Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
PCI Opposes Legislation to Ban Use of Insurance Scores in Nevada
Mar 7 2011 // Proposed legislation to prohibit insurers from considering a consumer’s credit history would take away discounted rates for the majority of Nevada policyholders, according to the Property Casualty Insurers...
Bill Banning Texting While Driving Advances in Oklahoma
Mar 7 2011 // Under legislation approved by a House committee, beginner drivers could face hefty fines and possibly lose their driving privileges if caught texting while driving. Rep. Danny Morgan’s measure, House Bill 1316, will...
Supreme Court Ruling Shields Vaccine Makers from Suits
Mar 7 2011 // The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a case originating in Pennsylvania that federal law shields vaccine makers from product liability lawsuits in state court seeking damages for a child’s injuries or death from a...
Pennsylvania Considers Tort Reform, Again
Mar 7 2011 // Pennsylvania lawmakers are once again eyeing a tort reform package — a resurrection of the “Fair Share” act — that many in the insurance industry say would rein in what critics say is a legal system abused...
Connecticut Court Rules Man Charged in Arson May Sue Insurer
Mar 7 2011 // A Connecticut man charged with burning down his beach home hours before he was supposed to give it to his estranged wife may sue the home’s insurer for emotional distress, the state Appellate Court has ruled. Richard...
Model Bill Targets Misclassification of Trucking, Courier Workers
Mar 7 2011 // State lawmakers who deal with insurance issues have approved a model law for the trucking and courier industries that sets guidelines for who is an independent contractor and who is an employee. The National Conference of...
Texas Windstorm Insurance Litigation Costs Too High, Lawmaker Says
Mar 7 2011 // The amount the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) has paid out in litigation costs as a result of lawsuits stemming from Hurricane Ike claims is far too high, said one Texas lawmaker who’s working on...
NAIC, EU Regulators Hold Meeting on International Insurance Regulation
Mar 7 2011 // As business becomes more globalized, the financial services industry, including insurance, has recognized the need to keep up with the changing times. Both U.S and European Union regulators have therefore embarked on...
Washington Refines Pay-As-You-Drive Legislation
Mar 7 2011 // A Washington Senate Committee has refined a proposal to allow drivers’ insurance rates to be based primarily on the number of miles driven per year. The PAYD bill, Senate Bill 5730, would allow insurers to offer...
Supreme Court on Seat Belts
Mar 7 2011 // The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal regulations setting vehicle safety standards do not bar lawsuits seeking damages from automakers for installing lap-only seat belts. The unanimous ruling held that a California...
NRRA Surplus Lines Requirements: The Devil is in the Details
Mar 7 2011 // Editor’s Note: This is the second installment of a two-part article on compliance with the Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act. Part one appeared in the West region of Insurance Journal’s February 21, 2011...
Georgia Ex-Regulator Oxendine Granted Himself Licenses As He Exited Post
Mar 7 2011 // Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine issued himself several licenses to sell insurance and adjust claims in his last full day in office, according to a newspaper report. Oxendine used his authority as the...
Missouri Senate Endorses Change in Workplace Bias Law
Mar 4 2011 // Legislation revising parts of Missouri’s laws on workplace discrimination is moving through the state Senate. The chamber gave first-round approval to a bill changing the legal standard people must meet when they...
Judge Denies Class Action Status in South Dakota Med Mal Lawsuit
Mar 4 2011 // A federal judge has refused to expand a lawsuit beyond the seven people who are suing a South Dakota urology clinic and its owners. The plaintiffs sought to make it a class action suit representing more than 6,000...
House Votes to Repeal Healthcare Law’s 1099 Reporting Measure
Mar 4 2011 // The U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday to rescind an unpopular business tax reporting requirement in the year-old healthcare law, but the measure could be delayed by a dispute with Senate Democrats over how to...
Judge Stays Healthcare Ruling, Gives White House Appeal Deadline
Mar 4 2011 // A U.S. judge Thursday put on hold his ruling that President Barack Obama’s healthcare overhaul was unconstitutional, allowing the White House to continue implementing the landmark legislation for now. But U.S....
Holocaust Survivors Want U.S. to Push European Insurers on Payments
Mar 2 2011 // Aging survivors of the Nazi Holocaust plan to protest outside a political fundraiser in Miami Beach featuring President Barack Obama this week to publicize their struggle to collect what they say is $20 billion in Jewish...
California Proposes to Disable Itself From Taxing 100% of Surplus Lines Premium
Mar 1 2011 // A California legislator has proposed a surplus lines bill — one effect of which will reduce California’s surplus lines premium tax revenues. On Feb. 9, 2011, California Assembly Member Solario introduced Assembly...
EU Court Rules Insurers Cannot Link Risks to Gender
Mar 1 2011 // Insurance companies cannot take gender into account when setting premiums and paying out benefits from annuities and retirement savings or accident cover, the European Union’s top court ruled on Tuesday. The ruling...
New Mexico Fraud Bill Would Allow Judges to Aggregate Claims
Feb 28 2011 // The New Mexico Senate has passed a bill giving judges authority to aggregate the dollar amount of false insurance claims to determine the penalty before sentencing a fraudster. Judges can impose harsher sentences by...
