Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Bills in Congress, States Seek to Curb Litigation Funding
Feb 20 2020 // Lawmakers in three states and in Congress have introduced bills to impose more controls on litigation funding companies, which insurers contend are one of the factors leading to an increase in “nuclear...
Suit Against Army Corps for Post-Harvey Flooding Dismissed by Federal Judge
Feb 20 2020 // A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers isn’t liable for flood damage to thousands of Houston homes after the agency cracked open the gates on two massive dams in the wake of Hurricane...
Salvage Firm Wants Judge to Halt Removal of Capsized Cargo Ship in Georgia
Feb 19 2020 // A maritime salvage company is asking a federal judge to stop the Coast Guard and a rival firm from carrying out their plans to remove a cargo ship that overturned five months ago on the Georgia coast. The multiagency team...
Justice Department Targets Internet Firms’ Liability Shield
Feb 19 2020 // Attorney General William Barr is taking aim at a legal shield enjoyed by companies such as Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Facebook Inc. as the provision comes under increasing fire from both liberals and...
California Commissioner, Lawmakers Intro ‘Hardened Homes’ Wildfire Bill Requiring Admitted Market to Offer Coverage
Feb 18 2020 // A newly proposed bill would clarify under California law the concept of “hardened homes” that are safer or more resistant to wildfires and then require admitted carriers to cover those homes. California’s...
In Houston, a City with No Zoning, Warehouse Blast Prompts Safety Debate
Feb 18 2020 // Houston’s lack of zoning restrictions has left many residents with neighbors they don’t want: petrochemical facilities and businesses that handle hazardous materials. That unease was laid bare again last month...
In an About-Facebook, Zuckerberg Likes Internet Regulation As Way to Win Public Trust
Feb 18 2020 // For years, Facebook Inc. lobbied governments against imposing tough regulations, warning in some cases that they could harm the company’s business model. Now, it’s pleading for new rules for the good of its...
SLTX: Texas Adopts Updated Surplus Lines License Rules for Military Spouses
Feb 14 2020 // The Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas (SLTX) reported that new rules for surplus lines agents in Texas who are military spouses have been adopted by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) and became effective Feb. 6,...
Ohio House Approves PTSD Coverage for Emergency Responders, Again
Feb 14 2020 // The Ohio House has once again approved a measure covering post-traumatic stress disorder for emergency responders who haven’t suffered a physical injury. Police and firefighters have been pushing for the coverage...
Analyst Warns Regulatory Battle Over AI Bias to Grow; Lemonade Argues It’s Fair
Feb 14 2020 // As insurers introduce artificial intelligence into pricing and claims handling activities, regulatory focus on disparate impact will grow into “one of the biggest topics of the next 10 years,” a well-known...
Kentucky Inches Closer to Legalizing Medical Marijuana
Feb 14 2020 // After years of setbacks, medical marijuana advocates in Kentucky gained momentum Wednesday when a House committee overwhelmingly approved a bill to legalize medical cannabis. The House Judiciary Committee advanced the...
New Colorado Law Tackles Employee Equity, Investment in Startup Cannabis Industry
Feb 13 2020 // The startup-laden cannabis industry is probably just right for those who are willing to forego a few extra dollars on their paychecks for the possibility of a bigger payout later when the company grows or goes...
Facebook, Twitter, Other Internet Firms to Be Responsible for Content Under UK Plan
Feb 12 2020 // Britain said it would force social media companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Snap to do more to block or remove harmful content on their platforms. Following a consultation, the UK government said on Wednesday it...
Louisiana Small Business Protection Act Now in Effect
Feb 12 2020 // Louisiana’s Small Business Protection Act (SBPA), passed in the 2019 Legislative Session and effective as of Feb. 1, aims to help make small business owners aware of proposed regulations that could negatively impact...
Judge Stalls Uber’s Challenge to Controversial California Job Law
Feb 12 2020 // A federal judge has refused to exempt rideshare company Uber and on-demand meal delivery service Postmates from a broad new California labor law while she considers their lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee in Los...
Lawmakers Urged to Help U.S. Keep Up with China on Autonomous Vehicles
Feb 12 2020 // A U.S. House panel on Tuesday heard from advocates of imposing stricter safeguards for self-driving cars as part of any effort to speed the adoption of the vehicles on U.S. roads. At the same subcommittee hearing, groups...
MGA Pen Underwriting Promotes Downey as CEO, Succeeding Turner
Feb 11 2020 // Pen Underwriting has announced the appointment of Tom Downey to the role of chief executive officer, subject to regulatory approval. He takes over the leadership of the £500 million (USS$646 million) GWP underwriting...
Gaining a Risk Manager Seat at Technology’s Table: Interview with RIMS Leader Langone
Feb 11 2020 // The culture at technology startups like Uber, Airbnb and PayPal is all about risk-taking. They start by offering a unique, untested or reimagined product or service or by disrupting an industry’s established...
UK, EU Remain at Odds over Financial Services’ Market Access
Feb 11 2020 // Britain wants a stable relationship with the European Union for “decades to come” in financial services, Britain’s finance minister Sajid Javid said on Tuesday, but received an instant rebuttal from...
Georgia Moves Towards Loosening Safety Regulations for Dams Near New Homes
Feb 11 2020 // Georgia could soon loosen safety standards for dams that sit above newly built homes, under a proposal unanimously passed by a state Senate committee. Senate Bill 319 would allow for homes and other inhabitable structures...
