Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Judge Won’t Toss Colorado Skiing Death Lawsuit

Jun 24 2014 // A judge has denied Vail Resorts’ request to toss a lawsuit filed by the parents of a teenager who died in an avalanche while skiing in January 2012. The Vail Daily reported District Judge Chris Melonakis’...

FAA Drone Regulations Bar Hobbyists Near Airports, Crowds

Jun 24 2014 // To corral a surge in incidents of reckless, recreational drone use, the U.S. government barred flights of small unmanned aircraft near airports and crowds. People who want to fly drones as hobbyists should take lessons on...

Judge: Flawed Science Led to Murder-by-Arson Conviction in Pennsylvania Case

Jun 24 2014 // The arsonist who killed Ji Yun Lee was especially cruel and calculating, dousing her small cabin in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains with more than 60 gallons (230 liters) of gasoline and heating fuel and setting at...

50th International Insurance Society Seminar Convenes in London

Jun 23 2014 // The International Insurance Society (IIS) has come a long way since its first meeting in a conference room in Austin, Texas. The 50th edition of its annual conclave opened this morning in London at the Park Plaza...

OneBeacon’s Sale of Runoff Business to Armour Still in Progress

Jun 23 2014 // OneBeacon Insurance Group Ltd. said it is making progress in the sale of its runoff business to Armour Group Holdings Limited and restated its expectation that the transaction will close in the second half of 2014. The...

National Parks Service Temporarily Bans Drones Over Its Lands, Waters

Jun 23 2014 // The National Park Service last Friday temporarily banned the launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft or drones on lands and waters it administers. National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said the ban...

No New Rights in Florida’s Homeowners’ Bill of Rights

Jun 23 2014 // Florida’s passage of a homeowners’ claims bill of rights left few satisfied after lawmakers largely codified current law while avoiding controversial issues such as the practice of policyholders assigning their...

North Carolina Debates Mandating Moped Registration

Jun 22 2014 // Moped drivers across North Carolina will have to register their bikes by next summer if a House measure approved last week becomes law, which opponents say would hurt low-income people who have no other means to get...

Pittsburgh Mayor Defending Ride-Sharing Companies

Jun 21 2014 // Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is defending two ride-sharing companies that the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement has recently threatened with fines and cease-and-desist...

IAG Receives Regulatory Approval for Wesfarmers Underwriting Acquisition

Jun 20 2014 // Insurance Australia Group Limited (IAG) announced that it has received the required regulatory approvals from the Commonwealth Acting Assistant Treasurer for its acquisition of the Wesfarmers insurance underwriting...

New Ohio Drilling Policy May Be Good for Oil & Gas, Insurance Industries

Jun 20 2014 // Ohio in mid-April 2014 enacted stricter regulations for oil and gas drilling near faults or areas of past seismic activity, a move that some, including insurers, may view as a step in the right direction. The Ohio...

Duke Energy Balks at Coal Ash Site Closure Deadline

Jun 19 2014 // Duke Energy is expressing concern about proposed legislation requiring the closure of all of its North Carolina coal ash dumps by 2029, a deadline the company says is about half the time it will need. The bill backed by...

Senate Committee to Take Up Cyber Liability Bill Next Week

Jun 19 2014 // The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee is expected to consider a bill next week aimed at encouraging companies to exchange information on hacking attempts and cybersecurity threats with the government, senators said this...

Climate Change Bottom-Line Talk Grows, S&P Director Says

Jun 18 2014 // Companies and governments worldwide are changing their behaviors and examining their risks in the face of climate change, a managing director for Standard & Poor’s said as he held up the insurance industry as a...

North Carolina Bill Would Force Duke to Close Coal Ash Sites Over 15 Years

Jun 18 2014 // A bill backed by key North Carolina lawmakers would require Duke Energy to close all of its coal ash dumps across the state within 15 years, with much of the toxic material going into lined landfills. The Associated Press...

Michigan Bill Limiting Lawsuits Against Insurers Awaits Governor’s Signature

Jun 17 2014 // A bill approved by Michigan Legislature that further limits certain consumer lawsuits against insurance companies under the state’s Consumer Protection Act has been sent to Gov. Rick Snyder for his signature. The...

Florida Private Flood Bill Now Law But Market May Take a While to Develop

Jun 17 2014 // Florida Gov. Rick Scott has signed legislation designed to encourage private insurers to offer flood insurance, but the industry is tamping down expectations that it will result in a viable market in the near future. The...

West Virginia Motorists, Bicyclists Learning to Share Space

Jun 16 2014 // Local cyclists seem to generally approve of new traffic laws in West Virginia to protect them, though many say the increasing number of riders on city streets already has created something of a truce with motorists. The...

Florida Judge Approves Deal for Heritage to Assume Sunshine State Policies

Jun 16 2014 // A Florida judge has signed-off on a plan by regulators to allow a failed Florida property insurer’s policyholders to be assumed by another company, although policyholders will retain the option to seek coverage...

Florida Gov. Scott Signs Flood Insurance, Credit Claims, Parasailing Bills

Jun 16 2014 // Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed into law on Friday dozens of measures covering everything from flood insurance, electronic cigarettes and parasailing. The Republican governor, who has been holding re-election campaign...