Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Sen. Collins: Finding the Right Capital Regulations for Insurers
Mar 11 2014 // The following a statement by Senator Susan Collins, a former state insurance regulator, in testimony before the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection today on capital requirements for insurance...
West Virginia Lawmakers OK Chemical Spill Bill As Session Ends
Mar 11 2014 // Leading up to a midnight deadline, West Virginia lawmakers scrambled Saturday to give teachers raises and hike the minimum wage. A Jan. 9 chemical spill into the water supply loomed over the session, which began three days...
Insurers Urge Lawmakers Not to Impose Bank Capital Requirements on Industry
Mar 11 2014 // Insurance companies will urge U.S. lawmakers today to stop the Federal Reserve from imposing bank- like capital standards on their industry. A provision of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act that overhauled U.S. financial regulation...
Colorado Bill Would Exclude Uber Drivers Until Summoned
Mar 10 2014 // A bill on ridesharing in Colorado passed by state Senate on Monday paints a “bright line” between when users of the app-based services are driving for personal reasons and when they are providing a commercial...
PCI Provides NCOIL List of ‘Key Elements’ on International Issues
Mar 10 2014 // “The National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) took positive steps this weekend during its spring meeting outlining key areas where state legislators and regulators can impact the international dialogue on...
Judge’s Refusal to Fine Drone Operator Seen Spur to More Commercial Flying
Mar 10 2014 // A judge overturned a U.S. regulator’s first fine against a drone operator, a ruling that may lead to more commercial unmanned-aircraft flights in the U.S. before rules are written to govern their use. Judge Patrick...
Court Rules Ohio Landlords Are Liable for Safety of Tenants’ Guests
Mar 10 2014 // Landlords are on notice after a ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court. The high court ruled that landlords owe the same duty of safety to guests as they do for tenants. In Mann v. Northgate Apartments, a 16 year old was injured...
Florida Lawmakers Advance Bill Banning Insurers from Considering Gun Ownership
Mar 9 2014 // Florida House and Senate committees have approved a bill that would prevent insurance companies from discriminating against gun owners. The bill flew through the Senate Appropriations committee, but did meet some...
Florida Panel Advances Bill to Limit Nursing Home Partners’ Liability
Mar 7 2014 // Defendants who can be named in lawsuits against nursing homes in Florida would be limited under a bill that moved this week through the House Civil Justice Committee. Developers, silent partners and other parties that...
Florida Lawmakers Turn Attention to Privatizing Commercial Business in Citizens
Mar 7 2014 // One year after enacting reforms designed to reduce the amount of homeowners business in the state’s insurer, state lawmakers are now looking to further shrink Citizens Property Insurance Corp. by targeting its...
Only 2 Inspectors For Asbestos Projects in Iowa
Mar 7 2014 // Two inspectors are responsible for making sure thousands of asbestos-removal projects are being properly handled in Iowa each year. The Des Moines Register reported that the lack of inspections at asbestos removal projects...
Judge OKs Settlement in Deadly 2010 West Virginia Plant Explosion
Mar 7 2014 // A judge has approved a settlement that resolves federal workplace and environmental civil charges at a plant in Hancock County where an explosion killed three workers in 2010. Under the settlement, metal recycler AL...
Ohio’s Exotic Animal Law, with Insurance Component, Survives Federal Lawsuit
Mar 6 2014 // A federal appeals court has upheld Ohio’s restrictions on exotic animals, rejecting a challenge by owners who had claimed the law was too stringent and forced them to join organizations they disagree with. Among...
Group Warns Maryland’s Auto Repair Bill Could Raise Costs for Consumers
Mar 6 2014 // An industry association says a recently proposed bill in Maryland could hurt consumers by limiting insurers’ ability to manage auto body repairs and control costs. Maryland’s Senate Bill 487 (Motor Vehicle...
Judge Orders Farmers Insurance to Pay Oklahoma Plaintiffs $15M
Mar 6 2014 // An Oklahoma judge has ordered Farmers Insurance and a subsidiary to pay a total of $15 million to three plaintiffs who filed claims for damage to their homes caused by a deadly tornado that struck Woodward in 2012. The...
Private Market Could Grow As Government Flood Insurance Prices Rise: Fitch
Mar 6 2014 // As federal subsidies for flood insurance are reduced and the cost of government provided insurance goes up, the demand for private flood coverage could also rise, according to Fitch Ratings. However, it remains to be seen...
House Passes Flood Insurance Bill; Key Senators Sign On
Mar 4 2014 // The U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday evening passed legislation to curb some of the premium increases in the nation’s flood insurance program that have been causing “sticker shock” for property...
Bill Subjecting Prescription Drugs to Trafficking Law Passes Oklahoma House
Mar 4 2014 // Individuals carrying large quantities of prescription drugs would face drug trafficking charges under legislation approved unanimously by the Oklahoma House of Representatives. House Bill 2589 by State Rep. Pat Ownbey,...
Only 2 Inspectors Monitor Asbestos-Removal Projects in Iowa
Mar 4 2014 // Two inspectors are responsible for making sure thousands of asbestos removal projects are being properly handled in Iowa each year. The Des Moines Register reports that the lack of inspections at asbestos removal projects...
Court Rules BP Must Honor Terms of $9.2 Billion Oil Spill Settlement
Mar 3 2014 // BP Plc must abide by terms of a $9.2 billion settlement it reached with victims of the 2010 oil spill, a federal appeals court ruled in rejecting the company’s objections that the deal is being misinterpreted by the...
