Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Striving for Balance in Louisiana as Reform Efforts Continue
Jun 9 2004 // Insurance and tort reform measures passed by the Louisiana Legislature in 2003, along with efforts by the insurance department and two major insurance agents’ associations to get the word out about the state’s...
Mass. Lawmakers Eye Tougher Teen Driver Laws
Jun 8 2004 // Massachusetts lawmakers are recommending legislation that would place stricter requirements on teenage drivers and their parents or guardians in an effort to reduce car accidents involving young drivers. The bipartisan...
New Illinois Med-Mal Carrier to Focus on Aggressive Defense Tactics
Jun 8 2004 // The Professional Liability Insurance Company of America (PLICA), announced that it now offers physicians in the Illinois malpractice market a professional liability insurance product that has been developed and designed to...
Many See Caps in Oklahoma Tort Reform Bill as Fair
Jun 8 2004 // Trial lawyers and doctors, who stood on opposite sides of the tort reform debate in the Oklahoma Legislature, seem to agree that the caps on non-economic damages in Oklahoma’s new law were a fair compromise, the...
Commercial File and Use Bill Advances in Louisiana
Jun 8 2004 // Continuing a trend to loosen regulation on insurance companies, a Louisiana state Senate committee advanced House Bill 1514, which allows business insurance providers to bypass Louisiana’s Insurance Rating Commission...
Nebraska’s Chance to Modernize Still Alive and Kicking
Jun 7 2004 // While the legislative effort did not advance this session, conditions in Nebraska are excellent for regulatory modernization. Commissioner Wagner has traditionally been supportive of streamlining and modernization...
Florida Legislative Session Productive for Industry, Lobbyists Claim
Jun 7 2004 // Ask insurance industry lobbyists in Tallahassee to describe this year’s legislative session, and they’re likely to agree that it was a “very productive” session. Lawmakers enacted major pieces of...
Tenn. Workers’ Comp Reform Bill Goes to Governor
Jun 7 2004 // The Tennessee General Assembly recently gave final approval to workers’ compensation legislation that seeks to address rising costs. SB 3424, introduced at the request of Gov. Phil Bredesen (D), reportedly represents...
FLORIDA CFO APPLAUDS LAWMAKERS FOR APPROVING LEGISLATION TO INCREASE AVAILABILITY OF HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE:
Jun 7 2004 // Florida Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher commended state lawmakers for approving legislation, Senate Bill 2488, that will increase the availability of homeowners insurance through changes to the Florida’s...
One-on-One with NIIA’s President Rick Aniello
Jun 7 2004 // Medical malpractice is hot on the list of concerns for Nevada’s independent agents, and the state as a whole. With physicians leaving the state due to the lack of affordable med-mal coverage, the crisis has caught...
Health Savings Accounts: A New Option for Employers and Consumers
Jun 7 2004 // Florida, like other states, is working to make sure our residents have access to health care insurance. The recent Medicare reforms passed by Congress gave states an important new option: tax-free savings accounts to pay...
Workers’ Compensation Legislative Reforms in California
Jun 7 2004 // Avoiding the Trap of Failed Promises After four months of debate and intense pressure from the business community, the California Legislature and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger approved a comprehensive workers’...
PCI Applauds Louisiana Legislative Action on Credit, Insurance Rating System Bills
Jun 3 2004 // The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) praised the Louisiana Legislature for defeating a credit-based insurance scoring bill, which it said would have negatively influenced the industry, and advancing...
S.C. Lawmakers Back Homeowners’ Flex-band Rating
Jun 3 2004 // Concurring with a series of House amendments, the South Carolina State Senate approved a bill Thursday that creates a flex-band rating bill for homeowners’ insurance, similar to that enacted for the state’s...
Illinois Gov. Blagojevich Would Veto Med-Mal Caps
Jun 1 2004 // Gov. Rod Blagojevich said he would veto legislation that tries to slow the growth in malpractice insurance rates by capping some lawsuit awards, an idea being considered by the Illinois House. “I oppose caps...
After 205 Years, R.I.-Based Providence Washington to Close Its Doors
Jun 1 2004 // Providence Washington Insurance Companies is shutting down after more than two centuries, a victim of financial losses, an inability to raise capital and failure to find a buyer. The Providence, R.I.-based company’s...
Michigan Senate Takes Up Bill to Keep Insurers From Steering Claims
Jun 1 2004 // Auto insurers could not restrict policyholders from using the repair shop of their choice under legislation to be considered by the Michigan state Senate. Critics say some insurers currently send or direct claim holders to...
Reaction Mixed to Idea of Special Session in Wyoming
Jun 1 2004 // Calling a special session to deal with rising medical malpractice insurance rates could be risky if nothing comes out of it, those involved in the debate said May 28. Legislative leaders opted to vote on whether to...
Dominion of Canada Stops Writing Auto Policies in Newfoundland; Cites “Punitive Legislation”
Jun 1 2004 // Dominion of Canada General Insurance Co. announced that it intends to stop offering new, personal auto policies in Newfoundland and Labrador in the wake of proposed insurance reform introduced by the Conservative...
Okla. Gov. Applauds Tort Reform Approval
May 28 2004 // Oklahoma’s House of Representatives approved HB 2661, the tort reform bill, on a 68-32 vote Thursday afternoon. The State Senate was to take up the legislation for final passage Friday morning. In response to the...
