Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Alabama Governor Signs ‘Innovator Liability’ Law
May 18 2015 // Companies in Alabama would be protected from lawsuits related to products they didn’t make under newly passed legislation. Gov. Robert Bentley on May 1 signed into law a bill that says manufacturers are not liable...
Insurers Warn Against Encroachment on State Regulation
May 18 2015 // Insurance companies are calling for Congress to ensure state-based insurance regulation remains protected from federal or international “regulatory encroachment.” “Congress must now increase its oversight...
Ohio’s Lt. Governor/Insurance Director Focused on Streamlining Regulation
May 18 2015 // As Ohio’s lieutenant governor, top insurance regulator and leader of a statewide regulatory reform initiative, it might seem that Mary Taylor’s public responsibilities would often pull in her in conflicting...
Cyber, Talent, Data Among Game Changers for Insurers
May 18 2015 // Protecting clients against growing and poorly understood risks associated with information technology system failures is a leading concern of the insurance industry today, according to a group of prominent underwriters and...
Texas Senate Passes Property Claim Litigation Bill
May 18 2015 // The Texas Senate on April 30 passed a bill aimed at stemming the onslaught of property claim litigation that has been occurring with increasing frequency in the state following natural catastrophes. Advocates of Senate...
Texas Bill Preventing Local Drilling Bans Goes to Governor
May 18 2015 // A Texas bill banning its own cities from imposing prohibitions on hydraulic fracturing and other potentially environmentally harmful oil and natural gas drilling activities within their boundaries has been sent to Gov....
New Mexico AG Says Uber, Lyft Drivers Need Drug Testing
May 18 2015 // Drivers of ridesharing services Lyft and Uber in New Mexico should face strict drug testing requirements like taxi drivers and keep detailed records of such tests, the state Attorney General Hector Balderas told regulators...
Arizona Court Rules School District Has Immunity From Negligence Suit
May 15 2015 // An Arizona appellate court has ruled that Tucson Unified School District has legal immunity from a lawsuit accusing it of negligently hiring a teaching assistant later convicted of attempting to secretly record a...
N.Y. DMV’s New Rule Allows Proof of Auto Insurance in Electronic Format
May 14 2015 // The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles recently implemented a new regulation that allows motorists to show proof of auto insurance in either the paper or electronic format. The regulation went into effect on April...
Senate Now Expected to Pass Fast-Track Authority
May 14 2015 // U.S. Senate leaders agreed on a deal to move forward with President Barack Obama’s legislation to speed approval of trade agreements following a one-day rebellion by Democrats. The Senate will hold votes Thursday on...
Flood Insurance Does Not Cover Debris Removal From Insureds’ Land
May 13 2015 // A federal appeals court in Philadelphia recently ruled that a standard flood insurance policy from the National Flood Insurance Program does not cover the cost of cleaning up storm-generated debris not owned by the...
New Law in Oklahoma Sets Requirements for Public Adjusters
May 13 2015 // Oklahoma’s governor has signed legislation proposed by the state insurance department that specifies certain required and prohibited actions of public adjusters. According to Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak,...
Idaho College Wants Judge to Reject Student’s $1.5M Vaccine Lawsuit
May 13 2015 // A Boise State University student is suing school officials in federal court because he contends they discriminated against him by refusing to give him a meningitis vaccine designed for younger adults. Christopher Burdge...
Banks Keep Distance from Marijuana Business and Its Unbanked Billions
May 12 2015 // The U.S. government has opened a new line of business for America’s biggest banks, and for once they don’t want it. Little wonder: it’s cash from legalized marijuana. The financial-crimes arm of the...
Senate Democrats Derail Fast-Track Trade Authority Bill
May 12 2015 // U.S. Senate Democrats delivered a major blow to President Barack Obama’s trade agenda on Tuesday, blocking debate on a bill that would have smoothed the path for a Pacific trade pact. The stunning outcome cast doubt...
Senate Banking Chair Shelby Unveils Financial Regulation Reform Bill
May 12 2015 // The head of the Senate Banking Committee unveiled his long-awaited bill to toughen oversight of the Federal Reserve and ease the regulatory burden on dozens of banks, setting off what could be intense negotiations with...
Appeals Court Returns Gulf ‘Dead Zone’ Lawsuit to Judge
May 12 2015 // A federal judge who ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to take action to regulate farm runoff and other pollution blamed for the Gulf of Mexico’s annual oxygen-depleted “dead zone” must take a...
Best Sees Insurance Opportunities with Increasing Commercial Drone Use
May 12 2015 // A.M. Best’s analysis of the growth in the use of drone aircraft concludes that the “commercial use of drones presents exciting possibilities to a number of industries, but as with any new technology, unique and...
Governor Signs Missouri Medical Malpractice Damage Caps into Law
May 11 2015 // Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon signed a measure capping some damage awards in medical malpractices cases, three years after the state’s Supreme Court struck down similar limits as unconstitutional. “This bipartisan...
European Insurers’ Dividend Growth Unlikely With Rock-Bottom Interest Rates
May 11 2015 // Expectations of rising dividends and share buybacks from Europe’s insurance companies are fading as ultra low interest rates make it harder for them to meet new capital regulations. Rock-bottom interest rates reduce...
