July 2, 2021 - The Uniform Law Commission (ULC) will convene in person for its 130th Annual Meeting in Madison, Wisconsin, from July 9-15, 2021. The ULC is a national law group comprising members from every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It drafts model and uniform state laws in areas in which national uniformity is desirable and practical.
"After a 2020 virtual annual meeting, and a year of remote meetings, uniform law commissioners are looking forward to safely gathering in Madison for the ULC's 130th annual meeting," said ULC President Carl Lisman. "This will mark the fifth time in its 130-year history that the Uniform Law Commission has met in the great state of Wisconsin, and the first time since 1990. The Wisconsin uniform law commissioners have been working hard to prepare for this meeting and are looking forward to welcoming their fellow commissioners from all over the country."
Drafts which will be debated at the meeting are posted online here. The 2021 Annual Meeting is a hybrid meeting, and commissioners will be able to participate in person or virtually. All CDC health recommendations will be observed throughout the meeting. Seven new uniform or model acts are scheduled for completion at this summer's annual meeting:
Uniform College Student Athlete Name, Image, or Likeness Act - Recently there has been a wave of state legislation permitting college athletes to receive compensation for the use of their name, image, or likeness (NIL). Until recently, college student athletes have not been allowed to receive compensation for the use of their NIL while still maintaining eligibility. The Uniform College Student Athlete Name, Image, or Likeness Act allows college student athletes to earn compensation for the use of their NIL while also providing reasonable protections to educational institutions, athletic associations, and conferences. This act will provide a clear and uniform framework for states to enact that allows college student athletes to earn compensation for the use of their NIL while maintaining a level playing field across state lines.
Uniform Personal Data Protection Act - In an increasingly online world, the concept of privacy must be broadened to protect an individual's privacy both online and offline. The Uniform Personal Data Protection Act addresses the collection and use of personal data, including the storage, security, and use of the personal data of others. This act recognizes that the collection and use of personal data are important features of our modern economy but raise significant issues of privacy and control. This act outlines compatible, incompatible, and prohibited data practices and provides an enforcement mechanism to ensure compliance with the act.
Uniform Covenants Not to Compete Act - This proposed uniform act addresses covenants not to compete, including topics such as the extent to which noncompetes are enforceable against low-wage workers, notice and other procedural requirements, enforceability standards, choice of law issues, and remedies.
Uniform Cohabitants' Economic Remedies Act - The rate of nonmarital cohabitation within the U.S. is increasing, but states have no consistent approach to addressing how economic rights are affected when cohabitants break up or when one cohabitant dies; courts handle cases on a case-by-case basis. This proposed uniform act addresses the economic rights of unmarried cohabitants.
Uniform Community Property Disposition at Death Act - Community property acquired by a married couple retains its character as community property even when the couple relocates to reside in a non-community property state. This creates potential estate planning opportunities. However, the probate court in a non-community property state may not recognize the status of community property in a decedent's estate. This act provides clear default rules to ensure the proper disposition of community property in any state. It is recommended for adoption by all non-community property states.
Uniform Unregulated Child Custody Transfer Act - In some cases, parents find that after the birth or adoption of their child they experience considerable difficulty or even inability in caring for or effectively managing the child's behavior, which sometimes leads to families transferring a child to another person outside of the courts and the child welfare system. Without specific regulations directed at these types of unregulated transfers, a transfer of custody might go unnoticed within the child welfare system. This proposed uniform act addresses the transfer of children in these types of cases.
Amendments to the Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act - The Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (UCIOA) governs the formation, management, and termination of any common interest community, including condominiums, planned communities, and real estate cooperatives. The 2021 amendments to UCIOA update the act to incorporate recent legal and technological developments.
The ULC, now in its 130th year, comprises more than 350 practicing lawyers, governmental lawyers, judges, law professors, and lawyer-legislators from every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Commissioners are appointed by their states to draft and promote enactment of uniform laws that are designed to solve problems common to all the states.
After receiving the ULC's seal of approval, a uniform act is officially promulgated for consideration by the states, and legislatures are urged to adopt it. Since its inception in 1892, the ULC has been responsible for more than 200 acts, among them such bulwarks of state statutory law as the Uniform Commercial Code, the Uniform Probate Code, the Uniform Partnership Act, and the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act.
Other drafts which will be debated at the ULC annual meeting, but which are not scheduled for final approval, include the Telehealth Act, the Alcohol Direct-Shipping Compliance Act, the Public Meetings During Emergencies Act, and amendments to the Uniform Commercial Code regarding Emerging Technologies.
The current drafts of all of these acts can be found at the ULC's website at www.uniformlaws.org.
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Uniform Law Commission / 111 N. Wabash Avenue / Chicago, IL 60602 / 312-450-6600 / www.uniformlaws.org
Contact: Katie Robinson, ULC Communications Officer, krobinson@...
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Katie Robinson
Legislative Program Director
Chicago IL
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