Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
FDA Warns of Asbestos in Claire Cosmetics; Seeks New Rules on Talc
Mar 6 2019 // The U.S. Food and Drug Administration called on Congress to modernize rules for cosmetics safety on Tuesday after it issued an alert warning consumers not to use three cosmetics products sold by Claire’s Stores Inc....
One of Florida’s Worst Red Tides Finally Clears
Mar 6 2019 // Experts say the red tide that plagued Florida’s coastline for 15 months is one of the five worst toxic algae events in the state’s recorded history. State lawmakers from southwest Florida met with scientists on...
Judge Denies Purdue Pharma’s Request to Dismiss Tennessee Opioid Suit
Mar 6 2019 // A lawsuit claiming Purdue Pharma engaged in deceptive marketing to increase opioid prescriptions, resulting in an epidemic, has the go-ahead from a Knox County judge. The lawsuit brought by the state of Tennessee claims...
Industry Eyes Renewal of U.S. Terror Reinsurance and Alternatives Should Congress Fail
Mar 5 2019 // U.S. insurers are pushing for the extension of a federal terrorism risk insurance program, hoping to fend off a possible gap that would leave their clients scrambling for alternate coverage. The program, which expires at...
Supreme Court Rules Railroad’s Payments to Injured Workers for Lost Wages Are Taxable
Mar 4 2019 // The Supreme Court has ruled that payments to injured employees for lost wages by a railway company are taxable under the Railroad Retirement Tax Act (RRTA). The opinion in BNSF Railway Co. vs. Loos by Justice Ruth Bader...
Drilling Rules in Colorado Would Undergo Major Shift Under Bill
Mar 4 2019 // Legislation being drafted in Colorado would prioritize health and safety over fostering oil and gas development, Governor Jared Polis and top state lawmakers said. The bill, yet to be introduced, would represent a major...
Groundwater Near Most Coal Plants Polluted by Coal Ash: Environmental Groups
Mar 4 2019 // More than 90 percent of U.S. coal-fired power plants that are required to monitor groundwater near their coal ash dumps show unsafe levels of toxic metals, according to a study released on Monday by environmental groups,...
North Dakota Insurance Department Appeals Court Ruling on Air Ambulance Balance Bills
Mar 4 2019 // The North Dakota Insurance Department has appealed a ruling from a U.S. District Court invalidating a law protecting individuals with health insurance from receiving large and unexpected balance bills to the 8th Circuit...
Nevada Lawmakers Raise Concerns Over Speed Camera Bill
Mar 4 2019 // Nevada lawmakers have expressed concern over legislation that would give governments the ability to install red light and speed cameras to capture traffic violations. Senate Majority Leader Kelvin Atkinson raised concerns...
MGA Coalition Covers Firms with Cyber Exposure Under EU’s Data Privacy Law
Mar 4 2019 // Coalition, the San Francisco-based managing general agency that specializes in cyber insurance for small and mid-sized businesses, announced it is broadening coverage to include exposures to violations of the European...
Mayor Establishes D.C. Financial Services Regulatory Sandbox, Innovation Council
Mar 4 2019 // District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser recently established the District of Columbia Financial Services Regulatory Sandbox and Innovation Council. The council is charged with studying and reporting on the feasibility of...
South Carolina Medical Marijuana Bill Stalls in State Senate
Mar 1 2019 // A South Carolina senator says a bill aiming to legalize the medicinal use of marijuana will not move forward until lawmakers address concerns of stakeholders. Members of the Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee met...
Democrats Propose Ban on Mandatory Arbitration in Employment, Consumer Contracts
Mar 1 2019 // Six Google employees on Thursday joined U.S. lawmakers to support bills that would ban mandatory arbitration in employment and consumer contracts, as the workers seek to build on recent success in getting the Alphabet Inc...
Lawmakers Cite Own Experiences in Grilling Drug Executives on Prices
Mar 1 2019 // Channeling the ire of constituents and drawing from personal experience, senators chastised drug company executives Tuesday over the high cost of prescription medications, while the CEOs warned that government price...
UK Insurers, Banks to Get Regulatory Transition Period in Event of Hard Brexit
Mar 1 2019 // British regulators will give banks, asset managers, insurers and brokers until mid-2020 to fully comply with rules that replace European Union law in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The Bank of England and Britain’s...
Brazil Senate Passes Dam Safety Bill After Vale Disaster; Insurance Provision Eyed
Feb 28 2019 // Brazilian Senate committees on Wednesday passed a bill to tighten dam safety in the country, after a mining dam owned by Vale SA burst and killed an estimated 300 people in the town of Brumadinho. The legislation, which...
Will 7th Time Be the Charm? Industry Makes Big Push for AOB Reform in 2019
Feb 28 2019 // The push for assignment of benefits (AOB) reform in the 2019 Florida legislative session is in full swing, and the insurance industry and consumer advocates have pulled out all the stops to emphasize their contention that...
Court Rules that Victims of Colorado Planned Parenthood Shooting Can Sue
Feb 27 2019 // A Colorado appeals court has ruled that victims of the 2015 shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs can sue the nonprofit organization over what they argue was lax security. The Gazette reports that the...
Supreme Court Sets Aside Pay Equity Ruling Decided by Dead Judge’s Vote
Feb 27 2019 // The U.S. Supreme Court said judges “are appointed for life, not for eternity,” in setting aside a pay-discrimination ruling written by a jurist who died a week and a half before the decision was issued. The...
Sometimes I Disagree with the Blogs I Love
Feb 27 2019 // I’m a fan of insurance news and bloggers. Here are some sites and blogs that I read daily (or weekly, depending on frequency). Insurance Journal – Of course. I was an IJ fan way before I became so closely related...
