Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
In Reversal, Flood Insurance Program Resumes Normal Operations During Shutdown
Dec 28 2018 // Last Friday evening, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) will resume the normal sale of new insurance policies and the renewal of expiring...
Death in the Oilfields: Boom Brings Mounting Risk of Death, Injuries
Dec 28 2018 // Parker Waldridge had worked in the Oklahoma oilfields since he was 16 and acquired the traits that make a good driller: fortitude, intellect and a healthy respect for the power of a runaway gas well. And so, when...
Delaware Judge Says Fired Medical Marijuana User Can Pursue Lawsuit
Dec 28 2018 // A Delaware judge has ruled that a medical marijuana user fired from his factory job after failing a drug test can pursue a lawsuit against his former employer. Jeremiah Chance was fired in 2016 from his job as a yard...
Obstacles to May’s Brexit Deal Can Be Overcome with EU Clarification: UK Minister
Dec 28 2018 // Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal can be passed by the British parliament if the European Union provides clarification that the Northern Irish “backstop” will be temporary, foreign minister Jeremy...
McCarty Elected Chair of FAIR Board; Hartford Exec Larkin-Thorne to Co-Chair
Dec 28 2018 // The Florida Association for Insurance Reform (FAIR), a non-partisan insurance consumer advocacy association, has elected former Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty as the chair of its Board of Directors and Sonja...
Judge: Alabama Sheriff Not Immune from Blogger Lawsuit
Dec 27 2018 // A federal judge says a blogger can sue an Alabama sheriff for allegedly trying to silence her criticism of the officer. The Decatur Daily reports that U.S. District Judge Madeline Haikala ruled that Morgan County Sheriff...
Louisiana Governor: Tariffs Stifling State’s Ag, Petrochemical Industries
Dec 27 2018 // Even as he touted Louisiana’s economic picture, Gov. John Bel Edwards said on Dec. 20 that President Donald Trump’s tariffs are causing “pain” for agricultural and petrochemical industries and...
Insurance, Banking Groups Balk at Limits on Flood Insurance Operations During Shutdown
Dec 27 2018 // As indicated by a report by Insurance Journal over the holidays, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is limiting the authority of the nation’s flood insurance program to issue new and renewal policies...
U.S. Signs Agreement with UK Covering lnsurance Regulation Post-Brexit
Dec 21 2018 // As they previously announced they would do, the U.S. Treasury and U.S. Trade Representative have officially signed an agreement with the United Kingdom to provide insurance regulatory continuity after the country exits the...
Judge Blocks New York from Enforcing Opioid Surcharge on Companies
Dec 21 2018 // A Manhattan federal judge blocked New York state from enforcing a recently enacted law that aimed to collect $600 million from drug manufacturers and distributors to defray the costs of combating the opioid addiction...
Judge Again Rules Against $200M Raid on Pennsylvania Insurance Surplus
Dec 21 2018 // A federal judge is again ruling against Pennsylvania legislation that would take at least $200 million from a state-chartered medical malpractice insurer of last resort. U.S. District Judge Christopher Conner said the...
California DMV Previews New Motor Vehicle Laws Coming in 2019
Dec 20 2018 // The California Department of Motor Vehicles this week issued a reminder of new laws or changes to existing laws going into effect Jan 1, 2019 that motorist and auto insurance professionals should be aware of. The new laws...
Cryptocurrency Industry Says Inadequate Insurance Deters Investors
Dec 20 2018 // Cryptocurrency exchanges and traders in Asia are struggling to insure themselves against the risk of hacks and theft, a factor they claim is deterring large fund managers from investing in a nascent market yet to be...
Cryptocurrency Industry Struggles to Buy Insurance, Hindering Growth Goals
Dec 20 2018 // Cryptocurrency exchanges and traders in Asia are struggling to insure themselves against the risk of hacks and theft, a factor they claim is deterring large fund managers from investing in a nascent market yet to be...
Vullo to Step Down as New York Insurance Regulator; Gov. Cuomo Weighs Successor
Dec 20 2018 // Maria Vullo is stepping down as head of New York’s banking and insurance regulator, she said in an interview, after three years in which she created a national model for cybersecurity regulations at banks and fought...
Federal Judge Shuts Down North Carolina Nuisance Hog Farm Suit
Dec 20 2018 // A federal judge in North Carolina has shut down a lawsuit against a Smithfield Foods hog feeding operation by some neighbors who complained of odors, flies and noises. U.S. District Judge David Faber on Dec. 13 declared...
J&J Vows to Appeal After Judge Rejects Bid to Set Aside $4.7B Baby Powder Verdict
Dec 20 2018 // Johnson & Johnson failed to persuade a Missouri trial judge to set aside a July verdict awarding a record $4.69 billion to 22 women who blamed their ovarian cancer on asbestos in the company’s Baby Powder and...
Boy Scouts Face Insurance, Bankruptcy Challenges Over Sex Abuse Claims
Dec 20 2018 // It took Robb Lawson until he was 45 to finally confront a dark memory from his days as a Boy Scout. Lawson was a teenager at the time, a member of a troop in Georgia, picked to attend a wilderness challenge to win entry in...
Texas Lawmaker: Build Casinos on Coast to Subsidize Wind Insurance
Dec 18 2018 // A Texas lawmaker has proposed subsidizing the state’s underfunded windstorm insurance and flooding assistance by building casinos in coastal counties. State Rep. Joe Deshotel filed the bill on Dec. 7 to cover the...
Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Wade to Step Down
Dec 18 2018 // Connecticut Insurance Department Commissioner Katharine Wade plans to step down from her position on December 19, 2018. Connecticut’s incoming Governor-elect Ned Lamont, who is set to take office on January 9, will...
