Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Record Turnout for ACIC’s General Counsel Seminar
Aug 2 2005 // The Association of California Insurance Companies (ACIC) had a record turnout at its recently concluded XVI Annual General Counsel Seminar at the Wynn Hotel, according to ACIC President Sam Sorich. “More than 220...
Court Rules that Calif. Country Club Discriminated Against Lesbian Couple
Aug 2 2005 // California’s highest court ruled that country clubs must offer gay members who register as domestic partners the same discounts given to married ones – a decision that could apply to other businesses such as...
PIA of Fla. Plans September ‘Hurricane Lessons,’ Legislative Summary
Aug 1 2005 // The Professional Insurance Agents of Florida have scheduled four meetings in September during which it will presented morning “Hurricane Lessons” and an afternoon summary of Florida insurance regulations and...
Texas Tech Law School Releases ‘Legislative Intent Roadmap’ on 2003 Lawsuit Reforms
Aug 1 2005 // Texas Tech Law Review has issued a comprehensive overview of lawsuit reform measures passed in 2003. According to an announcement released by the Texas Alliance for Patient Access, the 357-page article, the culmination of...
N.Y. Raises Minimum Age for Boating Operators to 14
Jul 29 2005 // New York Gov. George Pataki has signed into law legislation intended to increase safety on New York’s waterways by increasing the minimum age of those allowed to operate personal watercraft to 14 years old. Current...
Congress Forwards President Bush Bill Designed to Boost Reporting of Medical Mistakes
Jul 29 2005 // A national system designed to increase reporting of medical errors has won final congressional approval and been sent to President Bush. It is estimated that more than 250 Americans die every day as a result of preventable...
Colorado Lawmakers Say They Have No Plans to Return to No-fault Auto
Jul 29 2005 // State lawmakers said July 27 they have no plans to return Colorado to no-fault auto insurance, but they questioned the savings claimed by state regulators in switching to a system that puts the financial burden for...
Hilb Rogal & Hobbs Hit By Legal Expenses in 2nd Quarter
Jul 28 2005 // Hilb Rogal & Hobbs Company, based in Richmond, Va., reported that for the second quarter, total revenues were $162.0 million, compared with $147.8 million a year ago, an increase of 9.7 percent. Commissions and fees...
AIA: CAFTA an Important Market-Opening Step
Jul 28 2005 // Congress took an important step toward opening the world’s insurance markets when it approved the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), the American Insurance Association said Thursday. “Costa Rica,...
Pa. Court Strikes Down ‘Deep Pockets’ Tort Reform
Jul 27 2005 // A Pennsylvania court has ruled unconstitutional a key component of tort reforms enacted in 2002. Commonwealth Court ruled that a measure that abolished joint and several liability is invalid because it was not germane to...
Calif. Trial Judge Rules Prop. 64 Is Not Retroactive In Case Against State Fund
Jul 27 2005 // A San Francisco trial court judge recently ruled in the case Palm Medical v. State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) that Prop. 64 is not retroactive, allowing the plaintiff to pursue injunctive relief on behalf the...
Greater N.Y. Mutual CEO Makes Case for Terror Coverage; NAMIC Suggests Britain’s Pool Re as Model
Jul 27 2005 // Warren Heck, chairman and chief executive officer of Greater New York Mutual Insurance Company in New York, N.Y., brought his company’s front line experience with terrorism risk before a House Financial Services...
Safety Groups Press for Rollover, Other Measures in Highway Bill
Jul 26 2005 // Safety advocates are urging lawmakers to include new automobile safety requirements in a long overdue highway bill. Among the issues they want addressed are ways to reduce deaths from accidents when vehicles roll over and...
Alliance Opposed to Proposed CDI “Agent Appointment” Regs
Jul 26 2005 // The American Agents Alliance has issued its official objections to the proposed regulations (file number RH 04037941), which were submitted on June 3, 2005. The Alliance believes the regs “do not meet the standards...
Vt. Volunteer Firefighters Left Out of Workers Comp Revision
Jul 25 2005 // Volunteer firefighters in Vermont say they were inappropriately left out of a new law that gave their full-time, professional colleagues benefits that they believe they also deserve. Passed on the final day of the session,...
Left to Right: Sen. Clinton, Gingrich Meet in Middle on Health Reforms
Jul 24 2005 // Hillary Rodham Clinton, who as first lady pushed a health care policy overhaul in the early 1990s, found Republican lawmaker Newt Gingrich as her adamant foe. But now the two are working together to promote health care...
Delaware Commissioner Wants To Publicize Complaints Against Insurers
Jul 21 2005 // Delawareans would be able to evaluate insurance companies based on the number and kinds of valid complaints made against them by their customers under a new system proposed by Delaware Insurance Commissioner Matthew...
News Currents
Jul 18 2005 // Two Industry Opposed Bills Die in California Legislature California’s SB 46 and SB 603 both died in the Legislature in late June, allowing insurers to breathe a little easy-for now. SB 46, authored by Sen. Richard...
Opinion: Rare Calif. Policy Success Tries to Survive
Jul 18 2005 // This month new workers’ compensation insurance rates went into effect in California. And thanks to reforms championed early on by State Sen. Charles Poochigian and Assemblyman Abel Maldonado, and later pushed by Gov....
Agent Leader Hits Hodgepodge of Disclosure Rules by Insurers
Jul 18 2005 // While insurance companies are calling upon state officials to coordinate their responses to the various brokerage compensation and other inquiries, independent insurance agents are worried about how the insurers themselves...
