Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Federal Judge Orders Kentucky to Recognize Out-of-State Gay Marriages
Feb 13 2014 // Kentucky was ordered by a federal judge to recognize same-sex marriages made in other states as similar challenges were filed in Louisiana and Missouri, escalating litigation over gay rights in courts nationwide. U.S....
New York DFS Superintendent Lawsky Reveals Bitcoin Regulation Plans
Feb 12 2014 // New York’s financial regulator on Tuesday revealed new details on his agency’s plans to govern virtual currency firms in the state in order to protect consumers and combat money laundering. Benjamin Lawsky,...
Cities Lobby for Halt to Flood Insurance Increases; House Vote Blocked
Feb 12 2014 // Yesterday the National League of Cities joined the Florida League of Cities, Florida Association of Counties and others in meetings with White House officials and members of Congress to urge a halt to flood insurance...
States’ Rules Complicate Efforts to Enact Uniform Data Security Law
Feb 12 2014 // Data thefts at U.S. retailers have rekindled enthusiasm in Congress for a single federal law on how customers should be notified about such breaches, but those efforts face the same roadblock as in the past: dozens of...
MGAA Members Back Lloyd’s Delegated Authority Plans
Feb 11 2014 // Representatives of over 75 percent of the UK’s Managing General Agents’ Association (MGAA) member organizations gathered yesterday to hear Peter Montanaro, Head of Delegated Authorities at Lloyd’s, set...
Maryland Lawmakers Seek Compromise on Dog Bite Legislation
Feb 10 2014 // A new bill from Maryland’s state Senate would hold the state’s dog owners liable when their dogs bite “innocent victims,” but would also relieve owners who prove they couldn’t know their dogs...
Wisconsin High Court Rules Against State Farm in Uninsured Motorist Case
Feb 10 2014 // The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled against State Farm Insurance Co. in a case that deals with tapping uninsured motorists coverage on up to three vehicles to collect more in claims. The unanimous court upheld a 2013...
Bill Would Regulate South Dakota Insurance Exchange Navigators
Feb 10 2014 // The navigators who help uninsured people sign up for insurance under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul would be regulated under a bill in the South Dakota Legislature. The sponsor, Sen. Al Novstrup,...
Flood Insurance Premium Hikes from New Maps Could Be Delayed Until 2015
Feb 10 2014 // Some flood insurance premiums required under a 2012 law now won’t be raised until the fall of 2015 at the earliest. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said the $1 trillion bipartisan funding bill passed...
Disclosing Broker Fees to Ensure Full Compliance
Feb 10 2014 // An area of intensive scrutiny by the California Department of Insurance surrounds the charging and disclosing of broker fees. The department regularly receives a high volume of customer complaints concerning the failure to...
Medical Malpractice May Be Back on Kentucky Lawmakers’ Agenda
Feb 10 2014 // Kentucky lawmakers are preparing for another debate on whether to shake up the state’s medical malpractice system, with some influential outside voices joining on both sides of the discussion. A new coalition of...
How to Encourage Private Sector Flood Insurance
Feb 10 2014 // New technologies and a better understanding of flood risk may have increased private insurers’ interest in providing flood insurance but real obstacles remain to the private sector getting involved. The obstacles...
Transportation Network Companies, Uber Liability Gap Worry Insurers
Feb 10 2014 // There’s a growing concern over a gap between personal and commercial insurance where ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft are concerned – and slowly states and cities across the country are taking a look at how...
N.Y. Regulator Talks About Insurance Markets, 2014 Agenda
Feb 10 2014 // A top official from New York State’s Department of Financial Services (DFS) recently spoke about the state’s property/casualty insurance markets, calling it overall very good but “a bit more of a mixed...
Kansas Insurance Department Seeking to Raise Insurer Fees
Feb 10 2014 // The Kansas Insurance Department is asking the Legislature for permission to raise fees paid by insurance companies because the state has diverted millions of dollars from its regulatory fund for other purposes. Zachary...
Missouri Judge: Speed Trap Headlight Flashing OK
Feb 7 2014 // It’s a common practice among drivers who pass through a speed trap: Flash your headlights at approaching cars as a warning to slow down. Now, a federal court judge in Missouri says penalizing drivers for the...
Judge Rules Again: No Jail for Texas ‘Affluenza’ Teen in Fatal Car Wreck
Feb 7 2014 // A judge has ordered a Texas teenager who was sentenced to 10 years’ probation in a drunken-driving crash that killed four people to go to a rehabilitation facility paid for by his parents. Judge Jean Boyd on Feb. 5...
Judge: Calfire Owes $30M in 2007 Fire Lawsuit
Feb 7 2014 // A Northern California judge has found the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection guilty of ‘egregious and reprehensible’ conduct in its response to the 2007 Moonlight Fire and ordered the agency...
Senator Presses Tech Firms, Car Makers to Develop Distracted Driving Solutions
Feb 7 2014 // A top U.S. senator is vowing to pursue rules governing in-vehicle use of mobile phones and Internet-connected entertainment systems unless automakers and technology companies do more to reduce driver distractions. Senate...
Mass. Proposes Corporate Tax for Insurer-Owned Pass-Through Entities
Feb 6 2014 // As part of his administration’s plan for new tax revenues, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick recently proposed applying a corporate tax rate to the state’s “pass-through entities” that are owned by...
