Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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...
Senate to Take Up Chemical Safety Bill After West Virginia Spill
Feb 6 2014 // U.S. senators said they will take up a bill as soon as this week to require inspections and clean-up plans for chemical storage tanks, over the objection of industry, after a West Virginia spill tainted drinking...
State v. Federal Regulation Debate a ‘Relic,’ Says FIO Chief McRaith
Feb 6 2014 // The state versus federal oversight discussion is a “binary debate” that is a relic of a bygone era, the director of the Federal Insurance Office told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing Tuesday. FIO Director...
A.M. Best Europe Obtains ECAI Status under New EU Regulations
Feb 6 2014 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited (AMBERS) has confirmed that it has obtained External Credit Assessment Institution (ECAI) status under new European Union (EU) regulations, which came into force in January...
Lobbyist Gives Update on Insurance-Related Bills
Feb 5 2014 // There are a number of bills currently under consideration by state Legislature that may be of interest to agents, brokers and insurance professionals in general. Lobbyist John Norwood, owner of Norwood Associates in...
PCI Bolsters Washington Operations with 3 Hires: Glassic, Austin, Gray
Feb 5 2014 // The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI)said it has added three new hires. Tom Glassic will join the association as vice president, policy and government relations; Nicole Austin will join the...
UPenn Legal Scholar: FIO Report Is ‘Cautiously Sensible’
Feb 5 2014 // The Federal Insurance Office (FIO)’s recent report on how to improve and modernize insurance regulation has received a range of reactions since its publication in December. Recently a business law scholar at the...
