Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Colorado Considers Laws for Pinnacol
Oct 5 2009 // Colorado lawmakers have filed bills to require better oversight for the state’s workers’ compensation insurer, saying they can’t ignore problems uncovered during weeks of hearings this summer. The...
California Fires Renew Push for National Arson Registry
Oct 5 2009 // The deadly fire at Angeles National Forest is renewing a push from California lawmakers for a national registry of convicted arsonists. Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein have filed legislation that would...
2009 a Boom Year for Government Activity on Insurance
Oct 5 2009 // Legislative and regulatory activity affecting the insurance industry has increased considerably in 2009 compared to the previous two years, according to a new report. From January to July 2009, more than 10,000 pieces of...
Surplus Lines Has Answer for Increasing Data Breach Exposure
Oct 5 2009 // Cell phones, smart phones, MP3 players, computers, e-mail, the list goes on and on of technological inventions that are part of our everyday lives. The observation that electronic data density doubles every 18 months —...
House Panel Releases Bill Creating Federal Insurance Office
Oct 2 2009 // Congress got a look yesterday at a draft of legislation to create a federal insurance office that would work on international insurance issues as well as monitor the insurance industry and insurers for anything that might...
Driver Distraction Costs 6,000 Lives a Year; Many Teens
Oct 1 2009 // Opening a government meeting on auto safety, the Obama administration reported Wednesday that nearly 6,000 people were killed and a half-million injured last year in vehicle crashes connected to driver distraction, a...
Okla. Lawmakers: Halt Denial of Claims to Domestic Violence Victims
Oct 1 2009 // Oklahoma is one of only eight states that allow health insurance companies to classify domestic violence as a “pre-existing condition,” two state lawmakers say. Democratic state Rep. Eric Proctor and Republican...
Federal Flood Insurance Program Granted Temporary Extension
Oct 1 2009 // The U.S. Senate passed a temporary extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law just few hours before the program was set to expire yesterday. The NFIP...
Rating Agencies Tell Congress Increased Liability Is Unnecessary
Oct 1 2009 // Moody’s Corp. chief executive told lawmakers on Wednesday that his credit rating firm may agree to disclose some of its fees to regulators, but opposes a plan to impose greater liability on the sector. At a hearing...
Kentucky Ex-Lawmaker Nunn Sued by Slain Insurance Employee’s Family
Sep 30 2009 // A former lawmaker who faces a murder charge in the death of his ex-girlfriend has now been sued by the woman’s family. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the family of Amanda Ross filed the wrongful death lawsuit in...
US May Target Insurers, Gasoline Imports in Iran Sanctions Strategy
Sep 30 2009 // The White House is weighing sanctions targeting Iran’s dependence on gasoline imports and insurance firms that underwrite the trade, even as U.S. officials focus for now on diplomatic efforts to resolve a nuclear...
Judge Allows Class-Action Overtime Suit against Erie Indemnity Co.
Sep 30 2009 // A federal judge in Pennsylvania is allowing a class-action claim against an insurance company accused of failing to pay overtime to claims adjusters that worked at a Pittsburgh-area office. U.S. District Judge Sean...
Maryland Insurance Administration Accredited by State Regulators
Sep 29 2009 // The Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) has been given a five year accreditation from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) for solvency regulation. The accreditation under the Financial Regulation...
U.S. Court Reinstates Alaska Smoker Case Against Altria Tobacco
Sep 29 2009 // A U.S. appeals court Monday reinstated an Alaska lawsuit against Altria Group Inc.’s Philip Morris USA by the survivor of a deceased smoker, saying her state product liability claims were not preempted by federal law...
Canadian Banks Eye Expansion into Insurance, Despite Restrictions
Sep 25 2009 // Insurance may emerge as the next big growth area in Canadian banking, even though regulations prohibit lenders from selling via their branches and insurance brokers vehemently oppose the move. When Canada’s biggest...
Colorado’s Pinnacol Weighed Purchase of Other Insurers
Sep 25 2009 // Documents show a state-chartered workers compensation insurer in Colorado once planned to seek permission to buy other insurance companies but later backed off. The Denver Post reported Wednesday that Pinnacol Assurance...
States Back Changes in Regulation of Reinsurance
Sep 25 2009 // State insurance regulators are throwing their weight behind a federal measure that would change the way reinsurance is regulated. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is supporting the Reinsurance...
U.S. Safety Agency Eyes Cell Phone Use Ban for Bus, Truck Drivers
Sep 25 2009 // Safety investigators told federal regulators three years ago that it was dangerous for bus drivers to talk on cell phones while driving and recommended a ban. The National Transportation Safety Board put that...
Bermuda Monetary Authority Concludes Pact with Florida Insurance Regulator
Sep 25 2009 // The Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (FLOIR). The bulletin noted that it “is the latest in a number of such agreements...
Administration Backs Financial Consumer Agency; Bill Exempts P/C
Sep 23 2009 // U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner argued forcefully Wednesday for creating a government watchdog for financial consumers, while giving cautious support to paring back its scope. Amid stiff resistance by banks and...
