Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Insurance Executives Turn Pessimistic Over Business Outlook: Survey
Nov 10 2011 // Many U.S. insurance executives believe that business conditions have worsened compared to a year ago. Faced with continuing economic sluggishness and a changing regulatory environment, they remain guarded about their...
North Dakota Governor Asks Legislature to Approve Disaster Help
Nov 9 2011 // North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple has unveiled a $569 million plan to provide disaster aid to flood-stricken areas and to help western North Dakota towns struggling to cope with oil development. Speaking to a joint session...
UK Court Rules Catholic Church Liable for Priest Wrongs
Nov 9 2011 // A British court has ruled that Roman Catholic priests are equivalent to employees, a decision that could pave the way for victims of sexual abuse to win damages from the church. Tuesday’s ruling involved a...
Lawmakers Urge U.S. Caution on Japan Trade Talks
Nov 9 2011 // Four senior U.S. lawmakers Tuesday urged President Barack Obama’s administration not to make a hasty decision to begin free trade talks with Japan if that country should request this week to join negotiations on a...
Oklahoma Lawmaker: State Needs to Review Earthquake Issues
Nov 8 2011 // In light of the increasing number and severity of earthquakes in Oklahoma, state Rep. Mike Shelton said lawmakers need to review disaster preparedness-and-response policies. “I represent much of eastern Oklahoma...
Appeals Court Upholds Obama Healthcare Law
Nov 8 2011 // President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law got a boost Tuesday when a U.S. appeals court agreed with a lower court that dismissed a challenge and found the law’s minimum coverage requirement was...
Moody’s Reports on Proposed Systemic Risk Rules for Insurers
Nov 8 2011 // A key ratings agency says that recently proposed guidelines for identifying which insurers would qualify as systemic risks represent an important first step in improved federal regulation of financial institutions. The...
Congress Eyes New Income Insurance for Farmers
Nov 8 2011 // Farm-state lawmakers are moving to create a whole new subsidy that would protect farmers when their revenue drops — an unprecedented program that critics say could pay billions of dollars to farmers now enjoying...
Insurance Groups Laud State Regulators’ Action to Reduce Reinsurance Collateral
Nov 8 2011 // State insurance regulators have approved a new model law and regulation on credit for reinsurance that allows some foreign reinsurers to post reduced collateral. The new rules and regulations, which have taken 12 years to...
Lawmakers Hit Lack of State Legislators on Federal Insurance Panel
Nov 7 2011 // The National Conference of Insurance Legislators said its members are disappointed by the lack of state lawmakers in the makeup of the Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance (FACI). Last week, the U.S. Treasury Department...
Texas Lawmaker Uses Jewish Slur in Windstorm Hearing, Then Apologizes
Nov 7 2011 // A Texas state lawmaker on Nov. 3 used a Jewish slur during a legislative committee hearing while telling officials not to delay or cheat people out of legitimate property insurance claims. Rep. Larry Taylor, of...
Judge Blocks San Francisco’s Cell Phone Warning
Nov 7 2011 // A U.S. judge has blocked most of a San Francisco ordinance that required warnings about cell phone safety risks, saying it violated the First Amendment. Health questions about cell phone use grew this year after a group of...
GOP-led Michigan House OKs Workers’ Comp Changes
Nov 4 2011 // Legislation that could help employers reduce costs related to compensating workers injured on the job was approved by the Republican-led Michigan House. The chamber approved House Bill 5002 by a 59-49, mostly party line...
Michelman & Robinson Expands With Barbarowicz
Nov 4 2011 // Encino, Calif.-based lawfirm Michelman & Robinson LLP has added Robert Barbarowicz as of counsel in their regulatory and administrative group. Barbarowicz has more than three decades of experience in insurance...
Motorcycle Helmet Repeal Approved in Michigan House
Nov 4 2011 // The latest attempt by Michigan lawmakers to repeal a state law requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets passed the state House and cleared a key hurdle. Senate Bill 29, approved by a 69-39 vote, would allow riders 21 or...
Insurance Regulators: Oklahoma’s Financial Examination Process Corrected
Nov 3 2011 // A national organization of state insurance regulators found that Oklahoma has resolved problems in the financial examination section of the state insurance department that were discovered in a review of the agency in...
Florida Calls for More Oversight in Check Cashing Industry Role in Workers’ Comp
Nov 3 2011 // Check cashing companies in Florida may be saddled with new regulations for their role in facilitating workers’ compensation fraud in the construction industry. Among other things, check cashing companies may have to...
Florida Consumer Advocate on PIP: Is it Worth the Cost?
Nov 2 2011 // Florida’s automobile no-fault law is in severe need of reform, but the cost of doing so may be more than the benefit, according to the state’s insurance consumer advocate. Speaking before Florida’s...
Montana Court Rules Insurer Doesn’t Have to Pay in Dragging Death Case
Nov 2 2011 // The Montana Supreme Court has ruled that the family of a man who was run over and dragged by a cement truck is not covered under the vehicle’s insurance policy because he did not technically “occupy” the...
Curbside Buses Have Higher Fatal Accident Rate: Report
Nov 2 2011 // A thriving curbside bus industry based on cheap fares has a fatal accident rate seven times higher than other types of interstate bus operators, with some companies using a variety of schemes to thwart safety enforcement,...
