Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Oregon House Passes Immigrant Driver’s Card Bill
May 2 2013 // Tens of thousands of immigrants living in Oregon without legal permission will be able to get four-year driver’s licenses starting Jan. 1 under a bill given final legislative approval by the House on Tuesday. The...
Florida Lawmakers Advance Texting While Driving Bill
May 2 2013 // The Florida House has passed its version of a statewide ban on texting while driving, but the proposal’s fate is uncertain. The House passed the bill (SB 52) on a 110-6 vote Wednesday. It includes an amendment that...
Inquiry Into Texas Blast Plagued by Regulatory Gap
Apr 30 2013 // Federal and state officials investigating the April 17 deadly blast at a Central Texas fertilizer company are trying to determine whether a fire at the plant could have ignited a supply of ammonium nitrate. But how much of...
Trade Group Urges Indiana Governor to Sign Work Comp Bill
Apr 30 2013 // The Indiana General Assembly ended a very productive 2013 legislative session early in the morning on April 27 having passed workers’ compensation reform, legislation permitting the use of electronic devices to show...
Experts Weigh Boston Bombings’ Impact on Government-Backed Terrorism Insurance
Apr 30 2013 // The April 15 Boston bombings could have an impact on the efforts to renew the federal government’s terrorism insurance backstop. Some experts say the Boston Marathon tragedy could help the cause of supporters of the...
Arkansas Joining Interstate Insurance Regulation Compact
Apr 29 2013 // Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe has signed SB1170, enacting the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Compact (Compact). The bill was introduced by Sen. Jason Rapert, chair of the Arkansas Senate Insurance and Commerce...
Oklahoma Agents Group Pleased with Progress of State Legislation
Apr 26 2013 // Oklahoma’s independent insurance agent association says measures of interest to the group are moving so quickly in the state Legislature this year it is cancelling an annual event furing which member speak with...
Florida Senate Approves Citizens Reform Bill; Path Ahead Remains Uncertain
Apr 26 2013 // Florida lawmakers have taken the first step towards reforming the state-backed property insurer, but not before significantly scaling back its impact on policyholders while the chances for final legislative approval remain...
Federal Judge Moves S&P Ratings Case Back to State Court
Apr 26 2013 // A federal judge handed a legal defeat to Standard & Poor’s, ruling that a lawsuit in which Connecticut accused it of fraudulently inflating credit ratings to win business should be moved back to the state court...
2 Judges Consider State Farm Rates in Texas
Apr 26 2013 // The state’s consumer advocate has challenged State Farm Insurance Co.’s 20 percent rate hike for Texas homeowners as being too high. Public Insurance Counsel Deeia Beck on April 24 urged two administrative law...
U.S. Court Rules Artist Richard Prince Didn’t Infringe Photo Copyrights
Apr 26 2013 // In a closely watched case in the art world, American artist Richard Prince won a federal appeals court order Thursday holding that he did not infringe the copyrights of a photographer by incorporating his images into 25...
EU Supports French Demand; Trade Talks with U.S. Should not Cover Culture
Apr 26 2013 // European Union lawmakers have backed French demands to exempt culture from a proposed free-trade pact between Europe and the United States, keeping Paris on side and raising the chances that the talks can start on...
AXA to Buy 50% of China P&C Insurer Tian Ping for $631 Million
Apr 26 2013 // France’s AXA Group announced that it has entered into an agreement with Tian Ping Auto Insurance Company Limited shareholders to acquire 50 percent of the company. Under the terms of the agreement, and subject to...
Oklahoma Workers’ Comp Reform Legislation Advances
Apr 25 2013 // Legislation that would reform Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation system has passed the House and Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak says that’s a good thing. Applauding the leadership of House...
Ohio Justices: Doctor’s Apology not Evidence of Malpractice
Apr 25 2013 // Sympathetic statements by a doctor over a patient’s unexpected medical outcome can’t be admitted as evidence in medical malpractice cases filed after the date a law intended to outlaw their use went into effect...
North Carolina Senate Bill Aims to End Local Building Design Standards
Apr 25 2013 // Some North Carolina lawmakers are pushing legislation that forbids local governments from adopting their own building design standards in most cases. The Senate bill that passed the Commerce Committee on Tuesday says that...
Florida Judge Upholds Injunction Against Portions of State’s PIP Law
Apr 24 2013 // A Florida judge has upheld his temporary injunction partially blocking portions of the state’s automobile no-fault insurance law on the basis it infringes on drivers’ access to the courts. As a result,...
Missouri Department of Insurance Reports Leadership Changes
Apr 24 2013 // Several veteran regulators were appointed into new positions at the Missouri Department of Insurance during the first quarter of 2013. Department of Insurance Director John M. Huff announced that John Rehagen, Mary...
Texas Governor: State Oversight Not to Blame for West Blast
Apr 24 2013 // Gov. Rick Perry said that spending more state money on inspections would not have prevented the deadly explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. plant that was last investigated by Texas environmental regulators in 2006. Perry...
What Young Agents Say About Their Career Choice
Apr 23 2013 // The road to becoming a successful independent insurance agent is not always easy. The economy and often volatile property/casualty insurance market cycle are just two of the potholes agents must maneuver. Young agents in...
