Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
MF Global Judge to Review Insurance for Former Executives
Feb 20 2012 // The U.S. judge overseeing MF Global’s bankruptcy plans a closer review before deciding whether any of an estimated $190 million of insurance coverage for former company executives should instead go to customers....
Louisiana Senator Co-Sponsors Bill to Protect Agent Health Commissions
Feb 20 2012 // Two U.S. senators have filed a bill to clarify that agent compensation should be excluded from the federal health reform Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) requirement for the individual and small group markets. Sen. Mary L....
Judge Allows South Carolina Firm’s Twitter Lawsuit
Feb 20 2012 // A South Carolina company’s lawsuit accusing a former employee of costing it hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost business when he took Twitter followers can go forward, a federal judge has ruled. San...
Looks Like The Year for PIP Reform in Florida
Feb 20 2012 // Roughly halfway through Florida’s legislative session, state Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty expressed optimism that state lawmakers would find a way to substantially reform the state’s no-fault auto...
California Independent Contractor Law May Be Liability for Agents, Brokers
Feb 20 2012 // A new California labor law designed to punish employers for misclassifying workers has broad legal language that can possibly impact insurance agents and brokers who knowingly advise clients on employee classifications to...
Colorado Lawmakers Review Spaceflight Liability
Feb 20 2012 // Colorado lawmakers are trying to promote the space industry by limiting liability for companies that carry passengers. State Sen. Mary Hodge, a Democrat from Brighton, says there are risks with spaceflight. She wants to...
Long-time California Insurance Lobbyist Looks to 2012 Legislation
Feb 20 2012 // John Norwood is one of California’s best known legislative advocates for the insurance and financial services sectors. Norwood, principal of Norwood & Associates, has garnered recognition for his political work...
California Lawmaker Introduces Claim Information Control Bill Over Insolvent Insurers
Feb 17 2012 // A California lawmaker on Friday introduced a bill to give greater control of claim information held by insolvent companies over to policyholders. Assemblyman Curt Hagman said he introduced Assembly Bill 1734 to provide...
Nevada Approves Regulations For Self-Driving Cars
Feb 17 2012 // Nevada is becoming the first of the U.S. states to regulate self-driving vehicles on its roadways. The state’s legislative commission on Wednesday approved regulations that were vetted by car manufacturers, insurance...
Kentucky Lawmaker Wants Whistleblower Law to Combat Fraud
Feb 17 2012 // Kentucky Speaker of the House Greg Stumbo said he will file legislation to give whistleblowers strong financial incentive to step forward if state tax dollars are being misused. Stumbo, a Democrat, said his False Claims...
Judge in Philadelphia Hears Arguments Over Secret Arbitration
Feb 15 2012 // A group advocating open government told a federal judge last week that a Delaware law allowing Court of Chancery judges to preside over secret arbitrations in business disputes is unconstitutional. Judge Mary McLaughlin...
Florida Bill Seeks to Curb Medical Malpractice Claims
Feb 15 2012 // The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature is pushing ahead this year with changes meant to curb medical malpractice lawsuits against doctors. This effort is being criticized as an attack on the privacy rights of...
Senators Renew Push for Cybersecurity Law
Feb 15 2012 // Leading U.S. senators introduced a cybersecurity bill on Tuesday aimed at safeguarding the nation’s water and power systems, which experts have warned often only have the most rudimentary protections against...
Ohio Petroleum Producers Push Back Against Proposed Regulations
Feb 14 2012 // Ohio petroleum producers are pushing back against a call by the state attorney general to increase environmental penalties and chemical reporting requirements on the drilling industry. Republican Attorney General Mike...
Kentucky Lawmakers Swayed by Amish Man’s Letters on Buggy Issue
Feb 14 2012 // The simple, heart-felt letters of an old-fashioned Amish man are being credited for the Senate’s quick passage of a bill that would allow Kentucky’s Amish residents to use reflective tape on their horse-drawn...
41 Senators Urge Action on Flood Insurance Reform
Feb 14 2012 // Forty-one U.S. senators from both parties have signed a letter urging the Senate to schedule a vote on legislation to reform and extend the federal flood insurance program “as expeditiously as possible in February or...
Oregon’s ‘Second Lawsuit’ Legislation Tabled
Feb 13 2012 // The Oregon House Judiciary Committee on Monday tabled HB 4136, a bill its detractors said would have imported “the legacy of bad faith litigation” from neighboring states into Oregon. A handful of insurance...
Florida Lawmakers Weigh Texting While Driving Ban
Feb 13 2012 // Joyce Concklin has 10 good reasons why every state should pass a ban on texting while driving: That’s the number of bones she broke when a texting driver ran into her. That driver died, his mobile phone still...
Missouri House Approves Workplace Discrimination Bill
Feb 13 2012 // Despite several lawmakers voicing fears about reversing decades of hard-fought civil rights gains, the Missouri House approved a measure that would change the rules for workplace discrimination cases heard in state...
Virginia Bill to Ban Unauthorized GPS Tracking Advances
Feb 10 2012 // The problem encountered by Del. Joe May’s constituent seemed simple enough to solve. The citizen had taken his car in for service and was shocked when the mechanic found a GPS device attached to the undercarriage....
