Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
10 Texas lawmakers close in on tax reform
May 8 2006 // Although it’s not perfect, agent groups support Perry-Sharp plan 10 Louisiana after the storms Insurance issues top lawmakers’ agenda 10 In case of emergency Get out fast but make sure documents are...
Proposed Calif. regulations would stress driving record over zip code in pricing auto insurance
May 8 2006 // California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi has unveiled enhancements to his proposed regulations that he said follow through on the promise voters sought when they approved Proposition 103 in 1988 -namely, that the...
Consumers, many departments required to fight identity theft
May 8 2006 // Editor’s Note: This is the second installment of a two-part roundtable discussion on identity theft. Part 1 examined the scope and source of identity theft and can be found on page 100 of Insurance Journal’s...
Editor’s Note: To bee or not to bee
May 8 2006 // Scientists at Cornell University in New York have come across a management strategy for group decision-making that is sure to set the business world buzzing. When 10,000 honeybees hunt for a new home, usually a tree...
Governor claims Calif. workers’ comp changes ‘huge success’
May 8 2006 // California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared the sweeping workers’ compensation changes he pushed through the Legislature two years ago a “huge success,” but critics called them a disaster for injured...
Why agents oppose Sen. Sununu’s optional federal charter
May 8 2006 // The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, and New Hampshire, (the Big “I”) strongly oppose S. 2509, the National Insurance Act of 2006, introduced recently by our own Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.)...
Judge Finds R.I. Attorney General in Contempt in Lead Paint Case
May 7 2006 // A judge held the Rhode Island attorney general in civil contempt and fined him $5,000 for publicly accusing former lead paint makers of twisting the facts during Rhode Island’s landmark lawsuit against the companies,...
Fla. SB 1596, HB 561 Tighten Grip on Insurance Fraud
May 5 2006 // Passage by Florida’s Legislature of Senate Bill 1596 and House Bill 561, sponsored by Sen J.D. Alexander and Rep. David Rivera, Florida’s Legislature has tightened the grip on insurance fraud artists who steal...
W.Va. Officials, Cline, McGraw Oppose Federal Insurance Proposal
May 5 2006 // Two state officials in Charleston, W.Va. say state insurance requirements would be undermined by federal legislation that would give small businesses greater flexibility in offering health insurance to employees. The...
La. House Advances Bill to Abolish Insurance Rating Commission
May 5 2006 // Days after the Louisiana Senate voted to require that all insurance rate changes be approved by the Louisiana Insurance Rating Commission (LIRC), the Louisiana House Insurance Committee approved House Bill 1115, which...
La. Judge Steps Down from Suit Against Last-Resort Insurer
May 5 2006 // A judge has disqualified herself from a lawsuit brought by policyholders against Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Civil District Judge June Darensburg said she found out she has a policy from Louisiana Citizens,...
Insurers Assoc. Pushes Fla. Legislators for Property Market Reforms
May 5 2006 // On the final day of the Florida legislative session, the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America is encouraging legislators to make a commitment to create a healthy and competitive insurance marketplace, which is...
Insurer Group Says Some La. Bills Are Bad for Consumers
May 4 2006 // As the Louisiana Legislature considers a wide array of legislative proposals, many of which would be detrimental for consumers, the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America said it is telling lawmakers that the...
Judge Grants “Take Nothing” in California State Fund, Palm Medical Group Case
May 4 2006 // San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Donald Mitchell has granted California State Fund’s Motion for Judgment Notwithstanding the Verdict and has vacated the March 2, 2006, judgment for Palm Medical and has...
R.I. Judge Blocks Governor’s Firing of Beacon Mutual Directors; Sets Hearing
May 4 2006 // Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri has been handed a setback in his campaign to fire two Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. board members. Superior Court Judge Steven Forunato has issued a temporary restraining order delaying...
21%, 91%, 51% Rate Hikes Requested; S. Fla. Hearings Scheduled
May 3 2006 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has scheduled rate hearings in May for three carriers, Hartford Insurance Co. of the Midwest, Florida Peninsula Insurance Company, and United Property and Casualty. Hartford...
N.H. Safety Officials Looking for Ways to Curb Motorcycle Deaths
May 3 2006 // The last couple of years haven’t been very safe for motorcycle riders in New Hampshire, so with bikes already out of winter storage and even more expected on the road this summer because of high gasoline prices,...
R.I. Governor Carcieri Urges Medical Malpractice Reform
May 3 2006 // Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri is urging lawmakers to support his Health Care Tort Reform Act of 2006 which he says would bring balance to the state’s current tort system. “Our current tort system...
Judges Step Aside From Jefferson Parish, La., Flood Suits
May 3 2006 // All 16 state district judges in Jefferson Parish, La., have disqualified themselves from hearing class-action lawsuits filed by property owners who blame parish government for post-Hurricane Katrina flooding that damaged...
N.H. Gov. Joins Foes of Association Health Plan Bill
May 3 2006 // New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch has joined a chorus of state leaders opposing a bill in the U.S. Senate that would let small businesses buy health insurance policies exempt from state coverage requirements. Senate Bill 1955...
