Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Okla. Judge Denies Motion to Move Fisher Trial
Dec 27 2005 // An Oklahoma judge recently denied a motion to move the trial of former state Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher out of Oklahoma City. Fisher’s attorney, Robert L. Wyatt IV, had argued in court filings that the...
AFACT Elects New Officers
Dec 27 2005 // Dianne Morris of Austin, Texas, has been elected president of the Association of Fire and Casualty Companies in Texas (AFACT) for 2006-2007. Morris is president of the Association Casualty Insurance Company. She succeeds...
Calif. Insurance Commissioner Announces New Regulations for Auto Insurance Rates
Dec 23 2005 // California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi has announced that he will introduce new regulations next week that require insurers to base auto rates primarily on a driver’s record and not on ZIP code. According...
Fed Study Raises Doubts About Proposed Asbestos Trust Fund
Dec 22 2005 // In a new analysis of the $140 billion asbestos trust fund scheme included in S. 852 which was reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Congressional Budget Office continues to raise doubts over whether the trust...
Me.’s Collins, Conn.’s Lieberman Push Tougher Chemical Plant Safety
Dec 22 2005 // Oil-storage tanks in South Portland and paper mills in other parts of Maine would be among the facilities subject to additional safety standards if federal legislation to be introduced this week is enacted. U.S. Sen. Susan...
NAMIC Unveils New Legislative Information Service
Dec 21 2005 // The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, based in Indianapolis, recently inaugurated an upgraded legislative and regulatory tracking service for its member companies. LARIS, named for the Legislative and...
Indiana Lawmaker Aims to Put Employers Who Ignore Safety in Jail
Dec 21 2005 // An Indiana state lawmaker is drafting a bill he calls “the corporate manslaughter act” which, if passed, would send employers to jail if they ignore on-the-job safety violations that lead to a serious injury or...
House Advances Liability Protection for Bird Flu Vaccine Makers
Dec 21 2005 // Drug manufacturers are a step closer to winning liability protections they say they need before they will invest in medicines to combat a bird flu epidemic. Opponents described the protections, approved Monday by the U.S....
Virginia Considers Tougher Dog Owner Liability Law After Widow’s Mauling
Dec 21 2005 // Lawmakers in Richmond are proposing tough legislation to punish Virginia dog owners whose pets injure or kill following the attack of an 82-year-old widow who was fatally mauled by three roaming pit bulls. Dorothy...
California Insurers Charge Drivers in Black, Latino Neighborhoods More, Report Indicates
Dec 20 2005 // Insurers charge good drivers living in California’s predominantly African-American and Latino zip codes substantially more for automobile insurance than good drivers in predominantly white communities, claims an...
Wisconsin Governor Doyle Vetoes Med-Mal Cap Legislation
Dec 19 2005 // Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed legislation that would have capped the amount of money medical malpractice victims could win in court for their pain and suffering, an issue that has been a political flash point across the...
Lawmakers Negotiate Liability Protections for Flu Vaccine Manufacturers
Dec 19 2005 // People injured by a vaccine against bird flu or anthrax would have to prove willful misconduct to bring a claim for damages against drug manufacturers or distributors, according to legislation being drafted by...
Why Mass. Should Keep Its Current Auto System with State-Set Rates
Dec 19 2005 // The State’s Independent Agents Explain Why They Oppose a Switch to Competitive Rating I agree with Gov. Romney that improving road designs, dangerous intersections and combating fraud will go a long way to lowering...
Federal Law Puts Brakes on Vicarious Liability for Auto Rental Firms
Dec 19 2005 // Recent N.Y. $21 Million Award May Be Last of Its Kind in the Nation A New York court’s $21 million award last month to a young Wall Street trader paralyzed in an accident involving a Budget Rent-a-Car vehicle may be...
Guy Carpenter Study: U.S. Tort System Less Hostile to Corporate Defendants, Their Insurers
Dec 19 2005 // Guy Carpenter & Company Inc. reported the release of a new study, Recent Legislative and Judicial Trends Affecting the U.S. Casualty Industry, on key legislative and judicial developments and their impact on the U.S....
Meeting Today’s Challenges and Preparing for Tomorrow’s
Dec 19 2005 // Several pressing public policy issues remain to be debated in the Gulf region and across the country. At the forefront is the question of how we, as a nation, will finance losses from future mega-catastrophes. Weather...
Mutuals’ SOX Success
Dec 19 2005 // The insurance industry effects real public policy change when our arguments are based on principle. Presented in an assertive, thoughtful and focused manner, we can succeed. Recent developments in the National Association...
Congress Passes TRIA Renewal; Legislation Sent to President’s Desk
Dec 18 2005 // Congress approved the Terrorism Risk Insurance Revision Act of 2005 late last week after reconciling differing versions passed in both the House and the Senate. The legislation now moves to the President’s desk for...
Mutuals’ SOX Success
Dec 18 2005 // While NAMIC may stand virtually alone, our position has received vital support from the chairmen of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee and state legislative groups. The insurance industry effects real public...
Calif. Court Rules in Favor of Earthquake Policyholders
Dec 18 2005 // An insurance broker was a representative for the California Fair Plan Insurance Co. with regard to the Northridge earthquake revival statute, which gave policyholders another year to file lawsuits against their insurers in...
