Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Louisiana Regulators Propose Immunity Legislation for Citizens
Mar 22 2010 // Other Bills in Package Mostly ‘Clean-Up’ In a briefing session to introduce a package of bills supported by the Louisiana Department of Insurance for the upcoming legislative session, Insurance Commissioner Jim...
Louisiana’s Rep. Melancon: Chinese Drywall Poses a Fire Hazard
Mar 22 2010 // U.S. Congressman Charlie Melancon (LA-03) sent a letter to the nation’s top fire official requesting his assistance in protecting homeowners from toxic Chinese drywall. In his letter to U.S. Fire Administrator Kelvin...
Judge Rejects $575M Settlement Offer for Sept. 11 ‘Heroes’
Mar 22 2010 // A federal judge rejected a multimillion dollar settlement for people sickened by ash and dust from the World Trade Center, saying the deal to compensate 10,000 police officers, firefighters and other laborers didn’t...
Key Features of Healthcare Reform Passed By House
Mar 22 2010 // The U.S. House of Representatives approved a sweeping $940 billion healthcare overhaul Sunday in a two-step process that sends a Senate version of the bill to President Barack Obama for his signature and a package of...
Georgia Supreme Court Rules Medical Awards Cap Unconstitutional
Mar 22 2010 // The Georgia Supreme Court has struck a cap on medical malpractice awards imposed in 2005 as part of a package of legislative tort reforms. The state’s high court said the law limiting noneconomic damages in medical...
House Approves Healthcare Bill with Fixes; Senate Vote Next
Mar 22 2010 // The House of Representatives gave final approval to a sweeping healthcare overhaul Sunday, expanding insurance coverage to nearly all Americans and handing President Barack Obama a landmark victory. On a late-night 219-212...
Insurance Agents, U.S. Chamber Unhappy with Healthcare Reform
Mar 22 2010 // Independent insurance agents are among those today expressing their disappointment with the health care reform bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The House approved the Senate-passed bill and also approved a...
Illinois Supreme Court Rules Against Insurer in Underinsured Motorist Case
Mar 22 2010 // The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that an appellate court was correct when it found that an insurance company cannot exclude occupants of an insured vehicle from underinsured motorists coverage (UIM). The high...
Marsh: Environmental Liability Concerns Top Risk Management Agenda
Mar 19 2010 // “The heightened environmental liabilities created by recent European Union (EU) and UK environmental legislation were among the top risk management concerns raised by delegates at this week’s Base conference in...
Iowa Lawmakers Working on Compromise Texting Ban
Mar 19 2010 // Iowa lawmakers worked March 17 to hammer out differences in two bills restricting drivers from sending or reading text messages. The legislation also would ban all cell phone use by drivers under 18 years old. The House...
Federal Healthcare Reform Triggering Opposition by States
Mar 19 2010 // As the U.S. Congress once again rallies to pass healthcare reform legislation, momentum is growing in many states to pass laws to block the changes — a move that could lead to a legal battle over states’...
P/C Executives to Dodd: Don’t Shift Risky Firms’ Costs to Insurers
Mar 19 2010 // Property/casualty insurance companies, which already pay into state guaranty funds to backup claims of their insolvent peers, don’t want to have to also pay into a federal fund to cover failures of larger and riskier...
Bermuda Concludes Cooperation Agreement with Swiss Regulators
Mar 18 2010 // The Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) has exchanged Letters of Cooperation with the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). The Letters “formally establish the basis for consultation, cooperation and...
Big EU Insurers Pass Stress Tests
Mar 17 2010 // Europe’s insurers are able to withstand even a major financial crisis, an EU watchdog said on Tuesday, boosting industry hopes for less onerous regulation. EU insurance watchdog CEIOPS, (the Committee of European...
Judge Sets Aside $100 Million Verdict in BP Texas Case
Mar 17 2010 // A federal judge in Texas has set aside a $100 million verdict against BP Plc., saying 10 workers who sued the oil company after they were sickened by a chemical release did not prove BP was grossly negligent. Last December...
Senate Republicans Expected to Change Dodd Financial Reform Bill
Mar 17 2010 // The new financial reform bill introduced in the U.S. Senate will likely be approved at the committee level next week, but its shape could change substantially once it comes before the full Senate and winning Republican...
Report: Calif. Workers’ Comp Insurance Market Still Needs Improvement
Mar 16 2010 // California workers’ compensation claims and disability costs have dropped significantly since the state’s workers’ compensation system was overhauled in 2003 and 2004. Yet “many of the same...
Property/Casualty Insurers Have Issues with Dodd Financial Reform Bill
Mar 16 2010 // Even though they are largely excluded from the federal financial regulatory overhaul proposed in the Senate, property/casualty insurers say there are some elements they fear could negatively affect them and their...
FERMA Concerned about ‘Excessive’ Solvency II Capital Proposals
Mar 15 2010 // A bulletin from the Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA) notes that while it “supports the goal of the Solvency II European insurance regulatory regime, which is to enhance policyholder...
Senate Reforms Boost Federal Reserve’s Powers Over Non-Banks
Mar 15 2010 // The Federal Reserve would gain new powers over non-bank financial firms and keep much of its authority over banks under a new bill to be unveiled on Monday by the U.S Senate’s architect of financial reform. In a...
