Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Michigan Auto Insurance Bills Passed by Senate
Apr 20 2015 // A divided state Senate approved revisions to Michigan’s auto insurance law that backers said would curtail costs in the only state to require unlimited medical benefits for those severely injured in crashes and that...
Judge Rejects Effort to Undo California Wildfire Settlement
Apr 20 2015 // A judge has rejected a California timber company’s attempt to undo a $47 million legal settlement for a massive 2007 wildfire. Sierra Pacific Industries had accused federal prosecutors of engaging in misconduct. But...
Why the Simplex in Cyber Liability Needs to Change
Apr 20 2015 // Our industry loves acronyms and buzzwords. Allacronyms.com publishes a list of 1,086 insurance industry acronyms. Iwebhound.com has an acronym list that is even larger. You can tell when insurance people are talking to...
Judge Agrees to Hear Opponent of NCAA $75M Concussion Settlement
Apr 19 2015 // A U.S. judge declined to immediately approve the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s $75 million settlement of a lawsuit by college athletes who’ve suffered head injuries, giving a critic of the accord...
Obama, Insurers Welcome Bipartisan Trade Authority Measure
Apr 17 2015 // The White House would get its desired clarity of authority to negotiate a Pacific trade agreement while lawmakers would get the right to set negotiating parameters and to have a yes-or-no-vote on such pacts under a...
Judge Rules Against Mississippi Attorney General Over Google
Apr 17 2015 // A federal judge has ruled against Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood in his effort to keep Google from getting its hands on correspondence between Hood and lobbyists for the movie industry. It’s the latest defeat...
EEOC Issues Rules for Employee Wellness Program Incentives
Apr 16 2015 // U.S. employers can reward workers with as much 30 percent of the cost of their health insurance benefits in return for participation in programs to monitor weight, cholesterol and other “wellness” measures, the...
Michigan Auto Insurance Reform Legislation Advances
Apr 16 2015 // A legislative panel has approved changes to Michigan’s auto insurance law, voting to reduce how much insurers pay for medical care, establish an anti-fraud authority and create a new entity to cover expenses for...
Rideshare Service Bill Hailed by Maryland Lawmakers
Apr 16 2015 // An eleventh-hour bill in Maryland addressing the regulation of rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft is being hailed by stakeholders on both sides of the meter. In the waning hours of the Maryland legislative session on...
N.J. Consumers to Receive 1-Page Summary of Their Homeowners Coverage
Apr 16 2015 // The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance announced that starting in June, New Jersey consumers buying or renewing homeowners, condominium, renters, mobile home, or dwelling fire insurance policies will receive a...
Judge Upholds GM Liability Shield from Some Ignition Claims
Apr 16 2015 // General Motors Co. will not have to face dozens of lawsuits accusing it of concealing an ignition-switch defect that led to the recall of 2.6 million vehicles, a U.S. bankruptcy judge ruled on Wednesday. GM had argued it...
Judge Approves Delay in Sentencing for Duke Energy Coal Ash Crimes
Apr 16 2015 // Duke Energy received a delay Tuesday in pleading guilty to environmental crimes after the company raised the specter that bureaucratic red tape could result in power being cut to military bases across North Carolina. U.S....
Alabama Lawmakers Dismiss Bill Barring Teens from Riding in Truck Beds
Apr 16 2015 // Alabama lawmakers won’t bar teens from riding in the back of pickup trucks after most acknowledged they’ve ridden back there too. The Alabama House of Representatives refused to debate a bill last week that...
Obama Labor Rule Would Shift Legal Duty of Retirement Plan Brokers
Apr 15 2015 // Brokers and insurance agents providing retirement-savings advice would have to put clients’ interests ahead of their own under an Obama administration plan that will face stiff opposition from Wall Street and...
Colorado School District Liability Bill Moving Through Legislature
Apr 15 2015 // A novel approach to make public schools liable for campus violence under a measure is advancing in Colorado, even as lawmakers from both parties wonder whether liability will prevent the next mass shooting. The bill that...
Video Ads Next Big Thing in Ridesharing?
Apr 14 2015 // James Bellefeuille is an Uber driver for a living, though he admits that what he earns is not much to live on. Yet in the new sharing economy, there’s hope for people like Bellefeuille who can bring some innovation...
Millions, Including Sandy Victims, Facing Higher Flood Insurance Premiums
Apr 14 2015 // A $24 billion sea of red ink has millions of Americans in vulnerable flood zones, including homeowners still struggling to recover from Superstorm Sandy, facing steep increases in flood insurance premiums. New legislation...
Utah Judge Rejects Class-Action Suit Over Alleged Bogus DUI Stops
Apr 14 2015 // A Utah judge has rejected a potential class-action lawsuit seeking millions in damages for hundreds people arrested for drunken driving by disgraced former state trooper Lisa Steed. In a decision made public last week,...
Missouri Bills Include Insurance Subsidies for Dairy, Agriculture
Apr 13 2015 // Gov. Jay Nixon has signed bills aimed at boosting Missouri’s dairy and $12.5 billion-a-year agriculture industries through insurance subsidies, scholarships, eased restrictions during parts of the year and other...
U.S. Judge Upholds Liability of Arab Bank for Terrorist Financing
Apr 13 2015 // A U.S. judge on Wednesday rejected Arab Bank Plc’s bid to overturn a jury verdict finding it liable for knowingly supporting terrorism efforts related to a series of attacks in the Middle East. The Jordan-based bank...
