Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
New York Judge: Al-Qaida Owes $9.3 Billion for 9/11 Harm
Oct 16 2011 // A magistrate judge in New York has recommended that al-Qaida be assessed $9.3 billion for the damage done to properties and businesses in the Sept. 11 attacks. Federal Magistrate Judge Frank Maas in a ruling Friday, Oct....
New Billing, Commission System at Texas Windstorm Pool Starts Jan. 1
Oct 13 2011 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) will be implementing a new billing and commission system beginning Jan. 1, 2012. In a bulletin to insurance agents, TWIA said under the new system it will assume the...
Florida Weighs Workers’ Comp Hike, Cost of Doctor-Dispensed Drugs
Oct 13 2011 // Florida employers could have to pay more in workers’ compensation premiums if regulators go along with a proposed statewide average 8.9 percent rate hike. The rate change may also trigger legislative action to clamp...
New Tennessee Workers’ Comp Exemption Law Takes Effect
Oct 13 2011 // More people are now eligible to claim exemptions from workers’ compensation in Tennessee as a result of a new law that took effect this month. The law expands eligibility for people who can apply for and be listed on...
New Jersey Looks to Put a Lid On Its Auto Insurance ‘Pot of Gold’
Oct 13 2011 // New Jersey’s auto insurance personal injury protection (PIP) regulations are due for an update. The state’s law requires that the Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) revisit the rules every two...
Kentucky Judge Orders Amish Men to Pay Fine Over Buggy Signs
Oct 12 2011 // Two Amish men in western Kentucky have been ordered to pay fines and could face jail time for refusing to post reflective triangles on their horse-drawn carriages. Levi Hostetler and Joe Stutzman were found guilty in short...
Analysis: Health Care Tops 2012 Debate in Arkansas
Oct 11 2011 // Democrats in Arkansas next year can’t escape the debate over the health care overhaul. They can at least try to change the conversation in their favor. The dispute between Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe’s...
Best Affirms Sirius International Ratings
Oct 11 2011 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A” (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a” of Sirius International Insurance...
Stine Sworn in as Nebraska Workers’ Comp Court Judge
Oct 7 2011 // Judge Tom Stine has been sworn in to serve on the bench of the Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Court. Attorney General Jon Bruning opened and officiated the swearing-in ceremony, which took place in the Nebraska State...
California Fights Regulation with Regulation
Oct 7 2011 // In an odd twist, California business groups applauded Governor Jerry Brown for signing legislation Thursday to create a new layer of government regulation they say will lessen the burdens imposed by future regulations. The...
Mass. Agents Gathering Signatures for Insurance Credit Score Ban
Oct 6 2011 // A Massachusetts independent agents group said it is confident that banning auto insurers’ use of credit scores and other socioeconomic factors will become a state law in coming months. The Massachusetts Association...
Florida Lawmakers Contemplate the Future of Citizens
Oct 6 2011 // With four months to go before Florida’s legislative session, lawmakers are already considering the future of the state’s largest homeowners’ insurer. However, there are few easy answers in sight. Citizens...
Republican Report Backs Incentives for Corporate Cybersecurity
Oct 6 2011 // A Republican task force in the House said Congress should give companies incentives to boost their cyber defenses, but that tougher regulation may be warranted to protect critical facilities like power and water...
Deutsch Bank Head Sees ‘Fundamental Reassessment’ of Financial Industry
Oct 5 2011 // Dr. Josef Ackermann’s keynote speech to delegates at the Risk Management Forum of the Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA) basically described the global financial system as broken and in need...
Federal Flood Insurance Program Extended Until Nov. 18
Oct 4 2011 // The U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation that keeps the government – and the federal flood insurance program– running until Nov. 18, 2011. The House vote (352-66) extends the National Flood...
Brown Signs Insurance Bill to Clarify Bond Requirements
Oct 4 2011 // California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill that makes several changes to various state insurance code sections regarding agent licensing and training, administrative processes and previously enacted...
Florida Commercial Lines Deregulation Law Takes Effect
Oct 3 2011 // Commercial insurers in Florida will no longer have to seek prior approval from state regulators before changing some of the rates they charge under a new law that took effect October 1. Earlier this year, Florida lawmakers...
Cross Border Claims Frustrate Auto Carriers
Oct 3 2011 // Staged automobile accidents in Canada’s most populated province of Ontario pose a unique problem for American auto insurers that must deal with Ontario’s stringent no-fault benefits. Some U.S.-based adjusters...
Mass. Agents Prepare for Battle Over Credit Ban on Ballot
Oct 3 2011 // A Massachusetts independent agents group said it is confident that a ban on auto insurers’ use of credit scores and other socioeconomic factors will become a state law in coming months. The Massachusetts Association...
Judge Lets Agent Orange Case Against Monsanto Proceed
Sep 29 2011 // Monsanto Co. has lost a bid to close part of a lawsuit alleging the company caused health injuries to residents living near a plant that made the Vietnam War-era U.S. military defoliant “Agent...
