Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Dwyer Named Rhode Island’s Superintendent of Banking and Insurance
Jan 12 2016 // The Rhode Island Insurance Division, part of the Department of Business Regulation, announced that the Insurance Division’s Associate Director Elizabeth Kelleher Dwyer has been named Rhode Island’s...
Your Boss Can Snoop on Your Personal E-Mails, European Court Rules
Jan 12 2016 // Bosses can snoop on workers’ e-mails including personal messages with loved ones during working hours, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in a case brought by a Romanian man who claimed he was unfairly fired...
15 State AGs Join Federal Antitrust Probe of Giant Health Insurers’ Mergers: Reuters
Jan 12 2016 // About 15 state attorneys general have joined the Justice Department’s probe of two big insurance mergers, according to people familiar with the matter, increasing the scrutiny on proposed deals that would reduce the...
North Carolina Cracks Down on Employers Lacking in Workers’ Comp Coverage
Jan 12 2016 // The commission responsible for enforcing workers’ compensation laws in North Carolina has cracked down in the last year on employers who don’t carry proper insurance, collecting $1 million in civil fines from...
Judge: Iowa Must Pay Nearly $1M in DNR Worker’s Disability Suit
Jan 11 2016 // The state must pay nearly $1 million after losing a discrimination lawsuit filed by a longtime Iowa Department of Natural Resources employee who said he was fired because he sought disability accommodations for a job...
The Changing Surplus Lines Landscape in California and Beyond
Jan 11 2016 // The changing excess and surplus insurance landscape was an oft discussed topic on Monday, with experts describing the challenges and opportunities going forward. “The business that we have and the risk we see is...
New Jersey Gov. Christie Signs Certificates of Insurance Bill
Jan 11 2016 // New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s office announced that the governor signed the Certificates of Insurance Act (S-3270/A-4705) into law Monday. The new law will govern the use of certificates of insurance, making it...
Federal Judge: Monkey Cannot Own Copyright of Selfie Photos
Jan 11 2016 // A macaque monkey who snapped clear, perfectly framed selfies that would have made the Kardashians proud still cannot own a copyright to the photos because it’s an animal, not a human, a federal judge in San Francisco...
China’s Cabinet to Take Greater Role in Financial Markets Oversight: Source
Jan 11 2016 // China’s cabinet is set to take on a bigger role in overseeing financial markets, as perceived missteps by existing regulators fuel concerns globally that Beijing may lose its grip on economic policy with growth at...
Stage Set for Another Banner Year for Independent Agents
Jan 11 2016 // The Big “I” is very pleased that 2015 yielded a number of legislative successes. Early in 2015, the association scored a tremendous double victory when Congress acted on both the National Association of...
New Look in Franchise Liability
Jan 11 2016 // Businesses known for their uniforms are worried about lawyers in business suits in the wake of a change in the nation’s labor laws affecting their liability for employment practices. The change could unravel the...
Florida Lawmakers to Industry: We Want YOU to Join State Flood Insurance Market
Jan 11 2016 // We think the time is right for you all to explore the [Florida] flood insurance market.” That was the message Florida Senator Jeff Brandes gave insurance industry attendees at the first ever Florida Flood Insurance...
Obama Vetoes Republicans’ Repeal of Affordable Care Act
Jan 10 2016 // President Barack Obama vetoed a measure to repeal most of his signature healthcare law on Friday, releasing a statement that extolled the virtues of his biggest domestic policy achievement while excoriating Republicans for...
Industry Reacts to McCarty Resignation, Contemplates His Next Move
Jan 8 2016 // Insurance industry reactions to Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty’s decision to resign have been rolling in since the long-time state regulator announced Jan. 5 that he would step down from his position...
McCarty Replacement Rumors Start Swirling; Successor Has ‘Huge Shoes to Fill’
Jan 8 2016 // Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty’s successor has yet to be announced, but whoever takes over will have his or her work cut out for them when McCarty leaves office after 12 years on May 2. “These are...
Ex-LA Times Columnist’s $7.1M Award Tossed by Judge
Jan 8 2016 // A judge has thrown out a $7.1-million jury award to former Los Angeles Times sports columnist T.J. Simers, who claimed he was forced to quit because of age and health discrimination. A judge stripped $2.1 million Simers...
R.I. Gov. Urges Legislature to Help Undocumented Immigrants Get Licenses
Jan 7 2016 // Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo has run out of time to carry out an ambitious promise she made on the campaign trail to grant driver’s licenses to immigrants in the country illegally. Raimondo signed a poster-sized...
Drone Registrations Top 180,000 in First 2 Weeks
Jan 7 2016 // One of the most important players in the booming drone industry isn’t a hardware manufacturer; it’s the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. So attendees at the Consumer Electronics Show on Wednesday flocked...
Judge Throws Out ‘Everybody Does It’ Defense in Shareholder Class Action
Jan 7 2016 // Corporate legal battles are often decided on nuanced readings of dense statutes, but one recent ruling that could expose scores of U.S. companies to shareholder lawsuits turned partly on a much simpler defense: everybody...
Its Own Scientists Question EPA Claim Fracking Is Safe for Drinking Water
Jan 7 2016 // A landmark study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that concluded fracking causes no widespread harm to drinking water is coming under fire — this time, from the agency’s own science advisers. The...
