Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
The Offshore Tax Debate – Déjà vu – All over Again
Sep 28 2007 // At least that’s how Yogi Berra might describe it. On Sept. 25 William R. Berkley, chairman and CEO of the company of the same name, gave a detailed indictment before the Senate Finance Committee of the iniquities...
Utah Mine Commission Hears Testimony
Sep 28 2007 // Local miners told the Utah Mine Safety Commission that more regulations would do little to improve safety at the state’s mines. The commission was formed by Gov. Jon Huntsman to explore whether Utah should begin...
House-Passed Flood Insurance Bill Includes Windstorm, Business Interruption Options
Sep 28 2007 // The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a measure updating the nation’s flood insurance program that will give homeowners the option of purchasing windstorm coverage as part of their flood policy. The...
Democrats Push OSHA to Regulate Worksites with Popcorn Flavoring
Sep 28 2007 // That buttery taste and smell of microwave popcorn may have caused a deadly lung disease in workers who package it. While there’s no evidence of any danger to the millions of people who eat it, Congress is taking...
Kan. Lawmakers: More Help Needed in Disaster Areas
Sep 27 2007 // Lawmakers need to help pay for replacement housing and assist businesses that want to locate in areas devastated by tornado and flood damage, two legislative leaders told a legislative committee Tuesday. Senate Majority...
Insurers Outline Consequences of No-Fault Law Expiration in Florida
Sep 27 2007 // For the vast majority of policyholders, nothing will change on Oct. 1. Policyholders will still maintain the insurance coverage they had in place on Sept. 30 for the duration of their contract. Auto insurance policies are...
R.I. Fire Board Urged to Update Fire Codes without Legislation
Sep 27 2007 // The Rhode Island state board responsible for overseeing Rhode Island’s fire code should update its own regulations and should seek change through the General Assembly only as a “last resort,” said Senate...
Supreme Court to Hear Case Pitting Federal v. State Product Liability Law
Sep 27 2007 // The Supreme Court said this week that it will decide a case that centers on whether federal regulation of pharmaceuticals preempts state law. The case involves a product liability lawsuit against Pfizer’s...
Alabama Hearing Highlights Catastrophe Plan Options
Sep 26 2007 // Whether the nation needs a federal or other governmental program to deal with insurance costs and availability for natural catastrophes in U.S. coastal states was the central question at a public hearing in Mobile, Ala.,...
Insurers Urge Congress to Level Bermuda Insurers’ Tax Playing Field
Sep 26 2007 // An industry executive, representing a coalition of 14 large U.S.-based insurance groups, told the U.S. Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday that a major tax advantage for certain foreign insurance groups could threaten...
Feds Sues Ill. Saying New Law Hinders Illegal Immigration Crackdown
Sep 26 2007 // The Federal government is suing Illinois over a new state law it says complicates federal efforts to crack down on illegal immigration. The Illinois law would prevent employers from participating in a federal program that...
Maine Court: Deputy Injured by Own Police Car Covered by Personal Policy
Sep 25 2007 // A sheriff’s deputy who was run over by his own police vehicle after it was stolen by a Jefferson man on Christmas five years ago is entitled to compensation from his personal car insurance company, Maine’s...
Ky. Gov. Proposes Compromise for Medical Malpractice Cases
Sep 25 2007 // In a blunt assessment to fellow doctors, Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher said Monday that chances of limiting pain-and-suffering damages in medical malpractice cases are bleak because of resistance from some state lawmakers....
Judge throws out all federal antitrust charges against insurers, brokers
Sep 24 2007 // No evidence found to support charges of a global conspiracy among commercial brokers and insurers Finding the charges lack any factual support, a federal judge has dismissed a big antitrust conspiracy case that was lodged...
Prospects and pitfalls in a changing global insurance world
Sep 24 2007 // The ‘rest of the world’ offers new opportunities for growth, but not without risk No European City has recently changed as much as Berlin (with the possible exception of Dublin). Since the fall of the wall in...
Alabama realtors call for coastal insurance relief
Sep 24 2007 // Owners of thousands of condominiums that line the Alabama Gulf Coast say they’re getting burned by soaring insurance premiums and insurance legislation to make coverage available and affordable on the coast...
Lawyers should not dismiss lawyers’ professional liability coverage
Sep 24 2007 // The perils facing employed lawyers have increased substantially in the past five years. Attorneys should know better than anyone about the perils that exist and the value of professional liability coverage. Yet there are a...
Calif. high court rules discovery does not apply to reinsurance documents
Sep 24 2007 // The California Supreme Court has ruled that a statute authorizing limited discovery of a defendant’s insurance coverage does not include authorization to look into reinsurance agreements as part of facilitating a...
CEA funding structure to be revamped under legislation sent to governor
Sep 24 2007 // By a wide margin, California lawmakers have approved a compromise between the California Earthquake Authority’s governing board and its participating homeowner insurers to replace a significant portion of the...
Florida’s private insurers try to be heard amid political storm
Sep 24 2007 // Protesters gathered on the steps of the old Florida Capitol to protest the high cost of property insurance rates in January in Tallahassee. The Legislature was in special session to pass homeowners insurance legislation....
