Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Declarations
Mar 23 2009 // Impact of Natural Disasters “I have witnessed first hand the impact natural disasters can have on a community and this state.” —Texas Rep. Craig Eiland, whose Galveston district was severely damaged Sept. 13,...
Liaisons Keep Consumers’ Insurance Concerns at the Forefront
Mar 23 2009 // Loss of Faith in Insurance Providers Would Affect Sales, Advocates Say Insurance agents, brokers and regulators should be aware that when it comes to insurance, consumers are concerned with such issues as the use of credit...
How Consumer Reps Feel About Internet Sales, State Regulation
Mar 23 2009 // Consumer Advisors See Pros and Cons to Internet; Role of Independent Agent Clouded By Commissions Insurance Journal spoke with some of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) consumer liaisons and found...
State Regulators Say AIG Insurance Policyholders Still Protected
Mar 23 2009 // The nation’s insurance regulators are again telling policyholders of American International Group (AIG) that the insurance company is able to meet its obligations to them despite ongoing controversy surrounding the...
Defending Data
Mar 23 2009 // Data Security Breaches Present Emerging Risks and Opportunities for Agents Data security represents both a new market opportunity to sell insurance coverage and a new risk — especially for independent insurance...
Michigan Lawmakers Seek to Change Drug Maker Liability Law
Mar 20 2009 // Michigan House Democrats again are trying to change Michigan’s law shielding prescription drug makers from legal liability if their product was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. A House committee approved...
Lawyer Group Blasts Oklahoma Tort Reform Bills
Mar 19 2009 // The president of the Oklahoma Bar Association blasted legislative proposals to change the state’s civil justice system, charging that the measures are an assault on the judiciary and would harm average...
AIG CEO Liddy: ‘I Need All The Help I Can Get’
Mar 19 2009 // The head of the nation’s most vilified corporation sat before irate lawmakers at a U.S. congressional hearing Wednesday and was assured, “We don’t intend to harass you.” Then the harassment...
Obama Financial Regulatory Reform to Target Ailing Firms
Mar 19 2009 // President Barack Obama will propose shaking up U.S. financial regulation to protect the economy and improve government handling of failing firms, an administration official told Reuters Wednesday. Intended to prevent...
Georgia Lawmakers Close In On Stricter Food Safety Changes
Mar 19 2009 // Georgia could be the first state to adopt strict new food safety requirements in the aftermath of the salmonella outbreak. The House is set to consider a plan Wednesday that requires food makers to alert state inspectors...
U.S. House Passes Measure to Recoup AIG Bonuses
Mar 19 2009 // The U.S. House of Representatives swiftly passed a bill Thursday to recoup controversial bonuses paid to American International Group Inc. as Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner tried to calm the furor by taking...
Arizona High Court Upholds Law on Malpractice Suits
Mar 18 2009 // The Arizona Supreme Court upheld a state law that lawmakers intended to weed out meritless medical malpractice lawsuits by tightening qualifications of expert witnesses. The ruling let stand a legislative move that an...
UK’s FSA to Propose Overhaul of Global Bank Regulation
Mar 18 2009 // Britain’s Financial Services Authority (FSA) will publish Wednesday a blueprint for a shake-up of global banking regulations aimed at preventing a recurrence of the financial crisis weighing down the world...
Marsh Warns EU Environmental Laws Expose UK Firms to Increased Risks
Mar 18 2009 // Marsh has analyzed the possible effects of new European legislation designed to protect the environment. The broker points out that “businesses in the UK will now have to pay for any significant damage that they...
U.S. to Claw Back AIG Bonuses, Congress Eyes Taxing Recipients
Mar 18 2009 // The Obama administration turned up the heat on AIG Tuesday over its employee bonuses, saying the embattled insurer will be forced to repay U.S. taxpayers before it gets another bailout of $30 billion. Treasury Secretary...
West Virginia Lawmakers Delay Drunk Driver Lock Expansion
Mar 18 2009 // A proposal to put interlocks in the vehicles of every West Virginian convicted of drunken driving appears to be on hold this year while lawmakers await the results of an earlier expansion of the program. But a West...
Democrats Agree Health Reform Must Include Medical Liability Changes
Mar 18 2009 // Medical malpractice overhauls have died many deaths in Congress over the years, often at the hands of Democratic lawmakers backed by trial lawyers. Attempts to change the system may be getting new life. As they search for...
Texas Lawmakers Try to Undo Drivers License Identification Rules
Mar 18 2009 // Some Democratic lawmakers joined by Texas residents who have had trouble getting drivers’ licenses under new Department of Public Safety rules are pushing for legislation that would undo a policy they say harms U.S....
U.S. Treasury Readies Systemic Risk Financial Regulation Blueprint
Mar 17 2009 // The U.S. Treasury is expected to propose within days the creation of a “systemic risk regulator,” probably the Federal Reserve, to oversee banking and market problems that could threaten the economy. On both...
The Paradox of Flood Insurance Coverage
Mar 17 2009 // Whether you are an attorney, an insurance agent, adjuster or broker, or an individual insured, when dealing with claims under flood insurance policies, you may be surprised to discover that many things you think you know...
