Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Lawmakers Consider Again Extending Maine Pot Sales Ban
Jan 11 2018 // Maine lawmakers on Tuesday considered a proposal to extend a ban on retail sales of marijuana until May 1 to give the state more time to craft rules about legal pot. Lawmakers in the state are trying once again to sort out...
Federal Safety Agency Seeks to Remove Roadblocks to Autonomous Trucks, Buses
Jan 11 2018 // Federal regulators are taking the first step toward creating a policy guiding the development of autonomous transportation beyond self-driving cars to include trucks, buses and other ground-based modes. The U.S....
Judge Nixes $28 Million Xarelto Jury Award in Victory for Bayer, J&J
Jan 10 2018 // A Pennsylvania state court judge on Tuesday overturned a $27.8 million jury award to an Indiana couple who accused Bayer AG and Johnson & Johnson of failing to warn of internal bleeding risks of their drug Xarelto, the...
Judge Overseeing Local Opioid Lawsuits Hopes for ‘Meaningful’ Settlement
Jan 10 2018 // The judge overseeing U.S. cities’ and counties’ lawsuits against makers of opioid painkillers said he hopes a sweeping resolution can be worked out by the end of the year that will have a “meaningful...
Florida Appeals Court, Regulator Reject Policy Language Aimed at Curbing AOB Abuse
Jan 10 2018 // A Florida appeals court has sided with the state’s insurance regulator in rejecting policy language filed by a Florida homeowners insurer to restrict the use of assignment of benefits. The decision could have a...
Nebraska Bill Would Criminalize Drone Use to Spy on People, Harass Cows
Jan 8 2018 // Using a drone to spy on neighbors, drop drugs into prisons or harass cows could lead to criminal charges under a new bill Nebraska lawmakers will consider later this year. The measure would impose new safety and privacy...
Judge Tosses ‘Underfilled Lattes’ Class Action Against Starbucks
Jan 8 2018 // Starbucks Corp. has won the dismissal of a U.S. lawsuit accusing the coffee chain of overcharging customers by underfilling lattes and mochas to reduce milk costs. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Friday found...
New Law Requires Notice of Workers’ Comp Premium Hikes in New York
Jan 8 2018 // New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has signed Assembly Bill No. 1620 into law, requiring insurance companies to notify employers in advance of some workers’ compensation insurance premium increases. The law was...
N.Y. Finalizes Regulation to Protect Drivers from Unfair Auto Insurance Rates
Jan 8 2018 // The New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) has finalized a regulation that protects New York drivers from unfairly discriminatory auto insurance rates and has already reached agreements with two major insurers...
California Company Has Marijuana License, But Its Workers Still Arrested
Jan 8 2018 // The confusing rollout of marijuana regulations in California has been underscored in Mendocino County, where local authorities licensed a company to deliver pot only to have state police arrest two employees who were...
Labor, Lawsuits on Agenda in 2018 for Missouri GOP Lawmakers
Jan 4 2018 // The Republican-controlled Missouri Legislature is looking to complete some unfinished business in the 2018 session that began on Wednesday, including efforts to further regulate unions and enact more restrictions on...
Florida Supreme Court Ruling to Have Big Impact on Duty to Defend Construction Cases
Jan 4 2018 // A recent case out of the Florida Supreme Court will likely have a big impact on the duty of insurers to defend Florida construction cases. The case, Altman Contractors, Inc. v. Crum & Forster Specialty Insurance...
Ohio’s Commissioner Froment to Lead National Insurance Compact
Jan 3 2018 // Ohio Department of Insurance Director Jillian Froment has been selected by state insurance regulators to serve as chair of the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission, also referred to as the Insurance...
New Laws Aimed at Medical Bills Come into Effect in Maine
Jan 3 2018 // Two new laws aimed at health care costs are coming into effect. Starting the new year, Maine health insurance carriers will face new requirements under a law backed by Republican Sen. Rodney Whittemore. Carriers must allow...
Florida Lawmakers to Reconsider Texting While Driving Ban
Jan 3 2018 // Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Mark Wysocky says it is hard to separate texting drivers from drunken drivers as he cruises down a suburban interstate highway. Both weave. They speed up and slow down for no obvious reason and...
New Year Brings Pot Legalization to California
Jan 2 2018 // The arrival of the new year in California brought with it broad legalization of marijuana, a much-anticipated change that comes two decades after the state was the first to allow pot for medical use. The nation’s...
Ride-Hailing Rules Among List of New Laws in Connecticut
Jan 2 2018 // New rules for ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft are set to take effect in Connecticut with the new year. Starting Monday, such companies must register annually with the Department of Transportation and pay the...
More Victims Learning About Available Recourse in Sexual Harassment Cases
Jan 2 2018 // Back in 1979, Karen Schneider was an entry-level copy editor in her 20s when a senior editor at her newspaper offered her a ride after some late-night drinks with colleagues. At her destination, he locked the car door and...
California Company Has Marijuana License, But Its Workers Still Arrested
Dec 29 2017 // The confusing rollout of marijuana regulations in California has been underscored in Mendocino County, where local authorities licensed a company to deliver pot only to have state police arrest two employees who were...
New York’s Financial Watchdog Proposes ‘Best Interest’ Rules
Dec 29 2017 // New York State’s top financial watchdog proposed regulations that would require sellers of life insurance and annuities to act in the best interest of clients, raising standards even as the U.S. government delays its...
