Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Texas Bill Allows More Flexibility in Employee Health Benefit Plans
Aug 7 2017 // Small employers in Texas may now get some flexibility in selecting and retaining the health benefit plan of their choosing for their employees following the passage of a bill in the regular session of the Texas...
Judge: Insurer Off the Hook for Payment in Ohio Arson Case
Aug 7 2017 // A judge has ruled that an insurance company doesn’t have to pay an Ohio man accused of burning down his house. The ruling came on July 14 in southwest Ohio’s Butler County in a civil lawsuit filed by the...
The Competitive Advantage: On the Other Side of the Desk
Aug 7 2017 // It is always interesting to be on the other side of a desk. I’m always consulting and writing on “all things” insurance but I’m not always buying insurance. This year I purchased a couple of new...
Court Rules for NBC in Defamation Suit by Oregon Sporting Goods Company
Aug 7 2017 // A federal appeals court has ruled that NBC News did not defame an Oregon sporting goods company by characterizing its exploding rifle targets as “bombs” in a report on the “Today” show. The 2nd U.S....
Judge Refuses to Block California Gas Facility From Reopening
Aug 7 2017 // A judge has refused to block a Los Angeles, Calif. natural gas storage facility from reopening a year-and-a-half after a major blowout spewed methane that drove thousands of families from their homes. Los Angeles Superior...
California Commissioner Counters AGs, Other Commissioners over Climate Initiative
Aug 7 2017 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones fired off a letter to the 12 oil state attorneys general and one governor from states like Texas and Oklahoma over threats to sue him if he did not stop his Climate Risk Carbon...
Senators Weigh Bipartisan Effort to Save Health Insurer Subsidies
Aug 4 2017 // A bipartisan Senate effort to continue federal payments to insurers and avert a costly rattling of health insurance markets faces a dicey future. The uncertainty shows that last week’s wreck of the Republican drive...
2 New Driving Laws Among Some 200 New Laws for Louisiana in August
Aug 3 2017 // Two new driving laws kicked in for Louisiana this month. Also children can bring sunscreen to school without a doctor’s note, minors face tougher restrictions for getting an abortion and colleges can’t ask...
Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Appoints New Chief of Staff, Deputy Commissioners
Aug 3 2017 // Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier has appointed Michael Yaworsky as the new chief of staff for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR), replacing former Chief of Staff Belinda Miller, who retired at...
Volkswagen Wants Judge to Reject Wyoming Lawsuit
Aug 2 2017 // Volkswagen AG, trying to put a massive emissions-cheating scandal behind it, has asked a U.S. judge to reject a lawsuit by Wyoming potentially seeking more than $1 billion in additional penalties for environment...
XL Catlin Offers Cyber & Data Protection Policy in Asia Pacific
Aug 2 2017 // XL Catlin announced it has launched its Cyber and Data Protection insurance policy in Asia Pacific. With cyber risk ranking in the top 10 in today’s emerging risks, the new policy is designed to protect businesses...
Delaware Governor Carney Signs Insurance Consumer Fairness Bill
Aug 2 2017 // On Tuesday, August 1, 2017, Delaware Governor John Carney signed into law House Substitute 1 for House Bill 80 (HS 1 for HB 80), a consumer fairness bill that targets unfair discriminatory practices by automobile and...
Brexit Transition Period Crucial to Protect London as Financial Center: UK Lawmaker
Aug 2 2017 // Transitional arrangements after leaving the European Union in 2019 will be crucial for protecting the economy and the City of London’s global role in finance, a senior British lawmaker said on Tuesday. Nicky Morgan,...
California Workers’ Comp Drug Formulary Would Reduce Costs, Study Shows
Aug 1 2017 // Roughly one-in-three prescription drugs currently dispensed to injured workers in California will be no longer require authorization prior to dispensing under the state’s proposed workers’ compensation...
More Counties Could Be Without an Obamacare Insurer in 2018
Aug 1 2017 // With Republican efforts to dismantle Obamacare in disarray, hundreds of U.S. counties are at risk of losing access to private health coverage in 2018 as insurers consider pulling out of those markets in the coming...
Judge Refuses to Block California Gas Facility From Reopening
Jul 31 2017 // A judge has refused to block a Los Angeles natural gas storage facility from reopening a year and a half after a major blowout spewed methane that drove thousands of families from their homes. Los Angeles Superior Court...
At Labor’s Urging, House Bill to Speed Self-Driving Vehicles Exempts Trucks
Jul 31 2017 // Labor unions are urging a slowdown as lawmakers fast track legislation to allow self-driving vehicles on the road, a potential boon to some union jobs and an existential threat to others. The House Energy & Commerce...
Insurers Await Trump Decision on Health Insurance Cost Subsidies
Jul 30 2017 // Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said Sunday that “no decision’s been made” on whether to continue key Affordable Care Act subsidies to health-insurance companies, but that the...
California Commissioner Counters AGs, other Commissioners over Climate Initiative
Jul 28 2017 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has fired off a letter to the 12 oil state attorneys general and one governor from states like Texas and Oklahoma over threats to sue him if he did not stop his Climate Risk...
Senators Question If Trump Adviser, AIG Investor Icahn Plays Role in ‘Too Big to Fail’
Jul 28 2017 // Two prominent U.S. Democratic senators are raising questions about President Donald Trump’s special adviser, Carl Icahn, asking in a letter on Thursday if the activist investor is attempting to persuade the...
