Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Calif. governor signsworkers’ comp bill
Oct 27 2007 // California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation that is expected to lower workers’ compensation rates for small businesses and increase competition among insurance companies. Existing law requires...
Calif. workers’ comp reforms working better than expected, Gov. decides not to raise benefits
Oct 27 2007 // Reforms to California’s worker’s compensation system enacted since 2002 “have had a substantial impact on system costs,” according to a new report by the state Workers’ Compensation Insurance...
News Currents
Oct 27 2007 // Surplus lines execs search for common ground The independent nature of surplus lines professionals was apparent when a panel of industry executives discussed current issues at the recent National Association of Surplus...
News Currents
Oct 27 2007 // Calif. passes flood legislation, rejects bill on child booster seats California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation designed to strengthen flood protections in California and approved a bill that would ban...
Off-year election 2007 could provide glimpse into 2008
Oct 27 2007 // This fall is an off-year election season with only a handful of federal races and most state houses gearing up for contests in 2008. However there are some races — a hotly-debated referendum in Washington and key...
House Panel Calls for Holocaust Insurance Policy Disclosure
Oct 25 2007 // A U.S. House of Representatives’ panel endorsed legislation this week that would require insurance companies to disclose information on Holocaust-era policy holders. The legislation aims to address concerns among...
N.Y. Proposal Prompts States to Rethink Regulation of Reinsurers
Oct 25 2007 // As the reinsurance industry increasingly moves offshore, U.S. insurance regulators are rethinking current rules that require only non-U.S. reinsurers to post collateral equal to the full amount of their liabilities to U.S....
Judge Cuts $12 Million Award to Conn. Man in GE Job Bias Case
Oct 25 2007 // A federal judge has cut $5 million from a more than $12 million jury award that found General Electric discriminated against and illegally fired a chief engineer. Fifty-three-year-old Hemant Mody of Avon, Conn. never saw...
Anticipating Reform, Okla. Lawmakers Study Workers’ Comp System
Oct 25 2007 // Oklahoma Rep. Mark McCullough’s recent study of the state’s workers’ compensation system may lead to reform legislation being filed in the state’s 2008 legislative session, the House of...
Fla. Workers’ Comp Rate Decrease not Enough for Commissioner
Oct 24 2007 // Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty disapproved the National Council on Compensation Insurance’s latest rate filing for workers’ compensation insurance rates, due to become effective next year. McCarty...
Wis. Medical Group to Sue Lawmakers over $200 Million Fund Transfer
Oct 24 2007 // The Wisconsin Medical Society is planning to challenge lawmakers’ decision to transfer $200 million from a medical malpractice fund to help balance the budget. Lobbyist Mark Grapentine says the group has hired a...
Urban Lawmakers Eye Ban on ‘Proxies’ in Mass. Auto Insurance Pricing
Oct 22 2007 // Lawmakers representing urban drivers in Massachusetts are challenging the Patrick administration’s auto insurance plan, saying new regulations leave loopholes for companies to charge higher rates to minorities and...
‘Bancassurance is on the Rise’ Says Swiss Re Sigma Study
Oct 19 2007 // Swiss Re announced that “according to a recent sigma study, bancassurance is on the rise, particularly in emerging markets. Worldwide, insurers have been successfully leveraging bancassurance to gain a foothold in...
House Joins Senate in Passing Rail Safety Bill with Hour Limits
Oct 19 2007 // he House acted this week to reduce the working hours of railroad crews, with lawmakers saying employee fatigue is a major factor in train accidents. The labor rule changes were part of a railroad safety bill that also...
Mich. Senate Okays ‘Opt-out’ Option for State’s Helmet Law
Oct 18 2007 // A Michigan Senate Committee passed legislation on Wednesday, Oct. 17 that would enable motorcyclists to ride without their helmets on Michigan roads. The bill is expected to be voted on by the State Senate in the near...
States Support Life Insurance Law Caught Up in N.D. Conflict
Oct 18 2007 // N.H. commissioner weighs in on North Dakota insurance legislation Received by Newsfinder from AP Oct 16, 2007 19:34 Eastern Time Editors Note NH angle in 4th graf. By DALE WETZEL Associated Press Writer BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)...
N.Y. Moves to Level Playing Field on Collateral for All Reinsurers
Oct 18 2007 // Non-U.S. reinsurers would no longer have to post collateral to operate in New York as long as they have the highest credit ratings. Also, all reinsurers — even U.S.-based — without the highest credit ratings would have...
Senate Panel Releases Compromise Terrorism Insurance Bill
Oct 17 2007 // Senate leaders have agreed on a bill to renew the federal terrorism reinsurance program, although without some of the added provisions and for not as long as the House of Representatives wants. The Senate Banking...
Lord Levene Castigates U.S. Failure to Reform Reinsurance Collateral Regs
Oct 17 2007 // He’s said it before, and he’s said again. In a forceful open letter printed in the Financial Times (FT), Lloyd’s Chairman Lord Peter Levene wrote that it is “extraordinary that the US does not offer...
N.J. Lawmaker Poised to Advance Health Insurance Mandate Plan
Oct 17 2007 // A state senator says he will soon announce plans to require all New Jerseyans to carry medical insurance, but the governor warned that the plan could cost more than $1 billion. “We are going to announce just after...
