Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Former Nebraska Sen. Nelson Named CEO of Insurance Regulators’ Group, NAIC
Jan 22 2013 // Former Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson has been named chief executive officer of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the organization for state insurance regulators and advocacy group for state-level...
Conn. Considers Expanding Workers’ Comp to Help Emergency Workers
Jan 21 2013 // Post-traumatic stress was so great for some first responders who arrived at Sandy Hook Elementary School minutes after a gunman killed 20 children and six educators that the Connecticut legislature is considering a measure...
Ohio Joins States Tracking Arsonists on Registries
Jan 21 2013 // Ohio is joining the few states that require convicted arsonists to register with authorities, hoping it will help solve more cases, deter repeat offenses and prevent deaths and property damage. The new law will require...
More than 2,400 Bills Filed for 2013 Oklahoma Legislative Session
Jan 21 2013 // Members of the Oklahoma House and Senate have filed more than 2,400 bills and resolutions to consider in the 2013 Legislature. The measures were filed prior to the Jan. 17, 4 p.m. deadline for state lawmakers to file...
Arkansas Lawmaker Files Tort Reform Ballot Measure
Jan 18 2013 // An Arkansas lawmaker is proposing a constitutional amendment to require those who file lawsuits found to be “frivolous” to pay court costs and to place restrictions on experts who can testify at medical...
Florida Audit Says Citizens’ Travel Expenses Excessive; Governor Orders Reform
Jan 18 2013 // A review by Florida’s chief inspector general contends that employees at the state-created Citizens Property Insurance racked up excessive travel expenses over an eight-month period. Florida Gov. Rick Scott ordered a...
Florida Looks to Restructure Its Hurricane Fund; Federal Option Proposed
Jan 18 2013 // Florida lawmakers are poised to consider restructuring the state-run property reinsurance facility by possibly lowering its mandatory annual capacity by billions due to concerns that one major storm could exhaust its...
Michigan Governor Proposes New Department of Insurance and Finance
Jan 17 2013 // Michigan Gov. Rick Synder has proposed the creation of a new Department of Insurance and Financial Services. Snyder, who is beginning his third year as governor, said the new department will “emphasize consumer...
After Sandy, N.Y. Assembly Advances ‘Homeowners Bill of Rights’ Legislation
Jan 17 2013 // A leading New York lawmaker introduced two pieces of legislation this month to help homeowners better understand their insurance coverages and to tighten the timeframe requirements for insurers when responding to claims...
N.J. Lawmaker Aims to Classify Reverse Rate Evasion as Insurance Fraud
Jan 17 2013 // The New Jersey Assembly’s financial institutions and insurance committee advanced a bill that would include “reverse rate evasion” as a form of insurance fraud. The bill, A2204 — introduced by the...
Judge Rules News Outlets’ Use of Photo on Twitter Violated Copyright
Jan 16 2013 // A U.S. judge has found that two news organizations improperly used images that a photojournalist had posted to Twitter in one of the first big tests of intellectual property law involving social media. Agence France-Presse...
House Sends $50.5 Billion Sandy Disaster Aid Bill to Senate
Jan 15 2013 // The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved $50.5 billion in long-delayed federal disaster aid to victims of Superstorm Sandy, but not before Republicans flexed their budget-cutting muscle to strike some spending...
Mississippi City Overhauling Taxi Regulations
Jan 15 2013 // Vicksburg, Mississippi’s Public Transportation Board is working on 20 proposed changes to the city’s taxi ordinance. Board chairman Jim Stirgus Jr. told the Vicksburg Post that the plan is to bring all vehicles...
Number of Insurers Based in Texas ‘Average’ Compared to Size of Market
Jan 14 2013 // The Texas insurance market is ranked the 12th largest in the world in terms of premium volume, but only an “average” number of insurance carriers call the state home, and many of the 400 insurance companies...
North Carolina Insurers Split Over Auto Insurance Rate System
Jan 14 2013 // A divided auto insurance industry will try again this year to change a unique regulatory system in North Carolina, which enjoys some of the lowest rates in the country. The industry will use the argument that average costs...
Judge: Records of Michigan Catastrophic Claims Fund Are Public
Jan 14 2013 // An insurance fund that slaps a fee on every Michigan car to pay for catastrophic injuries suffered in accidents has been ordered to open its books and demonstrate how it sets the annual rate. The decision by an Ingham...
California Wholesalers Fret Over Upcoming Legal Decision
Jan 11 2013 // A pending legal battle that could expose wholesalers in California to more lawsuits was the centerpiece of talk at the California Insurance Wholesalers Association conference in San Diego on Friday. The three-day...
N.Y. Gov.: New Workers’ Comp Legislation Will Offer Relief to Businesses
Jan 11 2013 // New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo said this week his administration plans to introduce new legislation to continue to improve the workers’ compensation system and provide relief to thousands of businesses.N.Y. Gov....
Illinois House OKs Illegal Immigrant Driver’s License Bill
Jan 11 2013 // Illinois has moved a step closer to becoming the next state to allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses after House lawmakers approved a bill requiring one-year proof of state residency, form of...
Medical Malpractice Tort Reform Signed into Law in Michigan
Jan 11 2013 // Tort reform advocates in Michigan, including medical malpractice insurer, The Doctors Company, lauded the recent signing of reform legislation in Michigan. The Michigan State Medical Society, with significant support from...
