Latest Legislation Headlines

All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Status quo on Capitol Hill may be best

May 21 2007 // IIABA’s leader Bob Rusbuldt hopes Congress does nothing, except on TRIA Insurance Journal’s Andrew Simpson, at the IIABA’s National Legislative Conference and Convention in Washington, D.C., in April,...

Key findings

May 21 2007 // • The Milliman study shows that recently passed Florida legislation will mean that homeowners will pay less for property insurance. Motorists and small business owners will pay more if an average to large storm...

Declarations

May 21 2007 // Declarations Rates going down “Consumers are clearly benefiting from what has turned into a very competitive insurance market. … When it seems like the price of everything else is going up, to hear insurance...

Bill Would Expand Okla. Small Business Insurance Plan

May 21 2007 // A bill vastly expanding the number of small businesses that qualify for a health insurance subsidy program is nearing floor action in the Oklahoma Legislature, a key lawmaker said recently. Gov. Brad Henry’s...

Maine adopts primary seat belt law

May 21 2007 // Maine Gov. John Baldacci has signed a bill that will make failure by motorists to use seat belts a primary offense, but violators will only get warnings for the first few months the law’s in effect. Under current...

Bringing competition and choice to Mass. auto

May 21 2007 // The 400 insurers of the American Insurance Association have seen the favorable results for the public as well as insurers when states have worked to increase competition and relax unproductive regulatory restraints. Recent...

Hiscox Launches Trustee Coverage

May 18 2007 // The UK’s Hiscox plc has launched two new insurance packages, available through brokers, which provide coverage for the trustees of charities, clubs and associations. Hiscox said its “Charities Insurance...

S.C. Lawmakers Consider Allowing Concealed Weapons on Campuses

May 18 2007 // To prevent school shootings, some South Carolina legislators want more guns on campuses. A House subcommittee approved a measure Wednesday that would allow concealed weapon permit holders to carry guns onto public school...

Ark. Judge Grants Class Status to Truckers Suing Wal-Mart

May 18 2007 // A judge in Little Rock, Ark., has granted class status in a federal lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in which the company is accused of discriminating against black applicants for jobs driving Wal-Mart trucks. In his...

Senate Panel Advances Vehicle Backover Safety Bill

May 18 2007 // New vehicles would need to offer more safety features to address backovers and other potentially devastating accidents involving children under legislation approved this week by a Senate committee. Automakers would be...

Mexican Court Ruling Upholds ING’s $94 Million Fertinal Settlement

May 17 2007 // Seguros ING S.A. de C.V., the Mexican insurance subsidiary of The Netherlands’ ING Group has received official notification from a federal appellate court in Mexico City that its claims dispute with the Mexican...

Washington Insurance Fair Conduct Act Becomes Law

May 16 2007 // Insurance industry associations are criticizing Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire for signing into law the Insurance Fair Conduct Act, a measure they say will raise insurance costs for consumers. According to the American...

Miss. Gov. Announces Grants to Help Revitalize Coastal Communities

May 15 2007 // Grants to help with post-Katrina revitalization projects in 15 coastal Mississippi communities totaling more than $97.2 million will help fund projects such as new fire stations in Bay St. Louis, Moss Point, Picayune,...

Insurers Call for Additional Reforms for Florida Consumers

May 15 2007 // A new Florida law enacted during a 2007 January special session provides immediate savings for homeowners by shifting potential payments for hurricane losses from the homeowners receiving the current policy benefits to...

Ark. Law Firm Opens Insurance Practice in Austin, Texas

May 15 2007 // Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard P.L.L.C., a law firm with offices in Little Rock and Rogers, Ark., announced it has expanded into Texas with the opening of a third office in Austin. Bill Bingham, former...

S&P Lowers Mercury’s Ratings to ‘AA-‘

May 14 2007 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has lowered its counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on Mercury Casualty Co. (Mercury Casualty), Mercury Insurance Co. (Mercury Insurance), and its financial...

Mo. Lawmakers Pass Legislation to Expand Heath Coverage

May 14 2007 // Some of the roughly 700,000 Missourians lacking health insurance could find it a little more affordable to get. But people who don’t pay their medical bills could lose their state income tax refunds under legislation...

Fla. Lawmakers Urge Gov. Crist to Include KidCare in Special Session

May 11 2007 // Democratic legislative leaders wrote to Gov. Charlie Crist urging him to include simplifying KidCare in the list of things lawmakers try to tackle when they return to the Capitol in late June. More than a half million...

Tenn.: Medical Malpractice Legislation Stalls in House

May 11 2007 // A bipartisan effort by Tennessee lawmakers to limit frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits fell apart Wednesday and has likely stalled for this year. The Senate unanimously passed a similar bill last month to require...

Insurers Say N.J. Bill Would Limit Insureds’ Choice

May 11 2007 // The New Jersey Senate Commerce Committee heard testimony that insurers say could make it more difficult for consumers to choose the level and type of insurance they use. The Property Casualty Insurers Association of...