Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
In R.I., Debate Continues Over 38 Studios Bonds as Insurers Await
Jun 26 2013 // This week, Rhode Island lawmakers are negotiating the final details of the state’s $8.2 billion budget. One controversial part of the discussion has been what Rhode Island should do with the state’s failed...
EPLI in Southern California Playing ‘Hard’ to Get
Jun 25 2013 // Employment practices in California is a known and growing concern for insurers, agents and employers, and that concern has some carriers ramping up rates dramatically or quietly pulling back from the area, say those...
Vermont Taps N.J. Captive Insurance Chief as New Deputy Commissioner
Jun 25 2013 // Vermont’s Department of Financial Regulation is getting a new deputy commissioner in the Insurance Division. St. Johnsbury, Vermont-native Crosby Sherman is going to start on July 8. Sherman began his career at...
New Kentucky Law Reopens Door for Christians-Only Medical Coverage
Jun 25 2013 // Kentuckians will again be able to sign up for a Christians-only medical program under a batch of new laws that take effect Tuesday. Lawmakers passed the law allowing Medi-Share, a Florida-based cost-sharing ministry, to...
Senate Leader Reid Rules Out Extending Current Farm Law
Jun 25 2013 // The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives needs to solve its farm bill impasse by enacting the Senate’s bipartisan bill, Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Monday, warning that the Democrat-run Senate...
Delaware Legislature Adopts Workers’ Compensation Reform Bill
Jun 24 2013 // Delaware lawmakers last week passed workers’ comp reform legislation (HB 175) that seeks to curb rising workers’ compensation costs. The bill has been sent to Gov. Jack Markell, who is expected to sign it. The...
No Punitive Damages for Workplace Sex Bias, Iowa Court Says
Jun 24 2013 // Courts cannot award punitive damages to victims of workplace sexual harassment and gender discrimination under the Iowa Civil Rights Act, the state Supreme Court ruled in a victory for employers. The court said lawmakers...
Federal Judge Criticizes But Upholds Mississippi Damages Cap
Jun 24 2013 // A federal judge has upheld Mississippi’s cap of $500,000 on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases. The ruling came in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a woman and her unborn baby who died...
U.S. May Fall Back on Old Farm Law If No Agreement
Jun 23 2013 // The U.S. Congress is headed for a second stop-gap extension of current farm law if Republican leaders in the House of Representatives cannot get new legislation back on track after a stunning defeat. Farm lobbyists and...
Hospitals Paid More For Surgeries On Injured Workers: Report
Jun 21 2013 // A 16-state study shows that in half of the study states hospital outpatient payments for shoulder surgeries in workers’ compensation were at least $2,000 higher than those in group health. The study from the...
U.S. House Strikes Down Republican Farm Bill
Jun 21 2013 // Republican budget-cutters joined Democratic defenders of food stamps on Thursday to deal a shocking defeat to the $500 billion farm bill backed by Republican leaders in the House of Representatives, undermining hopes of...
High Court Rules for American Express in Class Action Case
Jun 20 2013 // The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that an arbitration agreement prevents merchants from bringing class action claims against American Express Co . The nine-member court ruled on a 5-3 vote, with liberal Justice...
U.S. Regulators See No Need for Enhanced Insurer Capital
Jun 19 2013 // Insurers should not be forced to hold extra capital just because of their size, because the extra cost would simply be passed on to consumers, U.S. regulators said on Tuesday. G20 world leaders have backed imposing extra...
Milk Money: Farm Bill Could Hinge On Dairy Vote
Jun 18 2013 // Approval of a massive farm bill – and the cost of a gallon of milk – could hinge on a proposed new dairy program the House is expected to vote on this week. An overhaul of dairy policy and a new insurance program for...
Analysts: Travelers/Dominion Deal Makes Sense, More U.S.-Canadian M&A May Follow
Jun 18 2013 // The Travelers Companies’ decision to acquire Dominion of Canada General Insurance, a unit of E-L Financial Corp., for $1.1 billion makes strategic sense, according to analysts. The acquisition now allows Travelers to...
N.J. to Offer Lifetime Benefits to Spouses of Police, Fire Personnel Killed on Duty
Jun 17 2013 // In New Jersey, a measure that would provide workers’ compensation benefits to spouses of certain deceased fire and police personnel for the entire period of survivorship was signed into law last Thursday. The newly...
Judge Grants Toyota More Time to Win OK of $1.1 Billion Settlement
Jun 17 2013 // Toyota Motor Corp. and lawyers suing the company were given more time to win final approval of a $1.1 billion settlement of claims that recalls related to unintended acceleration hurt the value of U.S. customers’...
Florida Gov. Scott, CFO Atwater Were Told About Heritage Deal with Citizens
Jun 17 2013 // Florida Gov. Rick Scott — and other top state officials — quickly distanced themselves last month from a controversial deal approved by Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to shift thousands of homeowner policies to a...
Tiny Southern California Agency Earns B Corp Status
Jun 17 2013 // Merely bringing your A-game may not be enough to entice certain companies to give you their business, especially those who are looking for environmentally or socially conscious partners. Following the challenging recession...
4 Strategies to Make Producer Lifecycle Management a Priority
Jun 17 2013 // Maintaining a top-notch sales organization is harder than ever. One key reason is the growing challenge of keeping up with state and federal insurance regulations that focus on sales. The multiple tasks involved –...
