Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
How to Manage the Growing Risks of Social Media
Jul 5 2010 // Advertising, Defamation, Privacy and Security Laws All at Issue Asked why he robbed banks, Willie Sutton famously replied: “Because that’s where the money is.” Something similar can be said to explain why...
Webinar to Help P&C Agents Benefit from Health Insurance Boom Under Reform Law
Jul 1 2010 // For independent insurance agents, upcoming healthcare reform could be an opportunity to gain a bigger share of the health insurance and benefits market, provided they can properly advise their customers about their...
More Oil Spills to Come, Says Professor
Jun 30 2010 // The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is not simply a random accident. There will be more of these spills to come, as the days of easy oil are over, says an anthropologist at Washington University in St....
Catlin to Establish Swiss Reinsurer
Jun 29 2010 // The Bermuda-based Catlin Group Limited has announced that it intends to form a reinsurance company in Switzerland to “significantly expand the European-based reinsurance business underwritten by the...
Michigan Police Face Challenge of Enforcing Text-Driving Ban
Jun 28 2010 // When Michigan’s ban on texting while driving takes effect Thursday, July 1, police will be able to pull over motorists solely for using their cell phones to send or look at text messages or e-mails. Some in law...
As Alex Looms, Texans Wait for Decision on Flood Insurance
Jun 28 2010 // With Tropical Storm Alex skirting the east coast of Mexico and heading north, if residents along the Texas Gulf Coast are thinking it’s a good time to purchase flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance...
Supreme Court Partially Strikes Down SOX Accounting Board
Jun 28 2010 // The Supreme Court Monday struck down part of a law to prevent fraud committed by companies like Enron and WorldCom, saying a board to police public companies’ auditors violated the Constitution. But the ruling left...
New Lawsuit Filed Over 2007 Utah Mine Disaster
Jun 28 2010 // Six U.S. insurance companies and Lloyd’s of London are suing for reimbursement of millions of dollars for equipment abandoned inside a Utah mine that collapsed in 2007, killing six miners and three rescuers. The suit...
Lawmakers Agree on Historic Financial Industry Reforms
Jun 25 2010 // U.S. lawmakers hammered out a historic overhaul of financial regulations as dawn broke over the nation’s capital Friday, handing President Barack Obama a major domestic victory on the eve of a global summit devoted...
Highlights of U.S. Financial Reforms
Jun 25 2010 // A U.S. Senate-House of Representatives panel has completed a bill overhauling financial regulation. It must now win approval in each chamber before it can go to President Barack Obama to be signed into law. Here is a brief...
Attorney Contingency Fee Bill Dies in Final Hours of Louisiana Session
Jun 25 2010 // As time ran out on the Louisiana legislative session, lawmakers were unable to complete a deal on a Senate Bill 731, which would have allowed the attorney general to hire outside attorneys on a contingency fee basis,...
Federal Judge Signs off on Deal for 9/11 Responders
Jun 25 2010 // Some recounted their days at the smoldering ruins of the World Trade Center. Some fought back tears. Some complained that no amount of money would make them whole. Despite the mixed emotions, most of the responders on...
Cooper Gay Sees Opportunities in Local Professional Liability Laws
Jun 24 2010 // Charles Binns, Divisional Director of Professional Risks at London-based broker Cooper Gay, told delegates at last week’s BrokersLink Global Conference that the introduction of new laws in a number of countries,...
Judge Tells Louisiana to Reconsider Health Insurance Contract
Jun 23 2010 // A judge on June 21 ordered the state of Louisiana to reconsider its award of a contract to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana to administer the HMO health plan for state workers, retirees and their dependents. Humana...
UK Regulatory Consultant Analyzes Financial Services Regime Change
Jun 22 2010 // The UK’s new Chancellor (Finance Minister) George Osborne has announced plans to fundamentally reform the way financial services, including insurance, are to be regulated [See IJ web site –...
Lawmakers Seek Funds for Study of Tennessee Floods
Jun 22 2010 // U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper and U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander say they would secure funding for the Army Corps of Engineers to produce a detailed report of the May flooding in Tennessee. Cooper issued a statement saying he had been...
Judge’s Approach to Curbing Malpractice Suits Gets $3 Million
Jun 22 2010 // To settle medical malpractice lawsuits, Judge Douglas McKeon sometimes quietly listens to heartbroken family members vent their anger. He calls it “humanness.” Curiosity about medical matters led the longtime...
Rush to Electronic Health Records Could Increase Liability Risk
Jun 22 2010 // Although the benefits of bringing information technology to health records can be substantial, electronic health records (EHR) systems also give rise to increased liability risks for health care providers due to possible...
Lawmakers Say Insurance Reform Veto Will Cost Oklahoma Agencies
Jun 22 2010 // Republican lawmakers in Oklahoma say a gubernatorial veto will keep numerous agencies, including some of the state’s largest, from saving millions in health care costs. Legislation that supporters say would have...
BP Partner Anadarko Places All Blame for Oil Disaster on BP
Jun 21 2010 // As BP Plc rushed to raise cash to pay for the Gulf of Mexico disaster, a partner in the out-of-control well said the British company was likely guilty of “willful misconduct” and should shoulder the financial...
