Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Judge Challenges Regulators’ Lawyer Over MetLife SIFI Tag
Feb 11 2016 // A U.S. lawyer defending the government’s decision to designate MetLife Inc. a threat to the American economy if it were to falter was questioned sharply by a federal judge who was asked by the company to remove the...
U.S. Again Warns Airlines Against Carrying Lithium Battery Cargo
Feb 10 2016 // U.S. aviation safety officials are raising new warnings about the dangers of carrying bulk shipments of lithium-based batteries on commercial flights. The Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates the aviation...
Software Qualifies as a Driver, Says U.S. Safety Agency on Google Self-Driving Car
Feb 10 2016 // U.S. vehicle safety regulators have said the artificial intelligence system piloting a self-driving Google car could be considered the driver under federal law, a major step toward ultimately winning approval for...
Drug Price Transparency Bill Stalls in Virginia General Assembly
Feb 9 2016 // Legislation to make drug makers reveal how much they spend marketing high-priced drugs has stalled in the Virginia General Assembly, at least for this year. Virginia state senators said the bill wasn’t ready for...
Judge Sets May Trial for ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Copyright Claim
Feb 9 2016 // The judge presiding over a lawsuit challenging the authenticity of Led Zeppelin’s signature song Stairway to Heaven rejected a bid to delay the case, setting the stage for a May trial — if it doesn’t get...
Court Hears MetLife’s Challenge to ‘Too-Big-to-Fail’ Designation This Week
Feb 9 2016 // For MetLife Inc. Chief Executive Officer Steve Kandarian, the scariest risk is being classified as risky. MetLife lawyers go to court Wednesday seeking to overturn a too-big-to-fail designation in a lawsuit that could, if...
Tennessee Insurance Commissioner McPeak Elected as VP of NAIC
Feb 9 2016 // Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak was elected as vice president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the nation’s insurance regulatory...
Future of Tennessee Workers’ Comp Option in Question Amid Lawmaker Scandal
Feb 9 2016 // Legislation to create a workers’ compensation alternative in Tennessee is already facing serious setbacks in the just started legislative session, despite being amended in 2015 and refiled in 2016. An emerging...
Opioid Addiction in Sights of New Mexico Lawmakers
Feb 8 2016 // With one of the highest drug overdose death rates in the nation, New Mexico has been working for years to curb what has now been identified by the highest levels of government as a national epidemic. The state was the...
Iowa Court Ruling Makes Defense Attorney Malpractice Suits Easier
Feb 8 2016 // The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that a man who pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for sex but later had the conviction overturned can sue his defense attorney for legal malpractice without being required to prove...
Florida Fights Back Against Assignment of Benefits Abuse
Feb 8 2016 // Florida insurers, consumer and insurance advocates, as well as regulators, are hoping 2016 may finally be the year that legislators address the misuse of assignment of benefits (AOB) for water loss claims that they say has...
Bill Would Clarify South Dakota’s Workers’ Comp Law
Feb 8 2016 // A bill introduced in the South Dakota House would clarify state law on when part-time employees injured on the job should also receive workers’ compensation benefits for their other part-time positions. The proposed...
Brian Maynard Appointed Kentucky Insurance Commissioner
Feb 8 2016 // Brian Maynard of Louisville was appointed commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Insurance on Jan. 12. Gov. Matt Bevin, who took over in December, appointed Maynard by executive order. He is now a member of the Public...
A Tale of Two Sovereigns
Feb 5 2016 // Canute was a king of Denmark who ruled over an empire that included large parts of Sweden, all of Norway and almost all of England. He ruled over person and property alike. He ruled over the land and sought to expand his...
Arkansas Utility Wants U.S. to Uphold Exxon Mobil Spill-Related Fines
Feb 4 2016 // A water utility company in Arkansas is urging a federal regulatory agency to uphold fines and new safety requirements for Exxon Mobil Corp. regarding an oil spill in Mayflower. In a letter to the Pipeline and Hazardous...
Oklahoma Lawmaker: Small Businesses Back Asset Forfeiture Reform
Feb 3 2016 // An Oklahoma state lawmaker has filed a bill that would reform Oklahoma’s civil asset forfeiture law, an effort he says is supported by small businesses in the state. In May 2015, Sen. Kyle D. Loveless (R-Oklahoma...
Lawmakers Seek Ways to Improve Amish Safety on Wisconsin Roads
Feb 3 2016 // Amish safety on Wisconsin roads needs to be addressed in the wake of recent fatal buggy crashes, according to a state lawmaker. Republican State Rep. Bob Kulp of Stratford hopes the Amish communities in Wisconsin would be...
Health Insurers in Kansas Support Network-Only Plan Proposal
Feb 1 2016 // Insurance providers have asked Kansas lawmakers to approve a measure that would allow them to offer health plans requiring customers to only use the insurers’ network. The plans are called Exclusive Provider...
Bill Would Clarify South Dakota’s Workers’ Comp Law
Jan 28 2016 // A bill introduced in the South Dakota House would clarify state law on when part-time employees injured on the job should also receive workers’ compensation benefits for their other part-time positions. The proposed...
Funding Plan for Arkansas Fire Departments Proposed by Lawmakers
Jan 26 2016 // Two Arkansas legislators hope the state finds a way next year to distribute excess state funds to volunteer fire departments that suffer funding shortages, impacting the purchase and repair of equipment. The Quail Creek...
