A New Jersey queso fresco manufacturer’s ignored U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warnings culminated in a federal guilty plea after its products were linked to a multistate listeria outbreak that hospitalized at least 13 people and killed one. The case of Abuelito Cheese Inc. illustrates how regulatory noncompliance, left unaddressed, can escalate from civil enforcement into criminal liability under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).
Key point: In response to an open records request submitted by Troutman Pepper Locke, the New Jersey Attorney General’s office provided copies of all cure letters sent pursuant to New Jersey’s consumer data privacy law and resolved by the recipient.
As shown by recent enforcement actions in California, including its most recent $12.5 million fine, the risk for companies that are out of compliance with state consumer data privacy laws has never been higher. As more state laws go into effect and cure periods sunset, the risk will only grow. One state where the enforcement risk may be higher is New Jersey.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has alleged an AI company’s chatbot engaged in the unauthorized practice of medicine. This lawsuit not only signals how state regulators are potentially evaluating AI-driven health interactions, but it could also have sweeping implications for health IT companies and their operational risk.
In this episode of Regulatory Oversight, host Ashley Taylor continues the multipart series on artificial intelligence with colleagues Ghillaine Reid, David Stauss, and Matt Berns for a practical look at how states are actually regulating AI in 2025-26. Framed through a consumer protection lens, the discussion moves beyond theoretical federal proposals to real bills and regulations moving through state legislatures today.
On March 23, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit rejected an effort to preliminarily enjoin Florida’s ban on lab‑grown meat. The Eleventh Circuit held that the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) does not preempt the state law because the outright ban on lab-grown meat does not regulate poultry facilities, operations, or ingredients.
On February 23, the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) issued a proposed new Part 423 to Title 3 of the NYCRR to implement New York Banking Law Article 14‑B for Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) lenders. The proposal would move BNPL firmly into New York’s credit system, imposing licensing, supervision, disclosure, data privacy, and underwriting requirements on both interest‑free and interest‑bearing BNPL products offered to New York consumers. If adopted, the rule would take effect 180 days after the notice of adoption is published in the State Register, with a short transitional period for existing BNPL providers. DFS is accepting pre-proposal comments through March 5, 2026, after which the proposed rule will be published in the New York state register for a formal 60-day comment period.
A recent decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit serves as a stark reminder to companies and individuals in the state-legal cannabis industry that the federal illegality of cannabis can jeopardize their ability to enforce contracts in federal court.
On February 5, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a major change in how the agency will regulate claims about artificial colors in foods.
In this special crossover episode of Regulatory Oversight and The Consumer Finance Podcast, Chris Willis is joined by colleagues Lori Sommerfield and Matthew Berns to discuss New Jersey’s sweeping new disparate impact regulations under the Law Against Discrimination. They break down one of the most comprehensive state-level disparate impact rules in the U.S., the contrasts with traditional federal standards, and implications for enforcement in financial services. The discussion dives into credit scores, underwriting models, AI and automated decision-making tools, and the difference between New Jersey’s approach and the Trump administration’s effort to scale back disparate impact at the federal level, offering practical takeaways for lenders and other covered entities navigating this shifting landscape.
Key point: With a new governor taking office in New Jersey later this month, the fate of rules proposed last year to implement the New Jersey Data Privacy Act (NJDPA) will be decided by the incoming administration.