Latest Legislation Headlines

All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.

U.S. Regulators Recommend Key Change in Regulation of Reinsurers

Dec 14 2006 // Insurance regulators from across the county voted to recommend major changes in the way reinsurers are regulated. The Financial Condition Committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners this week adopted a...

Justice Department Pressured to Ease Corporate Scandal Tactics

Dec 13 2006 // The Justice Department this week agreed to ease its tough legal tactics against scandal-tainted corporations, requiring prosecutors to get approval from Washington before seeking confidential information between firms and...

La. Gov. Can’t Drum up Votes for Spending Plans

Dec 13 2006 // Republican lawmakers in Louisiana’s House of Representatives helped stall Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s spending plans, but the governor said she’s not negotiating with the GOP legislators any further in the...

Pa. Gov. Rendell Aims to Cut Health Care Costs in 2007

Dec 13 2006 // Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell said this week that he will roll out a plan to lower health care costs by forcing hospitals and other care providers to be more efficient and make fewer mistakes. The plan, to be unveiled fully...

Incoming W.Va. House Speaker Vows to ‘Lead from Middle’

Dec 12 2006 // The next speaker of West Virginia’s House of Delegates will be receptive to measures pressing large employers like Wal-Mart for better health care benefits and overhauling the grievance process for public workers,...

State Regulators Stress Uniformity of Administrative and Licensing Systems

Dec 12 2006 // The National Association of Insurance Commissioners stressed its support for what it says is one of the strongest tools for state regulators, State Based Systems (SBS), during its recent meeting in San Antonio. SBS serves...

Ala.’s Bell Heads State Regulators; Kansas’ Praeger Next in Line

Dec 12 2006 // Members of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners elected 2007 officers during last week’s winter meeting in San Antonio. Alabama Insurance Commissioner Walter Bell was named president, Kansas Insurance...

La. Gov.’s Spending Plans Approved by House Appropriations Committee

Dec 11 2006 // A nearly $2 billion package of pay raises, road repairs, insurance rebates, health care and other spending sought by Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco easily sped through a House committee Dec. 9. The House Appropriations...

Safeco Appointment Creates Controversy

Dec 11 2006 // The Associated Press is reporting that the recent appointment of Juan Vargas to serve as Safeco’s vice president of external relations is creating controversy. “The appointment of the San Diego lawmaker to one...

Deceased employee’s estate not entitled to workers’ comp benefits, appeals court rules

Dec 11 2006 // The Second Applegate Court of California has ruled in Six Flags Inc. vs. Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, et. al. that it is unconstitutional to award a $250,000 worker’s compensation death benefit to the...

Judge rules in favor of plaintiffs in New Orleans canal case

Dec 11 2006 // In a decision that could cost insurers billions of dollars more than they have already paid out in Hurricane Katrina claims, a federal judge in New Orleans ruled that ambiguities in some homeowners policies leave open the...

Declarations

Dec 11 2006 // Are the elves at work? “Just because it’s close to Christmas doesn’t mean the governor has to be Santa Claus. That’s not what the special session should be.” — Louisiana State Rep. Steve...

Conn. agents could face fight on contingent pay

Dec 11 2006 // Insurance executives would likely create a replacement incentive should lawmakers in Connecticut ban contingent commissions, as the state regulator has warned could happen. Executives voiced their dismay over possible...

Declarations

Dec 10 2006 // Are the elves at work? “Just because it’s close to Christmas doesn’t mean the governor has to be Santa Claus. That’s not what the special session should be.” — Louisiana State Rep. Steve...

Dec 10 2006 // People The Texas Surplus Lines Association Inc. announced the election of the following officers and directors: President Len Kaplan, executive vice president and CFO, Delta General Agency, Houston; Vice President Lana...

Declarations

Dec 10 2006 // Are the elves at work? “Just because it’s close to Christmas doesn’t mean the governor has to be Santa Claus. That’s not what the special session should be.” — Louisiana State Rep. Steve...

La. Lawmakers See Little Hope for Insurance Reform

Dec 8 2006 // Louisiana lawmakers will debate changes to state insurance laws beginning Dec. 8, but several said there’s little chance of passing major initiatives to address the problems homeowners face in finding and affording...

La. Legislative Panel Adds $1.6B to Budget but Stalls on $827M

Dec 7 2006 // Louisiana’s budget has been boosted by $1.6 billion, money lawmakers can spend in a special session scheduled to start Dec. 8. But the Senate president blocked attempts to enrich financial forecasts by another $827...

N.D. Senators Ask for Dismissal of Workers’ Comp Director

Dec 6 2006 // More than a dozen Democratic state legislators have signed a letter asking for the dismissal of North Dakota’s workers’ compensation director. The director, Sandy Blunt, said he will not resign, and the...

La. Gov. Presses Ahead with Special Session for Dec. 8-17

Dec 5 2006 // Despite calls to cancel, Gov. Kathleen Blanco issued her formal plan Dec. 2 to bring lawmakers back to the Capitol for a special legislative session to spend as much as $2 billion in new state dollars on pay raises, tax...