Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Judge Sets 2016 Trial Date for Hulk Hogan Sex Tape Lawsuit
Aug 3 2015 // A Florida judge set a trial date of March 2016 for a lawsuit brought by Hulk Hogan – the biggest name on pro wrestling marquees in the `80s and `90s and later a reality TV star – against the news website Gawker over a...
Arizona Supreme Court Ruling May Expose Agents to Lawsuits
Aug 3 2015 // An Arizona Supreme Court ruling in July may expose agents who write auto policies to malpractice lawsuits if they are accused of failing to inform their customers about uninsured and underinsured motorists coverage —...
U.S. Appeals Court Rules for State Farm Whistleblowers in Katrina Fraud Case
Aug 3 2015 // A federal appeals court has ruled that whistleblowers who sued State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. can seek more evidence of fraud against the U.S. government after 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. In its decision, the New...
Bankruptcy Judge Approves $2.5M Cleanup Deal in West Virginia Spill Case
Aug 3 2015 // A bankruptcy judge has approved a $2.5 million deal involving the cleanup of a massive 2014 chemical spill in West Virginia. The order July 8 by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Ronald Pearson says the agreement is in the best...
Study: Kentucky Prescription Drug Law Successfully Curbing Abuse
Jul 30 2015 // Prescriptions for painkillers and doctor-shopping by pill seekers have decreased since Kentucky passed legislation targeting prescription drug abuse, according to a University of Kentucky study. The law passed during a...
Insurers Warned to ‘Think Before You Snap’ as Florida Drone Privacy Law Takes Flight
Jul 29 2015 // The new Florida drone privacy law could have some unintended consequences for insurers looking to use or insure unmanned aircraft systems (UAM) technology. The Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act (FUSA), which took...
Buffett Helps Ireland’s Vhi Insurance Avoid Bailout with $99M Subordinated Loan
Jul 29 2015 // Irish state-owned health insurer Vhi Insurance DAC borrowed money from Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. to help avoid a bailout as the company comes under central bank regulation for the first time. Berkshire...
Ridesharing Rules Make it Through North Carolina Senate
Jul 27 2015 // A deal brokered between North Carolina lawmakers and ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft to place regulations on the app-based companies has passed the Senate and will go to the House. The Senate passed a bill July...
North Carolina Lawmakers Approve School District Lawsuit Moratorium
Jul 24 2015 // School districts in North Carolina may soon be barred for five years from suing their counties over the amount of funding they receive under a new provision approved by the state Senate. The Senate passed on July 22 a bill...
Environmental Groups Ask North Carolina Judge to Dismiss Part of Duke Energy Suit
Jul 24 2015 // A coalition of environmental groups is supporting Duke Energy’s effort to dismiss part of long-running lawsuit over pollution leaking from the company’s coal ash dumps. The Southern Environmental Law Center...
Oklahoma Town OKs Rules Restricting Oil, Gas Drilling in City
Jul 23 2015 // Leaders in Stillwater, Okla., approved new rules for oil and gas drilling within the city to the disappointment of industry representatives. A.J. Ferate, vice president of regulatory affairs at the Oklahoma Independent...
Conn. Court Overturns $35M Verdict in Hartford’s Auto-Repair Labor Rate Case
Jul 22 2015 // The Connecticut Supreme Court on July 13 unanimously overturned nearly $35 million in damages against the Hartford Fire Insurance Company. In its 18-page decision, the Supreme Court said the lower court had incorrectly...
London’s IUA Supports Coordinated, International Approach to Drone Regulation
Jul 22 2015 // A coordinated, international approach to the regulation of aviation drones is essential for the technology to thrive, said the International Underwriting Association (IUA), which represents wholesale re/insurance companies...
Arkansas Cities Back Anti-Discrimination Measures Despite New Law
Jul 21 2015 // Most Arkansas municipalities that have adopted broader anti-discrimination protections for gays and lesbians say they’ll keep enforcing the measures despite a new law taking effect this week intended to prohibit such...
California Judge Orders Kaiser to Broaden Reconstructive Surgery Coverage
Jul 21 2015 // A California judge has ruled that Kaiser Permanente cannot systematically classify removal of excess skin following bariatric weight loss surgery as a cosmetic procedure after a trial in a class action case. The trial...
Abercrombie Settles Religious Discrimination Case After Supreme Court Ruling
Jul 21 2015 // Following a Supreme Court ruling in June against it, clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch’s has settled a religious discrimination case over its refusing to hire a Muslim woman who insisted on wearing a...
TNC Rain Dance Shows How NCOIL Is All Wet
Jul 20 2015 // “Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.” – Unknown Cowboy aphorisms have a lot to offer contemporary culture, in spite of their dubious origins. The National Conference of Insurance...
Judge in California Says Uber Must Face Taxi Suit over Safety Claims
Jul 20 2015 // Uber Technologies Inc. lost a bid to dismiss a lawsuit over its claims to being safer than taxis. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar in San Francisco on Friday allowed the case to proceed, finding that the app-based ridesharing...
Judge Finds Injuries ‘Part of Soccer’ in Dismissing Concussion Lawsuits
Jul 20 2015 // A U.S. judge has dismissed a lawsuit by soccer players and parents seeking to force FIFA and other governing bodies to change the sport’s rules to limit the risk of concussions and other head injuries, especially for...
Citizens to Hold Off on 2016 Sinkhole Rate Increases, For Now
Jul 20 2015 // In Citizens’ 2016 rate proposal, approved last month by the Citizens Board of Directors and awaiting approval by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, the insurer of last resort did not recommend any sinkhole...
