Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
News Currents
Feb 11 2007 // Florida insurers in freeze until June Florida Gov. Charlie Crist convinced Cabinet members to approve a rule that will prevent property insurers from canceling Florida policies for much of the rest of this year. The...
David Rivera, Colorado, State Insurance Commissioner
Feb 11 2007 // In 2004 at the age of 34, David Rivera was appointed to be Colorado’s State Insurance Commissioner, the youngest insurance person to serve in that position. This January, newly elected Gov. Bill Ritter announced he...
North Dakota – Jim Poolman
Feb 11 2007 // Currently serving in his second term as North Dakota Insurance Commissioner, Jim Poolman has focused his efforts on working for and protecting insurance consumers across North Dakota. He previously served eight years in...
Alabama – Walter Bell
Feb 11 2007 // Newly elected president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Walter Bell, also Alabama’s insurance commissioner, says state-based insurance regulation is at a “crossroads.” One of his...
Agents Welcome Windstorm Debate; Insurers Warn Against Subsidies
Feb 9 2007 // The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) says the debate over windstorm coverage is crucial for consumers and independent agents and brokers in many regions throughout the...
La. Officials Urge Federal Role in Hurricane Insurance
Feb 8 2007 // Louisiana state senators say they will ask Congress to have the federal government insure homes against hurricane damage, as it does for floods. “Y’all won’t sell it, so why not get the federal government...
Judge Rules that Priest Files Must be Released
Feb 8 2007 // A judge ordered the Roman Catholic Church to release insurance records and confidential files related to a notorious priest who had been convicted of molestation before being transferred to California. Superior Court Judge...
First Ala. Captive Insurer Licensed Under New Law
Feb 7 2007 // The Alabama Department of Insurance has licensed its first captive insurance company under legislation enacted in 2006 and signed into law by Gov. Bob Riley. Chantilly Risk Management, which is located in Montgomery, is...
Southwest Okla. Lawmakers Urge Gov. to Issue Disaster Declaration
Feb 7 2007 // State lawmakers representing southwest Oklahoma are urging Gov. Brad Henry to include Comanche and Tillman counties in his request for a major federal disaster declaration, the Oklahoma House of Representatives...
Georgia Lawmaker Wants to Ban Genetic Profiling by Insurers, Employers
Feb 6 2007 // Georgia state Rep. Ed Setzler says he’s seen a glimpse into the future — and he doesn’t like all he sees. The Acworth Republican has introduced a bill aimed at outlawing genetic profiling in Georgia by...
Texas State Senator Files Bill to Provide Tax Relief to Small Businesses
Feb 6 2007 // State Rep. Harvey Hilderbran (Kerrville) has filed House Bill 1022 and House Joint Resolution 54 which clarify that personal vehicles used for the production of income are exempt from ad valorem taxation. “Most small...
Ariz. Lawmakers Move to Raise Burden of Proof on ER Suits
Feb 6 2007 // Hoping for a change of heart by Gov. Janet Napolitano, the Arizona Senate narrowly approved a medical malpractice bill to raise the bar on the legal burden of proof required for malpractice lawsuits involving emergency...
Mass. Approves Harleysville Worcester Switch to Pa. Regulation
Feb 5 2007 // Massachusetts officials have given the green light to the redomestication of Harleysville Worcester Insurance Co. to Pennsylvania. The company is a subsidiary of Pennsylvania-based Harleysville Insurance Group, whose...
Fight Shaping Up in Texas Over Proposed Indoor Smoking Ban
Feb 5 2007 // A proposed ban on smoking in all bars, restaurants and work sites across Texas is igniting a big-money fight at the state Capitol. Anti-smoking forces are lining up against the tobacco industry and some restaurant owners,...
Judge Refuses to Dismiss Feds, Corps From La. Flood Suit
Feb 5 2007 // Residents of the three areas flooded worst by Hurricane Katrina can sue the Army Corps of Engineers over claims that a poorly designed navigation channel caused catastrophic flooding during Hurricane Katrina, a federal...
Judge Approves First Step of Portland Archdiocese Reorganization
Feb 5 2007 // The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland, Ore., can expect nearly $52 million in insurance money after a federal bankruptcy judge approved the first step in the proposed reorganization plan for the church. The...
N. D. Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Fargo Insurance Company
Feb 2 2007 // A North Dakota judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to change the way one of the state’s largest insurance companies picks its board of directors. Northwest District Judge Douglas Mattson of Minot ruled against...
U.S. Judge Weighs Holocaust Victims’ Settlement with Italian Insurer
Feb 2 2007 // A settlement between Holocaust victims, their relatives and an Italian insurance company may be the only chance for some victims to recover money, a judge said, but he delayed ruling on approval of the deal. U.S. District...
Feds Extend Moratorium on Nonfinancial Firms’ Entry into Banking
Feb 2 2007 // The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Wednesday extended for one year a moratorium on considering nonfinancial companies’ applications to establish or acquire banks. The decision puts on hold pending applications...
Okla. Supreme Court Ruling Puts new Twist on Civil Liability Debate
Feb 2 2007 // For Dr. David Russell, an Enid radiologist and president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, the debate over civil justice reform in Oklahoma isn’t about the politics that has kept many reform measures bottled...
