Latest Legislation Headlines

All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.

1st Cayman Portfolio Insurance Company Formed by Ascension Insurance

Feb 25 2015 // The first portfolio insurance company (PIC) has been formed in the Cayman Islands, as a direct result of new insurance regulations Cayman enacted in January to provide risk management alternatives for insurers incorporated...

N.H. Lawmakers Work to Tackle High Workers’ Comp Costs

Feb 23 2015 // If a worker in New Hampshire gets hurt on the job, an anesthetic injection can cost $763 under a workers’ compensation claim, compared to $298 for non-work related injuries. Surgical treatment for tendinitis in the...

Insurance Industry Needs Better Arguments for ‘Price Optimization’

Feb 23 2015 // Back in her high school days, my daughter got to be a pretty darned good field hockey player, eventually became the captain of her team. But in her sophomore year, Regina was still locked in a competition with another...

Georgia Lawmakers Eye Ridesharing Regulations

Feb 23 2015 // Georgia legislators have filed bills to force companies such as Uber to conduct more rigorous background checks on their drivers and raising liability insurance minimums for passengers. Uber spokesman Taylor Bennett said...

Earthquake Warning System in Obama Budget Pleases Lawmakers

Feb 23 2015 // President Barack Obama’s recommendation to spend $5 million next year on an early earthquake warning system for the West Coast represents a significant breakthrough, congressional supporters of the project...

New Mexico Bill Would Reduce Benefits if Workers Are High

Feb 23 2015 // A New Mexico lawmaker has introduced a bill to reduce workers’ compensation in cases when an employee’s death or injury results from being drunk or high on the job. Republican Rep. Dennis Roch of Logan said...

California Lawmaker Proposes Annual $52 Fee for Road Repairs

Feb 23 2015 // Most California drivers would pay an extra $52 a year under a proposal to raise $2 billion a year to fix the state’s crumbling roads, bridges and highways. Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins’ proposal released in...

Heading a National Ridesharing Outline a Political Gain for Jones?

Feb 23 2015 // A committee of regulators led by California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is working on standards on ridesharing that departments of insurance in states across the U.S. can look to as an example. Whether the National...

Texas Lawmaker Urges Extension of Wind Insurance Inspection Waiver

Feb 22 2015 // A Texas lawmaker says thousands of coastal residents could lose their windstorm insurance coverage if the Legislature doesn’t extend a program that provides waivers for those who have been nonrenewed for coverage by...

Nevada Bill Proposes Liability Protections for Horse-Related Injuries

Feb 20 2015 // Rural Nevada lawmakers are proposing a bill that would improve liability protections for horse-related accidents and injuries. Sen. Pete Goicoechea and Assemblyman John Ellison introduced SB 129 to the Senate Committee on...

Negotiations in Arizona to Update Ridesharing Law Underway

Feb 19 2015 // A key lawmaker said talks she’s leading among taxi firms, rideshare companies such as Uber and insurers on an updated law regulating the new and growing rideshare industry are progressing. Rep. Karen Fann, chair of...

New Drought Rules at Restaurants, Hotels Considered in California

Feb 19 2015 // Officials are considering new water restrictions as California’s drought drags on, possibly forcing residents to ask for water at restaurants and for fresh towels and sheets at hotels. The State Water Resources...

Columbia, Missouri’s Ride-Booking Regulations Include Insurance

Feb 18 2015 // The Columbia, Mo., City Council has approved new regulations for ride-booking services such as Uber and Lyft that include insurance requirements. The regulations approved require ride-booking services to get business...

Judge Could Weaken GM’s Bankruptcy Liability Protection

Feb 18 2015 // A judge said on Tuesday that if General Motors Co is found to have violated car owners’ constitutional rights by hiding ignition-switch defects during its bankruptcy, he would consider narrowing the legal protections...

Voter ID, Tort Reform Among Amendments Filed in Arkansas

Feb 17 2015 // Reinstating Arkansas’ voter ID law, imposing new restrictions on lawsuit damages and eliminating the lieutenant governor’s office are among the dozens of ideas lawmakers would like to put on the ballot in...

Missouri Insurance Department Recovers nearly $25M in 2014

Feb 17 2015 // The Missouri Department of Insurance announced it recovered approximately $11.7 million for consumers who filed complaints against their insurance companies and an additional $12.7 million for Missourians through...

Court Rules BP Not Covered by Transocean’s $750M Insurance

Feb 17 2015 // BP Plc isn’t covered under Transocean Ltd.’s insurance policies for the undersea well blowout that caused the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster, the Texas Supreme Court said, blocking the oil company’s access...

Judge to Rule if Mississippi Attorney General Can Investigate Google

Feb 17 2015 // Does Google help criminals by allowing its search engine to lead to pirated music or by having its autocomplete function suggest illegal activities? Mississippi’s attorney general suspects the company does and wants...

North Carolina Plans Changes to Captive Program

Feb 17 2015 // The first full year of North Carolina’s captive insurance program has “exceeded expectations,” according to a statement from North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. While he’s pleased...

Federal Judge Dismisses Louisiana Levee Board’s Suit against Oil Companies

Feb 16 2015 // A federal judge has dismissed a New Orleans-area levee authority’s lawsuit charging oil and gas companies with destroying Louisiana’s coastal wetlands. The lawsuit was filed by the Southeast Louisiana Flood...