Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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...
W.R. Berkley Corp. Divests, Connecticut Bank Acquires InsurBanc
Apr 8 2013 // InsurBanc — a federal savings bank founded by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America and W.R. Berkley Corp. a dozen years ago — has joined Connecticut Community Bank N.A., based in Westport,...
Insurance Company Settlement Money to Bolster Louisiana’s Budget
Apr 8 2013 // Louisiana has received $95 million in legal settlements with insurance companies, ending questions about whether the money would roll in for this year’s budget or leave lawmakers scrambling to fill a...
Judge Approves $4M For Libby Asbestos Attorneys
Apr 8 2013 // A state judge says lawyers for victims of asbestos exposure in a contaminated Montana town are entitled to more than $4 million in fees and expenses out of a $19.6 million settlement with chemical manufacturer W.R. Grace...
Remembering 29 Miners Lost in West Virginia Blast 3 Years Ago
Apr 8 2013 // As West Virginians marked the third anniversary of an explosion that killed 29 coal miners Friday, congressional Democrats called the lack of action on tougher mine safety legislation “shameful.” Gov. Earl Ray...
The Right Career Choice for the Next Generation
Apr 8 2013 // The road to becoming a successful independent insurance agent is not always easy. The economy and often volatile property/casualty insurance market cycle are just two of the potholes agents must maneuver. Young agents in...
How Obamacare Could Affect P/C Insurance
Apr 8 2013 // Key changes in federal health care reform remain months away, but property/casualty actuaries are already trying to determine what impact they will have on their business, particularly workers’ compensation and...
Judge: Chicago Firm Can Sue Facebook over ‘Timeline’
Apr 7 2013 // Chicago-based social media company called Timelines Inc. can sue Facebook Inc. over allegations that it violated the smaller firm’s trademark on the word “timeline,” a federal judge ruled. Timelines...
