Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Surplus Lines Bill Among Laws Vetoed by R.I. Governor As She Clears Desk
Jul 10 2018 // Among the three laws vetoed by Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo as she cleared her desk of all pending legislation last week was a bill relating to surplus lines insurance. The bill – 2018 – H 7909...
Impact of Court Ruling Chubb Unit’s Crime Policy Covers ‘Spoofed’ Wire Transfer
Jul 9 2018 // In a closely-watched case on insurance coverage in an age of expanding cyber risk, a federal appeals court in New York has upheld a lower court ruling that a commercial crime insurance policy covers wire transfer losses...
Court Upholds Federal Authority to Regulate Hobbyist Drone Use
Jul 9 2018 // The U.S. government’s ability to police hobbyist drone use was upheld by an appellate court Friday in a ruling that helps set the stage for a series of new restrictions and requirements aviation regulators hope to...
Some Health Insurers Say They’ll Be Squeezed by Obamacare Subsidy Freeze
Jul 9 2018 // Affordable Care Act insurers are facing a fresh round of uncertainty that could drive up premiums or push companies to stop offering coverage through the law, after the Trump administration’s latest move to cut off...
Maine Governor Vetoes Bills, Calls for Minimum Wage Slowdown
Jul 6 2018 // Maine’s Republican governor has vetoed bills ranging from insurance coverage for hearing aids to help for homeless opioid users. Gov. Paul LePage vetoed 13 bills Tuesday. Lawmakers are set to return Monday facing...
Judge Overturns $140M Verdict Against AbbVie, Orders Retrial
Jul 6 2018 // A U.S. judge on Thursday overturned a $140.1 million verdict against AbbVie Inc. in a lawsuit by a man who claimed the company misrepresented the risks of its testosterone replacement drug AndroGel, causing him to suffer a...
Michigan Appeals Court Rules for Driver in Car Wash Fall
Jul 6 2018 // The Michigan appeals court is breaking new legal ground – at a self-serve car wash. In a 2-1 decision, the court ruled that a woman who fell while washing her car can seek payment for her injuries from her car insurer....
Rhode Island Governor Signs More Than 100 Bills, Vetoes Three
Jul 5 2018 // Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo cleared her desk of all pending legislation, signing more than 100 bills while vetoing three others. The Providence Journal reports that the Democratic governor vetoed bills that would...
Special Interests Make Smart Use of California’s Ballot
Jul 5 2018 // As the deadline approached last week for measures to qualify California’s November ballot, wealthy special interests pushed lawmakers to cut deals to avoid costly ballot measure campaigns in the latest display of...
California’s Data Privacy Law a Concern, Opportunity for Insurance Industry
Jul 3 2018 // California is on track to have what will be the nation’s most far-reaching law to give consumers more control over their personal data. The new law may be both a big concern, as well as a new and important...
New Iowa Laws Include Expanded ‘Move Over’ Rule, Limits on Alcohol Liability
Jul 3 2018 // Gov. Kim Reynolds signed more than 170 bills during and after the legislative session and most of those laws took effect on July 1, the start of Iowa’s new budget year. Among the new laws in effect that may affect...
Oklahoma Health Official Says State Is Ready for Medical Marijuana
Jul 2 2018 // The head of Oklahoma’s health agency said there’s a framework in place to get the medical marijuana industry rolling in the state soon, despite concerns from Gov. Mary Fallin that a statewide vote “opens...
Far-Reaching Data Privacy Bill Approved in California
Jul 2 2018 // California will soon have what experts call the nation’s most far-reaching law to give consumers more control over their personal data under a bill the governor has signed. The law will compel companies to tell...
Alabama Ridesharing Law Takes Effect
Jul 2 2018 // A new Alabama law allows ridesharing companies, such as Uber and Lyft, to operate statewide. The law, approved by the Alabama Legislature earlier this year, went into effect July 1. The Alabama Public Service Commission...
Louisiana Legislation Targets Pharmacy Benefit Managers; Drug Cost ‘Gag Rules’ Banned
Jul 2 2018 // Louisiana patients could soon get more details about what happens at the pharmacy counter and whether they’ve gotten the most affordable medication for an ailment. In the regular legislative session, lawmakers passed...
People
Jul 2 2018 // The Hanover Insurance Group Inc. has appointed Frank M. Baron as president of Alternative Markets, a newly formed business unit within the company’s domestic specialty group. In this role, Baron will lead the...
Declarations
Jul 2 2018 // Medical Marijuana “Prosecuted or not, the fact remains that Twin Rivers would be forced to commit a federal crime if it complied with the directive of the Workers’ Compensation Board.” — Maine...
Massachusetts Raises Minimum Wage, Creates New Paid Leave Program
Jun 29 2018 // Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has signed into law an act that will mandate an annual August sales tax holiday, increase minimum wage over the next five years and create a new paid family and medical leave program in...
How Workers’ Compensation Outpatient Costs Compare Across States by Fee Regulation
Jun 29 2018 // Hospital outpatient payments were higher and growing faster in states with percent-of-charge-based fee regulations or no fee schedules, finds a study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) that compares 35...
Wisconsin Supreme Court Caps Some Malpractice Damages at $750K
Jun 28 2018 // The Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld the state’s cap on noneconomic medical malpractice damages on June 27, reversing an appellate ruling that awarded $15 million to a woman who had all four limbs amputated after a...
