Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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...
Brian Maynard Appointed Kentucky Insurance Commissioner
Feb 8 2016 // Brian Maynard of Louisville was appointed commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Insurance on Jan. 12. Gov. Matt Bevin, who took over in December, appointed Maynard by executive order. He is now a member of the Public...
A Tale of Two Sovereigns
Feb 5 2016 // Canute was a king of Denmark who ruled over an empire that included large parts of Sweden, all of Norway and almost all of England. He ruled over person and property alike. He ruled over the land and sought to expand his...
Arkansas Utility Wants U.S. to Uphold Exxon Mobil Spill-Related Fines
Feb 4 2016 // A water utility company in Arkansas is urging a federal regulatory agency to uphold fines and new safety requirements for Exxon Mobil Corp. regarding an oil spill in Mayflower. In a letter to the Pipeline and Hazardous...
Oklahoma Lawmaker: Small Businesses Back Asset Forfeiture Reform
Feb 3 2016 // An Oklahoma state lawmaker has filed a bill that would reform Oklahoma’s civil asset forfeiture law, an effort he says is supported by small businesses in the state. In May 2015, Sen. Kyle D. Loveless (R-Oklahoma...
Lawmakers Seek Ways to Improve Amish Safety on Wisconsin Roads
Feb 3 2016 // Amish safety on Wisconsin roads needs to be addressed in the wake of recent fatal buggy crashes, according to a state lawmaker. Republican State Rep. Bob Kulp of Stratford hopes the Amish communities in Wisconsin would be...
Health Insurers in Kansas Support Network-Only Plan Proposal
Feb 1 2016 // Insurance providers have asked Kansas lawmakers to approve a measure that would allow them to offer health plans requiring customers to only use the insurers’ network. The plans are called Exclusive Provider...
Bill Would Clarify South Dakota’s Workers’ Comp Law
Jan 28 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...
Funding Plan for Arkansas Fire Departments Proposed by Lawmakers
Jan 26 2016 // Two Arkansas legislators hope the state finds a way next year to distribute excess state funds to volunteer fire departments that suffer funding shortages, impacting the purchase and repair of equipment. The Quail Creek...
Bank of England’s Bailey Is Surprise Choice for Chief of U.K. Regulator, FCA
Jan 26 2016 // Bank of England Deputy Governor Andrew Bailey will become the new chief executive officer of the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, as the Chancellor George Osborne turned to a familiar face following a six-month search for...
Report: Florida’s Workers’ Comp Market Still Strong but Uncertainty Remains
Jan 26 2016 // The latest workers’ compensation report from Florida’s insurance regulator says the state’s workers’ compensation market remained competitive and well capitalized in 2014, but reforms put in place...
California Gas Leak Follows Years of Lax Regulation of Aging Storage Wells
Jan 25 2016 // Long before a natural gas storage well sprung a disastrous leak near Los Angeles, Calif., utilities and national industry groups were raising alarms about the danger of aging underground storage infrastructure. The leaking...
Citizens Releases Analysis of Increasing Florida Water Loss Costs
Jan 25 2016 // Water loss claims, exacerbated by assignment of benefits, are driving higher rates in South Florida and increasingly across the state, according to a just released analysis conducted by Citizens Property Insurance Corp....
New Ohio Law Strengthens Regulation of Certificates of Insurance
Jan 25 2016 // A new Ohio law that provides strengthened regulatory protocols and oversight in relation to certificates of insurance is now in effect. Businesses often share the document as proof that they have insurance, Ohio Department...
Departing Florida Insurance Chief McCarty Leaves ‘Huge Shoes to Fill’
Jan 25 2016 // News of Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin M. McCarty’s resignation rocked the state Jan. 6 when he announced that he would leave office on May 2, 2016 after 12 years in the post. McCarty has served as the only...
Expert Sounds off on Legal, Insurance Issues of Self-Driving Cars
Jan 25 2016 // Hilary Rowen, a partner in the law firm of Sedgwick LLP in Sacramento, Calif., for the last three years has been analyzing and following the insurance issues relating to the emergence of autonomous vehicles, particularly...
Ex-LA Times Columnist’s $7.1M Award Tossed by Judge
Jan 25 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...
