Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Air Ambulances’ Sky-High Charges Leave Reimbursement Gaps, Lawsuits
Jun 11 2018 // When three-year-old West Cox’s fever hit 107 degrees, doctors called a helicopter. Hours earlier, the toddler, who’d been prescribed an antibiotic for a suspected ear infection, was at home in Princeton, West...
Backers of Easing Texas Medical Marijuana Laws Target Rural Areas
Jun 8 2018 // With the sound off, images from a new advocacy video touting the merits of medical marijuana could blend seamlessly into a commercial for the latest model of pickup — a burly Texan, clad in a cowboy hat, strides past...
Lawmaker Calls for UK to Uphold Financial Services Competitiveness After Brexit
Jun 8 2018 // Britain’s financial regulators should have a formal objective to keep London’s banking and insurance sectors globally competitive after Brexit, a senior lawmaker said on Thursday. The now defunct Financial...
Florida Judge Lifts Stay on Smokable Medical Marijuana
Jun 8 2018 // Floridians allowed to use medical marijuana are one step closer to being able to smoke it. Leon County circuit court Judge Karen Gievers on Tuesday lifted a stay on her May 25 ruling that the Florida Legislature’s...
London’s Grenfell Tower Fire Report Says ‘Stay Put’ Policy Failed Residents
Jun 7 2018 // Residents of London’s Grenfell Tower were wrongly told to stay in their apartments as fire raged through the high-rise building nearly a year ago, aided by flammable external cladding and a host of fire-safety...
Judge Rules Bankrupt Weinstein Co. Must Face Sexual Harassment Claims
Jun 6 2018 // Weinstein Co. must return to New York court to face a lawsuit by women who say the firm is responsible for alleged sexual misconduct by founder Harvey Weinstein, a federal judge ruled. The bankrupt film company is no...
Republicans Eye Tax Law Fix for Sexual Harassment Settlements
Jun 6 2018 // Republicans are considering a fix to a provision in their new tax law that they acknowledge could inadvertently penalize victims of sexual harassment in the workplace. But congressional gridlock before midterm elections in...
Congress Could Shrink Federal Insurance Office
Jun 5 2018 // Congressional efforts to curtail the federal government’s involvement in insurance regulation continue this week as a House panel is scheduled to consider a measure to trim the sails of the Federal Insurance Office...
Louisiana Expands Medical Marijuana Program Eligibility
Jun 5 2018 // More Louisiana residents with chronic pain and suffering will be able to seek treatment for their ailments through the state’s medical marijuana program. Gov. John Bel Edwards agreed to the expansion proposal a few...
UK Minister Vows Financial Services to Remain ‘National Priority’ After Brexit
Jun 5 2018 // Financial services will remain a “guiding light” for Britain’s economy after Brexit and there is no intention to “rip up the rulebook” to compete better as a top financial center, a government...
California Legislators Said to Consider Wildfire Relief Fund to Help Utilities
Jun 4 2018 // California lawmakers are said to be considering a proposal to help utilities shoulder billions of dollars in potential liability costs while offering relief to wildfire victims by setting up a compensation fund that would...
Stroock Hires Chung as a Partner in Its New York Office
Jun 4 2018 // Stroock has hired Huhnsik Chung as a partner in the firm’s insurance and reinsurance practice within its New York office. He arrives to the firm from Baker McKenzie, where he chaired the North America Insurance...
South Carolina Passes First Insurance Industry Cybersecurity Law
Jun 4 2018 // South Carolina has become the first state to pass a model cybersecurity bill requiring any insurance entity operating in the state to establish and implement a cybersecurity program protecting their business and their...
California Workers’ Comp Directors and Officers Cleanup Law Takes Effect July 1
Jun 4 2018 // A new law that enables corporate directors and officers owning at least 10 percent of a business to opt out of workers’ compensation coverage goes into effect on July 1. The law is intended to reduce the threshold of...
Policymakers Take On Distracted Driving Nationwide
Jun 4 2018 // Over the course of several decades, auto crash rates and fatalities had been on the decline. This reduction offset slightly increased crash severity and helped to moderate the cost of auto insurance. However, starting in...
People
Jun 4 2018 // Doug Slape has been promoted to second-in-command at the Texas Department of Insurance. Slape has been at the agency since 1988 and has served as deputy commissioner for the Financial Regulation Division the past three...
Coal Industry Tax Cut Threatens Miners’ Benefits Fund as Black Lung Cases Surge
Jun 1 2018 // As a young man, Barry Shrewsbury dug coal in the West Virginia mines and spent his time off hunting and fishing in the rolling hills. Now, at 62, he struggles to breathe and accomplish basic tasks such as shopping and...
South Carolina Passes First Insurance Industry Cybersecurity Law
May 31 2018 // South Carolina has become the first state to pass a cybersecurity bill requiring any insurance entity operating in the state to establish and implement a cybersecurity program protecting their business and their customers...
Texas Governor Unveils School Safety Plan, Proposed Gun Law Changes
May 30 2018 // Note: This story originally appeared in The Texas Tribune. Less than two weeks after 10 people were killed in a southeast Texas school shooting, Gov. Greg Abbott laid out a 40-page, 40-strategy plan for preventing future...
European Insurers Bypassing U.S. Treasuries
May 29 2018 // U.S. Treasuries need to get a lot cheaper to attract some European investors. Even with yields at multi-year highs, Treasuries are paying less than their pricier German peers when European insurers account for steep...
