Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Hawaii Supreme Court Rules ‘Known or Obvious Danger’ Defense Not Viable
Dec 27 2011 // 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...
Judge: NYC Taxi Agency Must Help Disabled Riders
Dec 27 2011 // A federal judge has barred New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission from issuing permits for taxicabs unless they’re accessible to people with disabilities. Advocates for the disabled say it’s a...
Utah Lawmaker Wants Out Of Daylight Saving Program
Dec 27 2011 // One Utah lawmaker wants to pull the plug on daylight saving time. The Deseret News of Salt Lake City reports Republican Rep. Jim Nielson of Bountiful plans legislation that lets Utah opt out of the semiannual changing of...
Alaska Law Meant To Ban Texting While Driving Challenged
Dec 27 2011 // Alaska’s intended ban on texting while driving is facing a legal challenge, with a magistrate in Kenai saying the Legislature should have been explicit if they truly meant to prohibit the activity. The decision this...
New York Judge: Iran, Taliban, al-Qaida Liable for 9/11
Dec 27 2011 // A federal judge has signed a default judgment finding Iran, the Taliban and al-Qaida liable in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Judge George Daniels in Manhattan signed the judgment last Thursday, a week after hearing...
Jones Clears Way for California’s ‘Principally At-Fault’ Regulations
Dec 21 2011 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Wednesday announced the final approval of amended regulations that simplify the requirements for determining whether a driver is principally at-fault (PAF) for an accident,...
Michigan Governor Signs Unemployment, Workers’ Comp Legislation
Dec 21 2011 // Michigan employers are likely to save money on unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation under changes signed into law on Dec. 19 by Gov. Rick Snyder. Critics, though, said the moves could make it more...
For Florida Gov. Scott, Insurance Fixes Are Legislative Priority
Dec 21 2011 // Gov. Rick Scott wants lawmakers to fix a pair of auto and property insurance issues that are costing Floridians hundreds of millions of dollars but have eluded resolution for more than a decade. The issue facing the...
Swiss Re Sees Continued Emerging Market Growth; Profitability Squeeze
Dec 20 2011 // Insurance in emerging markets has “experienced strong growth over the past decade and the outlook for the next decade remains promising,” a Swiss Re sigma study concludes. However, it also notes that...
Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Doak Has Had a Full Plate in 2011
Dec 19 2011 // In his first year as insurance commissioner of Oklahoma, John Doak has been a busy man. Doak and the agency he leads have had their hands full implementing reforms in the workers’ compensation system, dealing with a...
Michigan Republicans to Continue Economic Focus
Dec 19 2011 // Republicans in firm control of the state Legislature say they’re setting the stage for an economic turnaround in Michigan after passing sweeping tax and policy changes over the past year. Business tax cuts that will...
Moody’s Corp. Acquires Barrie & Hibbert
Dec 19 2011 // Moody’s Corp. has acquired Barrie & Hibbert Limited, a provider of risk management modeling tools for insurance companies worldwide. The acquisition broadens Moody’s Analytics suite of software solutions...
Illinois Judge Pulled from Asbestos Cases Will Return $30K in Donations
Dec 16 2011 // A judge who was assigned to hear all of the asbestos cases in her southwestern Illinois county was stripped of those cases after it was revealed her campaign committee received $30,000 in contributions from area law firms...
Governor OKs Bill to End Some Michigan Drivers’ Fees
Dec 16 2011 // Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has signed legislation that will eliminate some extra fees that are imposed on drivers for certain traffic offenses. Senate Bill 166 repeals pieces of the state’s “driver...
U.S. Healthcare Law Keeps More Young Adults Insured
Dec 16 2011 // U.S. healthcare reforms have enabled 2.5 million young adults to join or remain in their parents’ health insurance plans, the U.S. government said this week, up from 1 million reported earlier this year. Federal...
Foreign Insurers Losing Out in China
Dec 16 2011 // Ten years ago, foreign insurers were lining up to celebrate China’s entry into the World Trade Organization, eager to tap what was certain to become the world’s next big insurance frontier. A decade on, it is...
RIMS Tells Treasury: Industry Needs More Uniform, National Regulations
Dec 15 2011 // A major group for risk management professionals sent a letter to the U.S. Treasury Department, asking for a bigger federal role in regulating insurance. The Risk and Insurance Management Society sent its letter to Michael...
Florida Regulators Allow Bermuda Reinsurer to Operate with Reduced Capital
Dec 15 2011 // Florida has added one more name to the growing list of offshore reinsurers who can do business in the state under a new law allowing them to reduce their capital and collateral requirements. The Florida Office of Insurance...
Michigan Workers’ Comp Changes Head to Governor
Dec 15 2011 // A bill that could help Michigan employers reduce costs related to compensating workers injured on the job is on the way to Gov. Rick Snyder after getting final approval in the state Legislature. The bill was approved 60-47...
Scientists Urge New Approach to Offshore Drilling Safety
Dec 15 2011 // U.S. offshore oil and gas drillers need to take a more systematic approach to safety in all aspects of their operations to prevent another catastrophe like last year’s massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a scientific...
