoundBite Communications with the FCC requesting a declaratory ruling that sending a one-time text message confirming a consumer’s opt-out request for no further text messages is not a violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).

This September, PetSmart’s Robert Moran will headline the 2012 Retail Sustainability Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. The annual Retail Sustainability Conference is recognized as the educational and networking event for retail executives to share and learn the trends, innovations, challenges, and solutions that sustainability offers their departments.

RILA’s Retail Sustainability Initiative (RSI) and State Government Relations Committee recently kicked-off two new agenda items for 2012, namely extended producer responsibility (EPR) and single-use bags.

June 2012 - Thank you for taking a moment to read the RILA Report. As it does every quarter, this issue includes important updates on a number of legislative and operational activities RILA has underway aimed at addressing the challenges and opportunities before the retail industry.

March 2012 - Thank you for taking a moment to check out the RILA Report. This quarter’s newsletter includes important updates on a variety of legislative and operational efforts undertaken by RILA in support of our members.

May 2011 - Despite my more than 20 years in retail, I remain in awe of just how dynamic and resilient our industry is. Whether the challenges are economic or regulatory, natural or man-made, the industry adapts quickly and turns challenges into opportunities.

January 2011 - The new year is well underway, and with it comes a hope that some of the biggest challenges we've faced in recent years are now behind us.

October 2010 - As we head into the final months of 2010, we do so with reason for optimisim.

July 2010 - With mid-term elections rapidly approaching and partisanship spiking, the policymaking environment is volatile and stagnant at the same time, and full of uncertainty.