Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
New Mexico Rejects Bill to Ban Illegal Immigrant Drivers Licenses
Feb 28 2011 // New Mexico’s Senate has rejected Republican-backed proposals to stop the state from issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. Two measures failed on party-line votes, with 14 Republicans voting to end...
Illinois Lawmaker Wants Audit of Workers’ Comp System
Feb 28 2011 // A top Illinois lawmaker is calling for an audit of the state’s questioned workers’ compensation program as it applies to state employees. The Belleville News-Democrat reports that Illinois House Speaker Michael...
Florida Approves Lower Collateral for Reinsurer Tokio Millennium
Feb 28 2011 // Florida has approved lower collateral payments for another Bermuda reinsurer, the eighth foreign reinsurer to be granted this approval by the state. Tokio Millennium Re Ltd., a subsidiary of Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire...
Judge Seeks Narrowing of Sept. 11 Wrongful Death Suit
Feb 28 2011 // A judge is urging lawyers in the June trial of the only wrongful death case remaining from the Sept. 11 attacks to see if they can trim the number of defendants, but one lawyer cited lingering questions over how weapons...
Oklahoma Teacher Disfigured in Fire Opposes Liability Damage Caps
Feb 27 2011 // After a lengthy battle with breast cancer, Connie Plumlee was undergoing her last reconstructive surgery when something went horribly wrong. A fire believed to have started from a cauterizing tool in the operating room...
Missouri House Votes to Change Workplace Discrimination Laws
Feb 27 2011 // The Missouri House has passed legislation that could make it harder for employees to win workplace discrimination lawsuits. The legislation, approved by 95-59 vote, would require people to prove that discrimination was the...
New York Gov.’s Budget Details Banking, Insurance Regulation Merger
Feb 24 2011 // New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed state budget contains slightly more money for the new agency he wants to create by combining existing banking and insurance regulatory departments than they now...
Another Federal Judge Dismisses Suit Against Healthcare Mandate
Feb 24 2011 // A federal judge this threw out a lawsuit claiming that President Barack Obama’s requirement that all Americans have health insurance violates the religious freedom of those who rely on God to protect them. U.S....
Oklahoma Lawmakers Aim to Increase Consequences for Uninsured Motorists
Feb 23 2011 // To increase the incentive for all Oklahoma drivers to carry mandatory liability auto insurance, a House of Representatives committee voted to prohibit uninsured drivers from being able to sue for vague “pain and...
Ohio Insurance Department Financial Regulation Director to Retire
Feb 23 2011 // The Ohio Department of Insurance announced the retirement of Bill Rossbach, an integral part of the department’s Financial Regulation operation for the past 35 years. Rossbach most recently served as chief regulatory...
Supreme Court Allows Lawsuits Over Seat Belts
Feb 23 2011 // The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal regulations setting vehicle safety standards do not bar lawsuits seeking damages from automakers for installing lap-only seat belts. The unanimous ruling held that a California...
Virginia Bill Extends Sex Abuse Statute of Limitations to 20 Years
Feb 23 2011 // A bill to extend the amount of time victims of sexual abuse have to file lawsuits against their attackers and others who may have covered up the abuse cleared a major hurdle in Virginia this week. The House Courts...
Judges Still Trying to Settle West Virginia Coal Slurry Lawsuit
Feb 23 2011 // Two judges will try again this week to settle a long-running medical monitoring lawsuit over claims that Massey Energy Co. poisoned hundreds of southern West Virginia wells with coal slurry. The first mediation attempt by...
Texas Windstorm Insurance Litigation Costs Too High, Lawmaker Says
Feb 22 2011 // The amount the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) has paid out in litigation costs as a result of lawsuits stemming from Hurricane Ike claims is far too high, says one Texas lawmaker who’s working on...
Supreme Court Rules Federal Law Shields Vaccine Makers from Suits
Feb 22 2011 // The Supreme Court ruled that federal law shields vaccine makers from product liability lawsuits in state court seeking damages for a child’s injuries or death from a vaccine’s side effects. The high court on...
Litigation, Investigation Fears Driving Up D&O Insurance Limits
Feb 22 2011 // Directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance is gaining traction as more companies are increasing their D&O liability limits and a growing number with international operations are also purchasing D&O...
Georgia Insurance Chief Issued Himself Licenses Before Leaving Office
Feb 22 2011 // Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine issued himself several licenses to sell insurance and adjust claims in his last full day in office, according to a newspaper report. Oxendine used his authority as the...
Medical Marijuana Raises Workers’ Comp, Liability Issues for Employers
Feb 21 2011 // Fifteen states and the District of Columbia currently have laws that approve medical marijuana as a medical treatment option, which has increasingly important implications in the workplace. Arizona voters recently passed...
NRRA Compliance Checklist: Prepare Now for Surplus Line Tax Changes and Enjoy Your Summer Vacation
Feb 21 2011 // Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part article on compliance with the Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act. The Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act (NRRA), Subtitle B, Part I, Dodd-Frank Wall Street...
Regulatory Ventilation
Feb 21 2011 // The Oversight and Government Reform Committee of U.S. House of Representatives has been looking into whether and how governmental regulations hurt business operations and job creation. In a recent hearing chaired by Rep....
