Identifying the Most Recent Federal Statute Among ERISA, Workers' Compensation, FLSA, and OSHA

The most recent federal statute among the four is the OSHA COVID‑19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), issued in June 2021 and effective August 2021. It supersedes earlier updates to the other statutes, which were last amended in 2020 (FLSA) and 2022 (ERISA), while workers' compensation statutes are state‑specific and vary in timing.

ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act)

ERISA was originally enacted in 1974. The latest substantive amendment came with the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, which added provisions on fiduciary duties and plan disclosures. Although significant, this 2022 amendment predates the OSHA ETS.

FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act)

The Fair Labor Standards Act, originally passed in 1938, was most recently revised by the Department of Labor's 2020 rule clarifying overtime eligibility for salaried employees. That rule took effect in 2020 and does not surpass the 2021 OSHA update.

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

OSHA's regulatory framework is continuously updated. The standout recent action is the COVID‑19 ETS, which established employer obligations for respiratory protection, ventilation, and record‑keeping during the pandemic. It was finalized in June 2021 and remains the latest federal labor‑related statute.

Workers' Compensation Statutes

Workers' compensation is governed primarily by state law, resulting in a patchwork of enactments. Some states have passed updates as recently as 2023, but because the question references federal statutes, the OSHA ETS remains the newest at the federal level.

Comparative Timeline