Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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,...
Helping Banks is Hurting Insurance Industry Geneva Association Tells G20
Nov 2 2011 // In an open letter The Geneva Association directly addressed the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the G-20 before their meeting in Cannes, France. It pointed out that amidst all of the concerns over the...
US, EU, Japan Press China on Financial Services Reform at WTO
Nov 1 2011 // The United States criticized China on Monday for failing to fulfill World Trade Organization commitments to open its financial services market, while the European Union and Japan pressed for answers on specific areas of...
Greek Referendum Plan Threatens New Euro Zone Crisis
Nov 1 2011 // Prime Minister George Papandreou’s shock announcement that he will put Greece’s bailout to a referendum threatened to intensify the euro zone crisis, and brought complaints in Germany that Athens is trying to...
Nebraska Health Exchange Would Need 83K-100K Enrollees
Oct 31 2011 // As many as 100,000 Nebraskans would need to enroll in a state-based health insurance exchange before the program could sustain itself as required, according to a report presented to lawmakers on Oct. 28. Insurance...
Farmers Insurance: Nov.1 Will Dramatically Impact Oklahoma Drivers
Oct 31 2011 // Farmers Insurance is advising Oklahoma residents that a new law, which goes into effect on Nov. 1, will have a significant effect on all drivers, especially those who drive without proper automobile insurance. The new...
Judge Blocks San Francisco’s Cell Phone Warning
Oct 31 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...
Oklahoma Lawmaker Wants All Day Cares Insured
Oct 28 2011 // An exemption that allows some day care operators not to carry liability insurance coverage should be removed, a state lawmaker told a legislative panel. More than 1,500 home-based day care operators and nearly 140 day care...
Louisiana Must Turn Over Records to BP-U.S. Judge
Oct 28 2011 // Louisiana must quickly turn over documents requested by oil giant BP, or else face dismissal of its lawsuit against the company for losses caused by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a judge ruled Thursday. Louisiana faces...
