Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
NCCI Reports on Workers’ Comp Legislative Outlook
May 5 2014 // The National Council on Compensation Insurance Inc. (NCCI) published on April 8 its annual workers’ compensation issues report. Included in the report is a legislative and regulatory outlook across the country. The...
R.I. Begins Allowing Digital Proof of Auto Insurance
May 5 2014 // Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee has signed into law legislation allowing motorists in Rhode Island to use their smartphones to offer police proof they have auto insurance. The bills sponsored by Sen. William Conley Jr....
Vermont’s Updated Law Offers ‘Welcome Option’ for Inactive Captives
May 5 2014 // Vermont’s updated captive insurance law now offers inactive captives in the state a chance to apply for a “dormant” status. Vermont regulators said this latest modification reflects the state’s...
Iowa Commissioner Gerhart: Something for Everybody at the Global Insurance Symposium
May 5 2014 // The state of Iowa on May 20-22 will host its first-ever Global Insurance Symposium, a privately funded event that aims to bring insurance professionals and regulators from around the world together to discuss the...
Insurance in the Sharable Economy
May 5 2014 // The new sharable economy is growing across the country, and one question looms large: What are the insurance implications? Homeowners and renters understand the types of insurance they need and where they can buy coverage....
Coal Companies Challenge Black Lung Mining Regulation
May 4 2014 // More than a dozen coal companies, including a unit of Patriot Coal Corp., challenged a new federal mine-safety regulation aimed at reducing black lung disease, with some arguing the objectives are unattainable. The...
Florida Revises Insurer Solvency Review Process
May 4 2014 // The Florida legislature has approved legislation setting out new insurer solvency requirements while also requiring individuals to disclose information about any affiliated company. Sponsored by Senator David Simmons...
Missouri Law Bars Contractors from Paying Deductibles on Commercial Property
May 2 2014 // Missouri lawmakers have given final approval to legislation that supporters say is aimed at protecting commercial property. A 2011 Missouri law bars residential contractors who fix roofs or complete other exterior repairs...
Florida Lawmakers Pass Homeowners’ Rights Bill With Credit Restriction
May 1 2014 // Insurers in Florida could not use credit information to deny a claim or cancel a policy under a bill now headed to the desk of Florida Gov. Rick Scott. The Florida House voted unanimously for a bill that would also create...
Judge Orders BP Claimant, Lawyers to Return $357K Award
May 1 2014 // A federal judge in New Orleans has ruled that a $357,000 payment in a damage claim from the 2010 BP oil spill must be repaid because the claim was fraudulent. The claim had been made by Casey Thonn for seafood losses. An...
Minneapolis Considering Regulations for Rideshare Companies
May 1 2014 // Minneapolis, Minn., is among cities across the country deciding how best to regulate app-based rideshare companies that connect drivers with passengers. Milwaukee is facing a similar challenge in neighboring Wisconsin. The...
Senate Cybersecurity Bill Gives Firms Liability Protection for Sharing Data
Apr 30 2014 // U.S. administration officials, private sector executives and privacy advocates are reviewing a draft of a bill that would encourage sharing of cybersecurity data between the government and companies, two key Senators said...
Supreme Court Rules Patent Suit Winners Can Get Legal Fees
Apr 30 2014 // Companies that successfully fight off “unreasonable” patent lawsuits can get their legal fees paid, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a decision that may benefit Google Inc., Apple Inc. and other technology...
Starr’s Greenberg Loses Bid for Jury, Must Face Judge He Criticized
Apr 30 2014 // Former AIG chief Maurice “Hank” Greenberg will have to defend himself against claims of accounting fraud in a non-jury trial conducted by a judge he tried to remove for alleged bias. Justice Charles Ramos of...
Insurance Agents Not Giving Up on NARAB Producer Licensing Reform
Apr 28 2014 // The insurance industry has not given up on getting Congress to pass legislation to create a national producer registry and make it easier for agents and brokers become licensed in multiple states. The Independent Insurance...
Surplus Lines Insurers Could Pick Up Citizens Policies Under Senate Bill
Apr 28 2014 // Homeowners seeking coverage from Citizens Property Insurance could wind up getting policies from out-of-state insurers that are exempt from many of the state regulations other insurers must honor. The Florida Senate on...
Insurers Cooperated in Writing of Florida Rule on Gun Ownership
Apr 27 2014 // Florida lawmakers have approved legislation that supporters say will uphold a policyholder’s constitutional right to bear arms by preventing insurers from using gun ownership in underwriting. The Florida House of...
Mexico, Nicaragua Earthquakes Unlikely to Impact Insurance Industry: Fitch Ratings
Apr 25 2014 // Fitch Ratings said it “believes that the insurance industry and the ratings currently assigned to P&C companies in Nicaragua and Mexico will not be affected by the earthquakes that recently hit these...
Arizona Senate Takes Side of Uber, Lyft Ridesharing Services
Apr 24 2014 // Calling Uber a cutting-edge concept, the Arizona Senate approved a bill that exempts it and other rideshare companies from the same regulations that traditional taxi and limo companies have. The amended bill exempts...
Judge Denies New York Fed Employee Whistleblower Protection Over Firing
Apr 24 2014 // A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit against the Federal Reserve Bank of New York by a former bank examiner who claimed the Fed fired her after she refused to change certain findings about Goldman Sachs Group...
