Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Oklahoma House Dem Leader: Tort Reform Special Session ‘Waste of Time’
Jul 24 2013 // Getting Oklahoma lawmakers to return for a special session to address a civil lawsuit bill ruled unconstitutional by the courts is a “waste of time and money,” the House Democratic leader said. Rep. Scott Inman...
NCAA Asks Judge to Toss Paterno Suit Over Sandusky Fine
Jul 24 2013 // The National Collegiate Athletic Association asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit by Joe Paterno’s family challenging penalties levied against Pennsylvania State University and its football program over the Jerry...
S&P: ‘Systemically Important’ Designations Could Trigger Restructurings of Global Insurers
Jul 24 2013 // New requirements that will be imposed on insurers that the Group of 20’s Financial Stability Board has designated to be global systemically important insurers (G-SII) may motivate restructurings of these companies...
Florida Supreme Court Rules Replacement Cost Includes Contractor’s Profit
Jul 24 2013 // Florida’s high court has ruled that insurers under a 2008 law must pay a contractor’s overhead and profit as part of the expense of repairing a homeowner’s property despite the fact the repairs may not...
Commentary: R.I. Court’s Ruling on Self-Insured Retentions in Med-Mal Policies
Jul 23 2013 // In a surprising decision, the Rhode Island Supreme Court held that a self-insured retention (SIR) endorsement in a nursing facility’s professional liability policy was void. However, the Court’s ruling is broad...
House Lawmakers Introduce Patent Reform Bill
Jul 23 2013 // Two U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation on Monday to give companies another tool to fight lawsuits brought by companies that specialize in patent litigation. Their bill would broaden the power of the U.S. Patent and...
Judge Dismisses Faulkner Estate’s Copyright Claim Against Woody Allen Movie
Jul 23 2013 // A federal judge in Mississippi has dismissed a lawsuit claiming that Woody Allen’s 2011 film “Midnight in Paris” improperly used one of William Faulkner’s most famous lines. Faulkner Literary Rights...
Sheffield to Lead Missouri’s Captive Insurance Program
Jul 23 2013 // Missouri Department of Insurance has named Maria Sheffield as its new captive program manager. Sheffield has 17 years of insurance regulatory experience as an accomplished attorney and former insurance regulator. Sheffield...
R.I. Enacts Auto Body Repair Bill; Industry Group Expresses Disappointment
Jul 22 2013 // Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee recently signed into law a bill (HB 5263/SB 465) that would prevent insurers from declaring a vehicle a total loss if the vehicle can be restored to its pre-accident condition at a cost...
Hawaii Supreme Court Rules on Wrongful Death Suit
Jul 22 2013 // Ala Moana Center had a duty to care for a woman who died after getting stuck in an exhaust duct, even though she was trespassing on the roof, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled. But the opinion also affirms parts of a lower...
The Ever-Evolving Cyber Laws
Jul 22 2013 // There is a wide array of state, federal, and international laws requiring individuals and entities that gather, use and secure “personal” or “protected” information to report, and/or...
Bill Would Restore Glass-Steagall Wall Between Banks, Insurers
Jul 22 2013 // A small bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced legislation to restore the wall separating traditional banking activity from riskier financial services. The bill, called the 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act, shows...
Coastal Lawmakers Seek Delays in Flood Insurance Changes
Jul 22 2013 // Just a year after Congress approved changes in the oft-criticized federal flood insurance program, protests from homeowners facing higher premiums have coastal lawmakers pressing for delays to preserve below-cost rates for...
Florida Court Rules on Requiring Examinations Under Oath
Jul 22 2013 // The Florida Supreme Court ruled that prior to a 2012 state law, auto insurer Geico didn’t have the right to force a policyholder to answer questions under oath before paying a personal injury protection (PIP)...
Federal Judge Criticizes But Upholds Mississippi Damages Cap
Jul 22 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...
Missouri Governor Signs Bill Replenishing Disabled Workers Fund
Jul 22 2013 // Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has signed legislation raising charges on businesses to replenish an insolvent state fund that provides benefits to disabled workers. The new law will temporarily double the surcharge that...
Europe Insurer Trade Group Criticizes Listing Companies as G-SII’s
Jul 19 2013 // Europe’s insurers criticized the approach taken by international regulators which named firms considered systemically important as they try to reduce financial risks from the sector. Two global financial watchdogs...
Judge Denies BP Bid to Halt Oil Spill Claim Payments
Jul 19 2013 // A federal judge denied BP Plc’s attempt to suspend payments to people and businesses claiming damages related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, while an investigator —— former FBI Director Louis Freeh—...
Industry Told TRIA Won’t Be Renewed Until 2014
Jul 19 2013 // The property/casualty insurance industry should not count on Congress reauthorizing the federal terrorism reinsurance program this year or in time for January renewals, according to a key insurance lobbyist working on the...
Geneva Association Reacts to G20 Insurers’ Capital Mandate
Jul 19 2013 // The Geneva Association, the international insurance think tank, issued a bulletin following the publication of both the Financial Stability Board’s (FSB) list of global systemically important insurers (G-SIIs) and...
