Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
China’s Cabinet to Take Greater Role in Financial Markets Oversight: Source
Jan 11 2016 // China’s cabinet is set to take on a bigger role in overseeing financial markets, as perceived missteps by existing regulators fuel concerns globally that Beijing may lose its grip on economic policy with growth at...
Stage Set for Another Banner Year for Independent Agents
Jan 11 2016 // The Big “I” is very pleased that 2015 yielded a number of legislative successes. Early in 2015, the association scored a tremendous double victory when Congress acted on both the National Association of...
New Look in Franchise Liability
Jan 11 2016 // Businesses known for their uniforms are worried about lawyers in business suits in the wake of a change in the nation’s labor laws affecting their liability for employment practices. The change could unravel the...
Florida Lawmakers to Industry: We Want YOU to Join State Flood Insurance Market
Jan 11 2016 // We think the time is right for you all to explore the [Florida] flood insurance market.” That was the message Florida Senator Jeff Brandes gave insurance industry attendees at the first ever Florida Flood Insurance...
Obama Vetoes Republicans’ Repeal of Affordable Care Act
Jan 10 2016 // President Barack Obama vetoed a measure to repeal most of his signature healthcare law on Friday, releasing a statement that extolled the virtues of his biggest domestic policy achievement while excoriating Republicans for...
Industry Reacts to McCarty Resignation, Contemplates His Next Move
Jan 8 2016 // Insurance industry reactions to Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty’s decision to resign have been rolling in since the long-time state regulator announced Jan. 5 that he would step down from his position...
McCarty Replacement Rumors Start Swirling; Successor Has ‘Huge Shoes to Fill’
Jan 8 2016 // Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty’s successor has yet to be announced, but whoever takes over will have his or her work cut out for them when McCarty leaves office after 12 years on May 2. “These are...
Ex-LA Times Columnist’s $7.1M Award Tossed by Judge
Jan 8 2016 // A judge has thrown out a $7.1-million jury award to former Los Angeles Times sports columnist T.J. Simers, who claimed he was forced to quit because of age and health discrimination. A judge stripped $2.1 million Simers...
R.I. Gov. Urges Legislature to Help Undocumented Immigrants Get Licenses
Jan 7 2016 // Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo has run out of time to carry out an ambitious promise she made on the campaign trail to grant driver’s licenses to immigrants in the country illegally. Raimondo signed a poster-sized...
Drone Registrations Top 180,000 in First 2 Weeks
Jan 7 2016 // One of the most important players in the booming drone industry isn’t a hardware manufacturer; it’s the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. So attendees at the Consumer Electronics Show on Wednesday flocked...
Judge Throws Out ‘Everybody Does It’ Defense in Shareholder Class Action
Jan 7 2016 // Corporate legal battles are often decided on nuanced readings of dense statutes, but one recent ruling that could expose scores of U.S. companies to shareholder lawsuits turned partly on a much simpler defense: everybody...
Its Own Scientists Question EPA Claim Fracking Is Safe for Drinking Water
Jan 7 2016 // A landmark study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that concluded fracking causes no widespread harm to drinking water is coming under fire — this time, from the agency’s own science advisers. The...
Obama to Veto Affordable Care Act Repeal Passed by Congress
Jan 7 2016 // The House voted Wednesday to repeal most of Obamacare, sending legislation to President Barack Obama for the first time that would dismantle his biggest domestic policy achievement. The 240-181 House vote, following Senate...
Gas Leak Forcing Southern California Residents to Flee Neighborhood
Jan 6 2016 // The sulfurous scent of a natural-gas leak hangs in the air as mail carriers wearing gas masks make rounds to mostly deserted homes in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Porter Ranch. Life in the community of 30,000 people...
Florida Insurance Commissioner McCarty to Resign After 12 Years in Job
Jan 5 2016 // Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin M. McCarty announced today that he is resigning effective May 2, 2016 after 12 years in the post to pursue other job opportunities, according to the Florida Office of Insurance...
Massachusetts Lawmakers Consider Changes to Bicycle Laws
Jan 5 2016 // Bicyclists can get little respect on the road — from drivers, pedestrians, even fellow cyclists. Sometimes the angry stares are deserved, but more often the friction stems from the fact that bicycles, cars, buses,...
Florida Approves Removal of 71,000 Policies from Citizens for March Takeouts
Jan 5 2016 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) has approved the removal of up to 70,000 personal residential policies and 1,500 commercial residential polices from Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (Citizens). The...
6 Forecasts for P/C Insurance in 2016
Jan 4 2016 // Some, but not all, experts see an improving U.S. economy in 2016 helping to boost the property/casualty (P/C) insurance sector. Some of these prognosticators are more optimistic than others. But most also anticipate...
Maine Legislature Pushed to Address Volunteer Firefighter Shortage
Jan 4 2016 // Some Maine fire officials hope lawmakers will consider measures aimed to attract more volunteers and allow departments to remain financially afloat. Small towns throughout Maine face a shortage of trained firefighters and...
Insurance Journal’s Most Popular East Region Stories of 2015
Dec 31 2015 // As the year 2015 comes to a close, here’s a look at InsuranceJournal.com’s most popular East region news stories of the year. Among the 1,100 stories posted in the East region this year, the following were 50...
