Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
FACTBOX: What Will ‘Brexit’, a British Exit from the EU Look Like?
Feb 17 2016 // As Britons debate whether to stay in or leave the European Union at a membership referendum, one of the key arguments is what a British exit, or “Brexit,” would look like? Below is an outline of the process...
Multi-State License Bill Aims to Ease Nursing Shortage in Oklahoma
Feb 16 2016 // Some nurses would be able to cross the border into or out of Oklahoma without getting a new professional license under legislation approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on...
Missouri Senators Debate Government Role in Road Safety
Feb 12 2016 // Bills governing seat belt use, texting while driving and helmet requirements for motorcyclists prompted debate in a Missouri Senate committee over whether the government should play a larger role in road safety. Two bills...
Bankruptcy Would Be ‘Huge Mistake’ for Puerto Rico, Says Bond Insurer
Feb 12 2016 // The question of whether bankruptcy is a good option for Puerto Rico came to a head at an investor conference featuring the island’s top restructuring adviser and head of one of the bond insurers with the most...
Senators Hit Firms for ‘Dire Consequences’ Claim on Retirement Advisor Rule
Feb 12 2016 // Two influential U.S. lawmakers on Thursday criticized the financial industry for saying in public that a new rule on retirement advice could have “dire consequences,” but then speaking optimistically about it...
U.S. Safety Rules Key to Driverless Car Future: Google
Feb 12 2016 // Alphabet Inc.’s Google unit told U.S. auto safety regulators that the government’s interpretation of motor vehicle safety rules is “extremely important” to its further development of fully...
South Carolina Lawmakers Seek to Provide $40M in Aid to Farmers Hit by Flood
Feb 12 2016 // South Carolina farmers devastated by last fall’s flooding could get up to $40 million in state aid to stay afloat under legislation advanced Wednesday to the House floor. The legislation approved 21-0 by the Ways and...
How Supreme Court Could Upend Obama Clean Power Plan
Feb 11 2016 // The U.S. Supreme Court’s unexpected move to block President Barack Obama’s policy to cut pollution from coal plants highlights what both sides in the legal fight agree is a key weakness in the rules — a...
Judge Challenges Regulators’ Lawyer Over MetLife SIFI Tag
Feb 11 2016 // A U.S. lawyer defending the government’s decision to designate MetLife Inc. a threat to the American economy if it were to falter was questioned sharply by a federal judge who was asked by the company to remove the...
U.S. Again Warns Airlines Against Carrying Lithium Battery Cargo
Feb 10 2016 // U.S. aviation safety officials are raising new warnings about the dangers of carrying bulk shipments of lithium-based batteries on commercial flights. The Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates the aviation...
Software Qualifies as a Driver, Says U.S. Safety Agency on Google Self-Driving Car
Feb 10 2016 // U.S. vehicle safety regulators have said the artificial intelligence system piloting a self-driving Google car could be considered the driver under federal law, a major step toward ultimately winning approval for...
Drug Price Transparency Bill Stalls in Virginia General Assembly
Feb 9 2016 // Legislation to make drug makers reveal how much they spend marketing high-priced drugs has stalled in the Virginia General Assembly, at least for this year. Virginia state senators said the bill wasn’t ready for...
Judge Sets May Trial for ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Copyright Claim
Feb 9 2016 // The judge presiding over a lawsuit challenging the authenticity of Led Zeppelin’s signature song Stairway to Heaven rejected a bid to delay the case, setting the stage for a May trial — if it doesn’t get...
Court Hears MetLife’s Challenge to ‘Too-Big-to-Fail’ Designation This Week
Feb 9 2016 // For MetLife Inc. Chief Executive Officer Steve Kandarian, the scariest risk is being classified as risky. MetLife lawyers go to court Wednesday seeking to overturn a too-big-to-fail designation in a lawsuit that could, if...
Tennessee Insurance Commissioner McPeak Elected as VP of NAIC
Feb 9 2016 // Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak was elected as vice president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the nation’s insurance regulatory...
Future of Tennessee Workers’ Comp Option in Question Amid Lawmaker Scandal
Feb 9 2016 // Legislation to create a workers’ compensation alternative in Tennessee is already facing serious setbacks in the just started legislative session, despite being amended in 2015 and refiled in 2016. An emerging...
Opioid Addiction in Sights of New Mexico Lawmakers
Feb 8 2016 // With one of the highest drug overdose death rates in the nation, New Mexico has been working for years to curb what has now been identified by the highest levels of government as a national epidemic. The state was the...
Iowa Court Ruling Makes Defense Attorney Malpractice Suits Easier
Feb 8 2016 // The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that a man who pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for sex but later had the conviction overturned can sue his defense attorney for legal malpractice without being required to prove...
Florida Fights Back Against Assignment of Benefits Abuse
Feb 8 2016 // Florida insurers, consumer and insurance advocates, as well as regulators, are hoping 2016 may finally be the year that legislators address the misuse of assignment of benefits (AOB) for water loss claims that they say has...
Bill Would Clarify South Dakota’s Workers’ Comp Law
Feb 8 2016 // A bill introduced in the South Dakota House would clarify state law on when part-time employees injured on the job should also receive workers’ compensation benefits for their other part-time positions. The proposed...
