Texas Court Blocks FTC Non-Compete Ban

A federal judge in Texas has blocked the Federal Trade Commission's proposed ban on noncompete agreements, which aimed to eliminate these agreements for most American workers. The FTC is considering appealing the decision, though a diverse group of lawmakers may continue to challenge noncompetes independently. Separately, a federal judge in Georgia has issued a preliminary injunction against a Biden administration rule that would grant collective bargaining rights to foreign farm workers under the H-2A visa program, but not to American farm workers. The judge ruled that the Department of Labor exceeded its authority as Congress had not granted such rights to farm workers under the National Labor Relations Act. The rule was challenged by 17 states, led by Kansas, Georgia, and South Carolina, along with agricultural trade groups. The Department of Justice, defending the rule, has yet to comment on the injunction.