Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Congress May Revisit Online Piracy Bill After White House Criticism
Jan 17 2012 // Federal legislation aimed at curbing online piracy, which had appeared to be on a fast track for approval by Congress, appears likely to be scaled back or jettisoned entirely in the wake of critical comments over the...
New Mexico’s Public Regulation Commission Mulls Overhauls
Jan 13 2012 // Members of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission are considering recommendations for overhauling the agency’s hiring policies and shifting some of its duties to other state departments. The commission sets...
New York Judge Drops Binladen Group as 9/11 Defendant
Jan 13 2012 // A Manhattan judge has dismissed a construction company founded by Osama bin Laden’s father as a defendant in Sept. 11 lawsuits brought by families of terrorism victims and others. Judge George Daniels dismissed the...
Connecticut Governor Seeks Storm Exercises, Utility Standards
Jan 13 2012 // Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced this week that he will propose legislation that could lead to new performance standards for all utilities and could penalize them with fines if they fall short in their response...
Judge Allows Suit Alleging GE Misled Investors
Jan 13 2012 // A federal judge refused on Thursday to throw out a lawsuit accusing General Electric Co and its chief executive of misleading investors about the conglomerate’s financial health and exposure to risky debt during the...
Florida Gov. Scott Supports Bill Forcing Accident Victims to Emergency Rooms
Jan 13 2012 // A bill that would force all accident victims to go to emergency rooms instead of their family doctor, even for minor injuries, cleared a Florida House subcommittee on Wednesday. The bill (HB 119) was approved 10-5 by the...
Supreme Court Rules Religious Ministers Not Covered by Job Bias Laws
Jan 12 2012 // Religious groups and churches may hire and fire their leaders without being subject to laws against discrimination in employment, the U.S. Supreme Court said this week in a unanimous landmark ruling. For the first time,...
Bill to Make Highways Safer on Fast Track in Missouri Senate
Jan 12 2012 // Legislation is on a fast track in the Missouri Senate to make the state comply with federal standards for commercial truckers and drunken driving sentences in an effort to avoid penalties that could dock tens of millions...
Florida Lawmakers Advance Brain Injury, Wrongly Imprisoned Claims Bills
Jan 12 2012 // A man who spent 27 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit and the brain-damaged and paralyzed victim of a crash with a speeding sheriff’s deputy who was late for work would receive millions in...
FIO’s McRaith: 150 Comments Received on Modernizing Insurance Regulation
Jan 11 2012 // Speaking at an industry conference yesterday, the Federal Insurance Office’s top official gave an update on his department’s upcoming report on the U.S. insurance regulatory system. FIO Director Michael McRaith...
Florida Lawmakers File Bills to Address Auto Insurance PIP Fraud
Jan 11 2012 // State Sen. Joe Negron this week filed legislation designed to crack down on the fraud that leads to more expensive personal injury protection insurance required of all Florida drivers. Negron’s bill (SB 1860) targets...
World Economic Forum Warns Economic, Social Turmoil Risk Globalization Gains
Jan 11 2012 // The latest report from the World Economic Forum highlights the “world’s vulnerability to further economic shocks and social upheavals.” Together they “risk undermining the progress that...
Barton, Nelson Promoted at Missouri Department of Insurance
Jan 10 2012 // Two veteran insurance regulators at the Missouri Department of Insurance have been appointed to division director positions. Matt Barton was picked to lead the Consumer Affairs Division and Angela Nelson is now director of...
Federal Risk Retention Law Needs Clarification: Congressional Report
Jan 10 2012 // The federal law governing risk retention groups should be clarified to reduce the number of disagreements between RRG managers and state regulators and to clarify the coverage RRGs may offer, a Congressional report...
5 Strategies for P/C Insurers for 2012
Jan 10 2012 // The economic uncertainty that plagues buyers of insurance does not bode well for the property/casualty insurance industry, experts are warning. Ernst & Young, the global tax and business advisory firm, said it expects...
South Carolina Judge Grants Initial OK for Class Action Over Sun City Homes
Jan 10 2012 // A South Carolina judge has granted preliminary class-action status to lawsuits alleging defective stucco work on homes in Sun City Hilton Head. The Island Packet of Hilton Head reported that Judge J. Michael Baxley issued...
Connecticut Law Nixing Legitimate Malpractice Lawsuits
Jan 9 2012 // After losing a baby because of an incompetent cervix, Patricia Votre thought she was well prepared when she got pregnant again. She made arrangements with her doctors to consult with high-risk pregnancy experts from Yale...
Judge Dismisses Most Claims in New Mexico Gay Bias Lawsuit
Jan 9 2012 // A judge has dismissed most of the claims in a New Mexico lawsuit by two women who alleged their daughter’s teacher discriminated against the girl because her parents are gay. Shannon Peterson and Jessica Bissell sued...
Hawaii Supreme Court Rules ‘Known or Obvious Danger’ Defense Not Viable
Jan 9 2012 // The Hawaii Supreme Court has ruled the “known or obvious danger” defense is no longer viable under state law as a complete bar to an injured plaintiff’s premises liability claim. Michele R. Steigman...
The Sound of Feds Listening
Jan 9 2012 // For months now, Director Michael McRaith and his staff at the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) have been doing something rare for a federal agency — they’ve been listening. In meetings, requests for comment, and even...
