Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Indiana One of First States to Ban Tax on Insurers for Accident Responses
Mar 24 2008 // Some call it ‘double taxation;’ others easy money Indiana recently became one of the first states in the country to pass legislation prohibiting the practice of municipalities charging fees for accident...
New Yorkers to Get Flood Notices Every Year
Mar 24 2008 // New York lawmakers have decided once is not enough — at least when it comes to telling homeowners that floods will not be covered by a standard homeowners policy. Under legislation signed by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer,...
U.S. Senate Approves Legislation Targeting Consumer Product Safety
Mar 24 2008 // A bill to crack down on dangerous consumer products was approved by the U.S. Senate in early March after a year of recalls of millions of lead-tainted toys and other hazardous products, many made in China. The bill would...
California Tahoe Fire Commission Wants Federal Aid
Mar 24 2008 // A commission created after a Lake Tahoe blaze destroyed more than 250 California homes voted unanimously to seek state and federal emergency declarations to combat what it says is an imminent threat of catastrophic...
Texas Supreme Court Continues Onslaught of Coverage Decisions
Mar 24 2008 // Since last August, the Texas Supreme Court has issued a half dozen major insurance cases, many on issues pending for years. The Court recently heard argument in key cases involving the insurability of punitive damages in...
Feds Propose Changes to Flood Insurance Q&A for Lenders
Mar 21 2008 // The federal bank, thrift, credit union, and Farm Credit System regulatory agencies today requested public comment on new and revised interagency questions and answers for lenders regarding flood insurance. The Interagency...
Nebraska Lawmakers Sign Off on Multimillion-Dollar Settlement
Mar 21 2008 // Nebraska state lawmakers signed off on a nearly $10 million settlement between the state and the mother of a man injured in a traffic accident ago nine years ago. The Legislature gave first-round approval to paying that...
Maryland Senate Revives Ban on Cell Phones, Texting While Driving
Mar 20 2008 // A cell phone driving ban that has been rejected many times by Maryland lawmakers — as recently as last week — is alive again and headed for approval in the Maryland Senate. But it’s still unclear whether this is...
Former La. Lawmaker: Restitution Cash from Insurance Co. Liquidation
Mar 20 2008 // Former Louisiana Senate president Michael O’Keefe, serving 19.5 years for stealing from a failed medical malpractice insurance company, said he and his codefendants plan to pay $4.7 million in restitution by using...
Update: Kentucky Senate Passes Mine Safety Bill
Mar 20 2008 // The Kentucky Senate passed legislation that would require coal companies to post their global positioning system (GPS) coordinates at mine sites so that medical helicopters can be given precise directions in cases of...
House Financial Chair Frank Calls for U.S. Financial Risk Regulator
Mar 20 2008 // The chairman of the House Financial Services Committee called Thursday for Congress to consider creating a “financial services risk regulator” with broad powers across a wide range of financial...
Kentucky Lawmakers Want Faster Med-evacs after Mine Accidents
Mar 19 2008 // A severely burned Ora Murphy lay on a gurney at a coal mining operation in the remote mountains of eastern Kentucky waiting for a medical helicopter to transport him to a hospital nearly 100 miles away. Problem was, no one...
City Officials in Oklahoma Seek More State Money for Roads, Bridges
Mar 19 2008 // Oklahoma municipal leaders have asked state lawmakers to support increasing state funding for transportation projects in cities and towns and said crumbling roads and bridges pose a public safety threat in local...
Some Nevada Lawmakers Seeking Review of Malpractice Caps
Mar 19 2008 // A health scare linked to unsafe practices at surgical centers across Nevada is prompting some lawmakers to press for a review concerning a voter-imposed cap on medical malpractice punitive damage awards. While most support...
Florida Lawmakers Propose Bundle of Bills to Make Roads Safer
Mar 18 2008 // Lawmakers are looking to make Florida roads safer with bills that deal with issues ranging from road rage to driver education programs. It’s not unusual to see a number of bills that tweak fines and modify existing...
Ohio County Judge Rules Statewide Smoking Ban Constitutional
Mar 18 2008 // A local judge has ruled that a state law banning smoking in public places and most workplaces is constitutional. Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Fred Nelson ruled Friday in the Cincinnati lawsuit filed against the Ohio...
Miss.: Scruggs Pleads Guilty to Trying to Bribe a Judge
Mar 17 2008 // Mississippi attorney, Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, used a mix of bare-knuckle tactics and country-lawyer charm to extract billion-dollar settlements from cigarette makers, asbestos companies and other big...
Louisiana Lawmakers Approve Millions for Road, Bridge Projects
Mar 17 2008 // Louisiana Lawmakers have approved sweeping interstate expansions and the repaving of miles of highways as part of their plans to pour more than half of a billion-dollar state surplus into transportation projects. During...
Provost to Succeed Crouse as Chief Vermont Captive Regulator
Mar 17 2008 // When long-time regulator Leonard Crouse retires as deputy commissioner of the Vermont Captive Insurance Division in June, David F. Provost will step up to the post. Provost is an assistant chief examiner in the division...
U.S. Court Rules Against Bear Stearns in Insurance Case
Mar 17 2008 // Here is more bad news for troubled investment bank Bear Stearns Co Inc: A New York appeals court has ruled that its insurers are not responsible for the costs of an $80 million settlement in late 2002 over the firm’s...
