Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Oklahoma Ponders ‘California Model’ for Earthquake Insurance
Feb 22 2016 // Oklahoma lawmakers are in the early stages of considering legislation to create a state-level “earthquake reinsurance program” that its author claims will be modeled on the California Earthquake Authority. S.B....
Iowa Court Ruling Could Make Defense Attorney Malpractice Suits Easier
Feb 22 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...
U.S. Safety Agency to Google: Software Qualifies as a Driver
Feb 22 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...
Future of Tennessee Workers’ Comp Option in Question Amid Lawmaker Scandal
Feb 22 2016 // Legislation to create a workers’ compensation alternative in Tennessee is already facing serious setbacks in the new legislative session, despite being amended in 2015 and refiled in 2016. An emerging scandal...
Insurance Journal TV: Interview With Patricia Henry, Executive Vice President Of Global Government Affairs At Chubb
Feb 19 2016 // San Diego, CA, February 19, 2016- Insurance Journal TV offers exclusive new video segments from Patricia Henry’s interview with Carrier Management. Chubb’s Patricia Henry: Staying on Top of Global Regulatory...
Earthquake Response Legislation Passes Oklahoma House Panel
Feb 19 2016 // Legislation that reaffirms the Oklahoma Corporation’s Commission’s authority to respond to emergencies involving oil and natural gas production in the state, including drilling-related earthquakes, has been...
New Mexico Lawmakers Beat Clock to Pass Ridesharing
Feb 19 2016 // The New Mexico Legislature closed out its 2016 session Feb. 18, but not before passing legislation to legalize and regulate ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft. Just hours after the state Senate voted 33-5 to approve...
Tennessee High Court Rules to Make it Easier to Arrest, Convict Drunk Drivers
Feb 19 2016 // In two unanimous decisions, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Feb. 11 that police have the right to stop motorists if their vehicles cross roadway markings, even if briefly, essentially making it easier to arrest and...
How Employer Joint Liability Is Changing
Feb 18 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...
Law Enforcement, Private Firms Look to Evolving Drone Defense Industry for Protection
Feb 18 2016 // The drone intruder was roaming around the Rose Bowl Stadium as 94,000 fans cheered, oblivious to the threat. But scientists testing a new security device at the game knew: they detected its radio signals and seized control...
Kansas Lawmakers Consider Increasing Speed Limit to 80 MPH
Feb 17 2016 // Legislative committees are considering bills that would allow the Kansas Department of Transportation to raise the state’s highest speed limit on separated, multiple-lane highways from 75 to 80 miles per hour. The...
Lawsuit Says N.J.’s Post-Sandy Coastal Zone Rules ‘Don’t Make Sense’
Feb 17 2016 // Some New Jersey residents and environmental groups are suing to try to block the state’s new rules governing coastal development in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, saying they allow too many people and buildings to be...
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...
