Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Large Brokers Freed to Go After Contingent Commissions But Will They?
Feb 17 2010 // The nation’s largest insurance brokers have received the go-ahead to begin accepting contingent commissions again — but two of them say they won’t do it. Officials in New York, Illinois and Connecticut...
New Mexico Senate Approves Liability Bill for Spaceport
Feb 16 2010 // Legislation aimed at protecting New Mexico’s spaceport from liability while the commercial space industry tackles the hazards of space flight was approved by a 37-0 vote in the state Senate. The approval is a victory...
Georgia Bill Would Restrict Insurance Executives’ Political Giving
Feb 16 2010 // A Republican state lawmaker who is running for governor in Georgia has introduced legislation to ban executives of insurance companies from contributing to a political campaign for the office of state insurance...
Mass. Supreme Court Rules Against Agents in Auto Insurance Lawsuit
Feb 16 2010 // The Massachusetts Supreme Court has sided with the state’s insurance commissioner in a heated lawsuit brought by the state’s insurance agents and Arbella Mutual Insurance Co. over how new companies are assigned...
What Republicans Are Proposing for Healthcare Reform
Feb 11 2010 // President Barack Obama has asked Republicans to bring their best ideas on healthcare reform to a televised bipartisan meeting later this month that Democrats hope will help restart the stalled healthcare overhaul...
Washington Closer To Creating Emergency Insurance for Flooding
Feb 10 2010 // Washington is one step closer to allowing the creation of a flood insurance joint underwriting association (JUA), a publicly sponsored, temporary, not-for-profit insurer of last resort to provide insurance when certain...
New York Requires Agents to Reveal How Much They’re Paid
Feb 10 2010 // The New York Insurance Department has officially released a new set of rules that will require insurance agents and brokers to provide some detailed information to clients about how agents are paid. The new regulation,...
New York Agents Group Suing State over Pay-Disclosure Rules
Feb 10 2010 // A trade group for New York insurance agents says it will sue the state over newly issued rules that would force agents to reveal to clients how much they are paid. The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of New York...
Former Hawaii Insurance Commissioner Confirmed as Appeals Judge
Feb 9 2010 // The Hawaii Senate has unanimously confirmed Lawrence Reifurth as a judge on the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals. Reifurth was selected by Republican Gov. Linda Lingle and confirmed by the Democrat-controlled...
Murphy Named Insurance Commissioner in Massachusetts
Feb 9 2010 // Joseph G. Murphy has been named commissioner of the Massachusetts Division of Insurance. Murphy has served as first deputy commissioners since 2006, playing active roles in the implementation of the managed competition...
New York to Issue Watered-Down Disclosure Rules for Agents
Feb 9 2010 // New York regulators are expected to release new rules tomorrow that require agents to disclose to clients some aspects of their compensation, although the rules are more palatable to agents than previous proposed...
Manhattan, Kansas, Lawmakers Vote to Ban Driving With Cell Phones
Feb 8 2010 // The days of drivers with a cell phone to their ear could be coming to an end in Manhattan, Kan., this summer. City commissioners have unanimously approved a ban on handheld phones night, the ban to take effect July...
Democrat: Kan. House Speaker Should Step Down Due to Insurance Ties
Feb 8 2010 // A Democratic legislator called for Kansas’ Republican House speaker to step down because he is representing businesses, trade groups and insurance funds in a lawsuit against the state. State Rep. Marti Crow said...
Nebraska Motorcycle Helmet Repeal Crashes, But It May Recover
Feb 5 2010 // A proposal to allow motorcyclists to go helmet-free in Nebraska crashed amid insurance worries on Feb. 3, but may recover while state lawmakers are still in session. After a proposal that all motorcyclists need to carry...
South Carolina Eyes Lawsuit Limits to Help Economy
Feb 4 2010 // South Carolina’s economic recovery could be helped by new limits on lawsuits, claims a business group as state lawmakers consider legislation to do just that. The Senate Judiciary committee is weighing legislation...
Judge Dismisses Libel Suit in Cape Cod Slaying
Feb 4 2010 // A judge has dismissed a libel lawsuit filed against a Cape Cod author by the former boyfriend of murdered fashion writer Christa Worthington. Tim Arnold sued author Maria Flook in 2006, claiming in her book about the...
House to Vote on Repeal of Health Insurers’ Antitrust Exemption
Feb 3 2010 // The U.S. House of Representatives will vote next week on repealing the antitrust exemption for health insurers, but Democrats remained uncertain Tuesday on how to proceed on a broader healthcare overhaul. Senate Democratic...
EU Insurance Regulators Annuity Capital Decision Postponed
Feb 1 2010 // European insurance regulators need a little more time to thrash out a compromise on rules for annuity providers that UK insurers fear could force them to raise up to £50 billion ($81 billion) of capital. Regulators...
Mississppi Judge in Scruggs’ Downfall Looks Back on Career
Jan 29 2010 // Outside Mississippi’s 3rd Judicial District, Henry Lackey is best known as the judge whose integrity and intrepidness led to the downfall of famed trial lawyer Dickie Scruggs and several colleagues. In his hometown...
Georgia House Lawmakers Send Texting Ban Bill to Study
Jan 29 2010 // Georgia lawmakers are taking a closer look at texting while driving legislation proposed last week. Representatives on the House public safety committee debated the bill on Wednesday. At the end of the hour-long hearing,...
