In today’s news and commentary, the Trump administration proposes expanding fertility care benefits, Connecticut passes employment legislation, and NFL referees ratify a new collective bargaining agreement.

First, the Trump administration announced a proposed rule that would expand employer-offered fertility benefits by extending the same Affordable Care Act exemptions that apply to vision and dental coverage to diagnosing and treating infertility. The DOL rule would place fertility treatments, including IVF, donor eggs, and medications, in the category of “excepted benefits” that don’t have to meet certain ACA requirements, making it easier for employers to offer standalone fertility coverage plans. DOL estimates the rule, if finalized, would roughly double the number of employers offering fertility benefits from around 268,000 to 523,000 and allow approximately 750,000 people to enroll annually. The proposed regulations leave it up to individual employers whether to extend coverage to same-sex couples.

Next, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed a sweeping omnibus employment bill into law that expands pay transparency requirements, broadens restrictions on training repayment agreements, creates new protections for service contract workers, and more. Under the new law, Connecticut joins at least 14 states requiring employers to include pay ranges in job advertisements, a measure aimed at reducing wage gaps for women and workers of color. The law also extends the state’s existing restrictions on “stay or pay” contracts, which require workers to repay training costs if they leave within a certain period, to employers of all sizes. Most of the law’s provisions take effect on October 1, 2026.

Finally, the NFL Referees Association ratified a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement with the NFL on Friday, averting what would have been the first referee work stoppage since 2012. The sides had been negotiating for more than two years but reached a stalemate this winter, prompting the NFL to begin recruiting replacement officials from college football and seek owner approval for rules that would have allowed league staff in New York to assist with in-game officiating—plans which are now moot. Key terms include a formal offseason training program, the creation of a bench of additional referees, and greater league latitude to use performance metrics rather than seniority for postseason assignments. Though full financial terms were not disclosed, the NFL had previously offered average annual raises of around 6.45% for 6 years, while the union sought increases of more than 10% per year.