Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Hawaii Insurance Commissioner Schmidt Resigns
Jun 21 2010 // Resignation is One of Many in West The latest in a series of resignations among western insurance regulators, J.P. Schmidt, Insurance Commissioner of the State of Hawaii, will be leaving his position to join the Honolulu...
Florida Allows XL Re to Operate Under Lower Collateral Rule
Jun 18 2010 // Florida officials have agreed to allow Bermuda-based reinsurer XL Re Ltd. to participate in Florida’s insurance marketplace under rules calling for reduced collateral. According to the Florida Office of Insurance...
North Carolina Might Ease Fireworks Safety Law for July 4th
Jun 18 2010 // A state law passed after the July 4 blast on Ocracoke Island that killed four fireworks handlers mandated safety training for those who prepare the displays, but some warn the rule could limit fireworks shows this...
New York Agents Urge Defeat of Auto Insurance Reform Bills
Jun 18 2010 // A trade group for New York agents is urging lawmakers to defeat a bill it says would weaken the state’s no-fault auto insurance system by expanding juries’ role in deciding whether a lawsuit can proceed. The...
Calif. Lawmaker Edges Ahead in Insurance Commissioner Contest
Jun 18 2010 // A California lawmaker is leading the close contest to become the GOP’s nominee for California Insurance Commissioner, but the outcome is still far from certain. Assemblyman Mike Villines of Clovis was winning as of...
FSA Chairman Comments on UK Gov’ts Plans for Regulatory Reform
Jun 17 2010 // A bulletin from the UK’s Financial Services Authority (FSA) indicates that its Chairman, Lord Turner, has “welcomed the changes to financial regulation outlined by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Mansion...
UK Finance Minister to Propose New Regulatory Scheme
Jun 16 2010 // The UK’s new Finance Minister, George Osborne, looks set to announce on Wednesday sweeping new powers for the Bank of England to police the financial sector and prevent another credit crisis. In his first...
Obama Demands BP Set Up Independent Account for Oil Claims
Jun 16 2010 // President Barack Obama, seeking to demonstrate strong leadership on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, will demand today that BP set aside billions of dollars to pay damages from the catastrophe. A day after he vowed to fight...
Federal Judge Approves $72M Insurance Settlement with The Hartford
Jun 16 2010 // A federal judge has given preliminary approval to a settlement under which The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. will pay $72.5 million to more than 21,000 people nationwide who alleged the insurer engaged in fraud in...
Revamp of Oklahoma Workers’ Comp System Signed by Governor
Jun 15 2010 // Legislation intended to improve the Oklahoma workers’ compensation system for injured workers was signed into law June11 by Gov. Brad Henry. The governor’s signature on the measure also reduces by one the...
Judge: Louisiana Attorney General Can Investigate BP
Jun 15 2010 // Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell has been told he can go ahead with his investigation of BP, the rig explosion that’s dumping oil into the Gulf of Mexico, and the company’s process for compensating...
Court Rules in Favor of Calif. State Compensation Workers
Jun 15 2010 // About 7,900 employees of California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund are entitled to back pay after a state appeals court ruled in their favor over furloughs. The First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco...
Bill Would Lift North Carolina’s Oil Spill Liability Cap
Jun 14 2010 // North Carolina’s current cap for monetary damages it could receive from oil spills would be eliminated in legislation approved last week by a House committee in response to the BP disaster in the Gulf of...
Conflict Seen Between 2 Deals for 9/11 Responders
Jun 14 2010 // Thousands of 9/11 rescue and recovery workers suing New York City over their exposure to clouds of pulverized glass and cement at the World Trade Center site have to decide whether they have more faith in their lawyers or...
Global Regulators Seek Coordination for Financial Reforms
Jun 10 2010 // Global regulators cannot adopt one-size-fits-all rules and practices as they react to the financial crisis, but it is possible to have common principles, a top Japanese regulator said Wednesday. Other market watchdogs and...
Senator Eyes Prison, Compensation for Environmental Crimes
Jun 10 2010 // Reacting to BP’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a high-ranking U.S. senator Wednesday sought to toughen prison sentences for corporate officials who are found guilty of environmental crimes and to broaden fines for...
Let Michigan Insurance Consumers Tailor Auto Coverage
Jun 10 2010 // Imagine you live in a town where anyone who dines out is required to buy a $200 bottle of champagne with their meal. That sounds crazy, but it is essentially what is happening to insurers in Michigan, where they are...
Ohio Judge Nixes Driving Record Fee
Jun 10 2010 // A judge has struck down a higher motor vehicle fee charged to trucking and insurance companies, saying it violates Ohio’s constitution. Lawmakers last year raised the fee on certified copies of driving records from...
Judge: Stricter Regulation at Massey West Virginia Mine Not Justified
Jun 10 2010 // An administrative law judge ruled this week that there was no pattern of violations that would lead to stricter regulation at a Massey Energy Co. mine in Virginia. A Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission judge...
Florida Lawmaker: Lower Gulf Coast Property Assessments, Make BP Pay
Jun 10 2010 // Property appraisers from three Panhandle counties and a state representative say the Legislature should allow tax appraisers to lower coastal property values immediately because of the oil spill. Appraisers from Escambia,...
