Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Suit Targets Shell Over Oilfield Contamination in Louisiana’s Spanish Lake Basin
Jan 14 2019 // Wetland ecologist Scott Nesbit drove down a gravel oil field road in Louisiana in an all-terrain utility vehicle, zipping under a heavy forest canopy toward what he says is the source of it all. Nesbit’s target was a...
PG&E Bankruptcy Looms With $30B in Potential Liabilities from California Wildfires; CEO to Exit
Jan 14 2019 // PG&E Corp. said it will file for bankruptcy in California after the cost of wildfires left it with potential liabilities of $30 billion or more, gutting its share price and prompting the departure of its chief...
Regulators Disagree Over Giving Fintechs Federal Charter to Skirt State Rules
Jan 14 2019 // The U.S. Federal Reserve is wary of giving “fintech” firms such as OnDeck Capital Inc. or Kabbage Inc. access to the country’s financial infrastructure, putting the central bank at odds with other...
Judge Lets Berkshire Hathaway’s Dairy Queen Sue Over ‘Blizzard’ Trademark
Jan 11 2019 // A federal judge in Minnesota ruled this week that Dairy Queen, owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., may pursue its lawsuit to stop W.B. Mason Co. from selling “Blizzard” bottled spring...
New York Fines Two Insurers $2.2M, Orders $8M in Rebates to Firefighters
Jan 11 2019 // The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) has fined Arch Insurance Company and National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Penn., a combined total of $2.2 million in fines and ordered the insurers...
Judge Wants PG&E Power Restrictions for Next California Wildfire Season
Jan 10 2019 // A U.S. judge has proposed restricting utility PG&E Corp from using power lines deemed to be unsafe during high winds in the 2019 California fire season, adding another complication for the California utility as it...
California Governor Proposes $150M in Wildfire Investments, 911 Fee
Jan 10 2019 // California Gov. Gavin Newsom has pledged fresh investments to prevent, fight and escape wildfires, including millions to help local governments improve their communication during emergencies and a fee to fund an update for...
California Could Require Businesses to Offer E-Receipts Under New Bill
Jan 10 2019 // California would become the first state to require businesses to offer electronic receipts unless customers ask for paper copies under legislation proposed this week. Many businesses and consumers already are moving toward...
EU Lawmakers Seek to Beef Up Financial Services Protections Ahead of Brexit
Jan 10 2019 // The European Union moved a step closer on Thursday to beefing up its regulators to increase safeguards for consumers and create an EU capital market that reduces the bloc’s reliance on Britain’s financial...
Texas Insurance Department Recommends Flood Disclosure on Property Policies
Jan 9 2019 // In its 2018 Biennial Report, the Texas Department of Insurance made several recommendations to the legislature regarding issues the agency believes are worth looking at by lawmakers in the 2019 legislative session. One, at...
Wildfires, Dynamex Dominate California Wholesaler Conference
Jan 8 2019 // Wildfires and the Dynamex decision. Those two topics dominated discussions at an insurance wholesaler conference this week. The California Wholesaler Association conference in La Jolla, Calif. from Sunday through today...
Allstate, State Farm, USAA Sue California Utility Over Wildfires
Jan 8 2019 // Several insurance companies have filed lawsuits blaming Pacific Gas & Electric Co. for a deadly California wildfire that destroyed 14,000 homes and triggered billions of dollars in insurance claims. The lawsuits filed...
Judge Blocks NYC Law Demanding Airbnb Disclosures
Jan 8 2019 // A New York City law forcing Airbnb and HomeAway home-sharing platforms to reveal a “breathtaking” amount of information about their businesses seems unconstitutional, a judge decided Thursday, forcing the law...
Neon Sponsors 2nd ILS Transaction via UK Transformer Vehicle NCM Re
Jan 8 2019 // Neon announced it successfully has raised third party capital to support its second insurance linked securities (ILS) transaction through its UK-based transformer vehicle, NCM Re. This marks the first reinsurance renewal...
California Utility’s Bankruptcy Talk Sets Stage for Showdown with State
Jan 7 2019 // In weighing a bankruptcy, power giant PG&E Corp. may be firing a warning shot to California lawmakers: Help us or watch the largest utility in your state go insolvent. The company is considering whether to file for...
If Brexit Deal Is Rejected, UK Would Enter Uncharted Territory: PM May
Jan 7 2019 // Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday [Jan. 6] that Britain would be in uncharted territory if her Brexit deal is rejected by parliament later this month, despite little sign that she has won over skeptical...
AGCS, Praedicat to Offer Product Safety Resource to Industrial Companies
Jan 7 2019 // Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS), and Praedicat, an insurtech analytics company based in Los Angeles, have expanded their partnership to provide access to ChemMeta, Praedicat’s software product...
Electric Scooters Have Been Burned, Buried and Butchered. They’re About to Be Regulated.
Jan 7 2019 // Thousands of new riders have embraced the electric pay-per-minute scooters that have proliferated on America’s streets. Other people have set them on fire, tossed them off buildings and decorated them with dog...
Western Region Could See Action on Disaster Mitigation, Independent Contractors, Workers’ Comp
Jan 7 2019 // Most eyeballs were on California during the midterm elections in November, with polar opposite candidates facing off in the race for governor as well as the office of insurance commissioner. As in most years, Democrats...
Midwest Legislative Priorities Include No-Fault Auto, Distracted Driving, Contractor Fraud, Tort Reform
Jan 7 2019 // With some of the highest auto insurance rates in the nation, Michigan’s no-fault insurance laws — much maligned by the insurance industry and business interests — are sure to be a target for legislative...
