Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Judge to Consider Change of Venue for Former Okla. Commissioner

Nov 23 2005 // An Oklahoma County judge has set a Dec. 19 hearing to decide whether former Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher’s pending trial should be moved out of the county, the Associated Press reported. District Judge Susan...

PCI Urges La. Governor to Sign Building Codes Legislation

Nov 23 2005 // The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) announced it is urging Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco to sign SB 44, legislation that would create a mandatory and uniform statewide building code. The bill is on...

Insurers Cool to N.Y. Proposal to Freeze Access to Consumer Credit

Nov 22 2005 // Insurance company lobbyists urged New York lawmakers in Albany this week to refrain from blocking insurers’ access to consumer credit information as part of their efforts to protect consumers from identity theft. The...

Legislators Adopt Aftermarket Crash Parts Resolution

Nov 22 2005 // Concluding a 10-year debate regarding aftermarket crash parts, the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) unanimously adopted at its Annual Meeting in San Diego last weekend a Resolution Regarding Motor...

NAMIC Urges La. Legislature to Enact a Statewide Building Code

Nov 22 2005 // The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) has voiced its strong support for the passage of building code legislation during the final days of the Louisiana Legislature’s special session. Central...

Indiana High Court Rules Against Dimunition of Value

Nov 21 2005 // The Indiana Supreme Court last month ruled that insurance policies are not obligated to compensate damaged property for decline in value of the property after adequate repairs have been made. The insurance industry views...

LAWMAKERS PASS KIDS’ HEALTH PLAN:

Nov 21 2005 // The Illinois House passed H.B. 806, Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s “All Kids” health insurance program on a 79-28 vote, following Senate approval on a 32-23 vote. The program is aimed at parents who earn too much...

LAWMAKERS PASS MED-MAL CAP BILL:

Nov 21 2005 // The Wisconsin legislature passed Assembly Bill 766, which restores caps on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases. However, supporters are concerned that Gov. Jim Doyle will veto the measure. A.B. 766 was...

Case Law Watch

Nov 21 2005 // Eaton v. Continental Casualty Co. (California Court of Appeals, 2nd District, Sept. 15, 2005) Ruling: The court held that the insured’s suit against an excess insurer was not barred by the four-year statute of...

California Commissioner Drops Broker Regulations

Nov 21 2005 // California Insurance Commis-sioner John Garamendi has announced that he will halt efforts to adopt new regulations imposing fiduciary duties and mandatory disclosure regulations on insurance agents and brokers. “We...

The Truth About Ethics in Business

Nov 20 2005 // Many insurance companies are discovering a basic truth. Integrity in business is more than just a good thing to have-it is critical to success in an increasingly complex and dynamic marketplace. When I look at where we are...

ILLINOIS

Nov 20 2005 // Lawmakers Pass Kids’ Health Plan: The Illinois House passed H.B. 806, Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s “All Kids” health insurance program on a 79-28 vote, following Senate approval on a 32-23 vote. The...

Indiana High Court Rules Against Diminution of Value

Nov 20 2005 // The Indiana Supreme Court last month ruled that insurance policies are not obligated to compensate damaged property for decline in value of the property after adequate repairs have been made. The insurance industry views...

Torts Drive Commercial Auto in Heartland, Elsewhere

Nov 20 2005 // Insurers like writing commercial auto business, and most lines of business, in the Midwestern states because of market stability and a favorable legislative and regulatory climate. But even in this typically stable line of...

Actions and Proceedings

Nov 20 2005 // Eaton v. Continental Casualty Co. (California Court of Appeals, 2nd District, Sept. 15, 2005) Ruling: The court held that the insured’s suit against an excess insurer was not barred by the four-year statute of...

California Commissioner Drops Broker Regulations

Nov 20 2005 // California Insurance Commis-sioner John Garamendi has announced that he will halt efforts to adopt new regulations imposing fiduciary duties and mandatory disclosure regulations on insurance agents and brokers. “We...

News Briefs

Nov 20 2005 // California Governor’s Measures Defeated in Special Election California’s special election battle, the costliest campaign in the state’s history, roared to a close in November, much to the chagrin of Gov....

Senate Passes Terrorism Insurance Extension

Nov 18 2005 // Moving just days after committees in the House and Senate advanced terrorism insurance bills, the full U.S. Senate today passed its version of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Extension Act of 2005 (S. 467). By a voice vote,...

La. Senate Passes Building Code Bill; PCI Urges House to do the Same

Nov 18 2005 // The Louisiana Senate took the first steps in ensuring the rebuilding of a stronger Louisiana by passing legislation that will create a mandatory and uniform statewide building code. During the second week of a special...

Florida CFO Announces Support for Catastrophic Fund

Nov 18 2005 // Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher has advocated several federal and state solutions for avoiding an insurance market meltdown, including the creation of a National Catastrophe Fund. Today, Florida...