Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
New Mexico Judge To Decide $14 Million ‘Lizard Man’ Suit
Apr 15 2013 // A federal judge says he will render a verdict as soon as possible in the $14 million wrongful death suit filed by the family of a samurai sword-wielding man shot and killed by a Las Cruces Police officer. The Las Cruces...
Judge Nixes Insurer Lawsuit After Juror Conducts Online Research
Apr 15 2013 // A federal judge in Louisville has dismissed an entire jury pool in a civil case because one of the jurors did online research about the defendant. U.S. Magistrate Judge James Moyer excused the panel in a case brought by...
Michigan Amateur Mixed Martial Arts Rules Included Insurance Component
Apr 12 2013 // The Michigan House has overwhelmingly approved regulations for amateur mixed martial arts events, days after a 35-year-old man died after participating in a bout in Port Huron, Mich. Among other things, under the...
Report: California Lags in Fracking Regulations
Apr 12 2013 // A new report on hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) in California warns there are risks of irreversible contamination of surface and groundwater near oil drilling sites unless the technique is carefully monitored...
UK’s FCA Signals Financial Reg Changes to Place Burden on Sellers
Apr 12 2013 // Britain’s new watchdog announced sweeping changes in financial regulation on Wednesday, telling banks they can no longer blame customers when products go wrong and promising to study how consumers behave to make sure...
PCI Urges Progress on U.S.-EU Trade Pact for Trans-Atlantic Insurance Market
Apr 12 2013 // The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) has issued a statement urging negotiators to make progress on enhancing the proposed U.S.-EU Trade agreement to include mutual recognition of the U.S. and EU...
Probe Blames Deadly Copter Crash on Pilot Texting
Apr 12 2013 // Texting by the pilot of a medical helicopter contributed to a crash that killed four people, federal accident investigators said this week as they approved a safety alert cautioning all pilots against using cellphones or...
Gun Liability Insurance Measures Facing Uphill Battle in State Legislatures
Apr 12 2013 // While lawmakers in most states have introduced measures in their current legislative sessions that address gun control and gun liability issues, their approaches vary widely, largely depending on the area of the country in...
Washington State Lawmakers Consider Tougher DUI Laws
Apr 11 2013 // Lawmakers are considering tightening up the state’s laws against driving under the influence after two recent cases that left three dead and two, including an infant, critically injured. Rep. Roger Goodman held a...
As Gun Sales Soar, Insurance Sales Follow Suit
Apr 11 2013 // Proposed federal and state gun legislation is having an unintended effect on growth in the gun insurance market across the country. Experts in this segment say new policy submissions dealing with all aspects of guns,...
Judge Approves $115 Million AIG Shareholder Settlement
Apr 10 2013 // A federal judge on Wednesday approved a $115 million settlement between American International Group Inc. shareholders and former CEO Maurice “Hank” Greenberg and other defendants over alleged improper...
Commentary: Will HUD’s Disparate Impact Rule Have Say in Ratemaking?
Apr 10 2013 // Despite the McCarran-Ferguson Act, which reserved the regulation of the “business of insurance” to the states, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has given itself the ability to upset and...
Dryad Maritime Welcomes Japan Plan to Allow Armed Guards on Ships
Apr 10 2013 // Dryad Maritime, a UK-based commercial maritime intelligence company, has welcomed the Japanese government’s plans to submit legislation that will permit the carriage of armed guards on Japanese-flagged vessels. The...
Gun Liability Insurance Bills Aren’t the Answer, Says Insurance Industry
Apr 10 2013 // Congress appears ready to take up gun control legislation for the first time in years, with proposals under consideration focusing on background checks, straw purchases and money for school safety. If the debate stays on...
Wisconsin Lawmaker Defends Change to Asbestos Lawsuit Rules
Apr 9 2013 // Asbestos-exposure lawsuits would be slowed until plaintiffs reveal how many businesses their attorneys plan to go after under a bill introduced by a Republican lawmaker, who said the measure would prevent lawyers from...
Washington Weighs Compensation for Wrongful Convictions
Apr 9 2013 // Alan Northrop anxiously waits outside a Senate committee hearing, his girlfriend rubbing his shoulders and whispering words of support as he prepares to sign in to testify about nearly two decades of freedom...
Feds Will Enforce Insurance Regulations In Wyoming
Apr 9 2013 // The federal government will directly enforce Affordable Care Act regulations in Wyoming when key pieces of the federal health care reform law take effect in January. Federal officials made the decision after learning the...
South Carolina Copper Thefts Continue Despite Tougher Laws
Apr 9 2013 // Although tougher laws have been passed, officials in South Carolina say metal robbers continue to plague homeowners, churches, government agencies and utilities. The Greenville News reported that thefts continue despite a...
Connecticut Shoreline Avoids Zoning Changes After Storms
Apr 8 2013 // After hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed by storms raking Connecticut’s shoreline, a state task force recommended that local zoning codes be changed to reflect rising sea level and new flood elevations. But...
Florida Justices Face Another PIP Conundrum: Medical Fees
Apr 8 2013 // Florida’s high court is poised to decide how much money insurers owe some medical providers in cases where an auto policy does not specifically state that the fees will be based on a fee schedule approved by state...
