Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Optional federal charter is needed
Jul 24 2006 // Editor’s note: The following excerpt is edited from an oral statement made by Joseph J. Beneducci, president of Fireman’s Fund at the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee’s July 11 hearing...
Exemption protection
Jul 24 2006 // The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee last month received testimony on whether to continue the insurance antitrust exemption contained in the 1945 McCarran-Ferguson Act. This law placed responsibility for insurance...
Miss. Judge Has Katrina Insurance Lawsuit Case
Jul 21 2006 // A groundbreaking case that challenges one of the nation’s largest insurers for refusing to cover damage from Hurricane Katrina’s monster storm surge went into the hands of a federal judge on Wednesday. U.S....
Judge Overturns Wal-Mart Health Care Spending Law
Jul 20 2006 // A first-of-its-kind state law that would have required Wal-Mart to spend more on employee health care in Maryland is invalid under federal law, a judge ruled Wednesday. The state law would have required non-governmental...
New Law Will Make Driving Without Insurance in Ill. More Costly
Jul 20 2006 // The penalties for driving without auto insurance are getting tougher under a new Illinois law. Starting next summer, uninsured drivers will lose their license for three months and have to pay a $100 fee to get it back....
Insurers File Lawsuit to Stop Calif. Auto Insurance Regulations
Jul 20 2006 // Three insurance trade groups have filed a lawsuit seeking declaratory and injunctive relief to stop enforcement of California Department of Insurance (CDI) auto rating regulations, which they say are “unfair”...
Fla. Office of Insurance Regulation Implements New Format for Public Hearings
Jul 20 2006 // A new format for public hearings and plans to broadcast future hearings on cable television has been announced by Kevin McCarty, Florida Insurance Commissioner. There will be a public hearing in Tallahassee, Fla. Aug. 3 at...
Nation of Islam Leader Ordered to Pay Legal Fees by Ind. Judge
Jul 20 2006 // Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan has been ordered by a federal magistrate to pay $4,052 in legal fees for a couple suing his son for his role in a traffic accident three years ago. U.S. District Magistrate Andrew...
Brokers Offer Full Support for Surplus Lines Reform Bill
Jul 20 2006 // The National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices offered their full support and applauded the passage of the Non-Admitted and Reinsurance Reform Act of 2006 (H.R. 5637), by the House Financial Services...
California Announces Protections for Disability Insurance Consumers
Jul 20 2006 // California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi announced a settlement with several insurance industry associations over proposed restrictions on disability income contract provisions. Under the agreement, a framework has...
Ohio Governor Signs Farm Mutual Modernization Law
Jul 20 2006 // Ohio Gov. Bob Taft recently signed legislation which includes provisions benefiting farm mutual insurance companies and their policyholders, according to the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies’...
House Panel Advances Federal Surplus Lines Reform Act
Jul 20 2006 // Federal legislation to reform the way surplus lines insurance is regulated has been approved by a House subcommittee. The Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises, chaired by Rep....
State Legislators Eye Market Conduct, Building Codes, Federal Charter
Jul 20 2006 // State legislators who deal with insurance issues in their legislatures back home are expected to discuss amendments to their market conduct model law as well as state building codes during their summer meeting that runs...
Mo. Governor Signs Health Care Bill to Aid Small Businesses
Jul 17 2006 // Gov. Matt Blunt recently signed legislation aimed at increasing access to affordable health insurance for employees of small businesses. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jay Wasson, R-Nixa, expands eligibility for association...
Fla. Office of Insurance Regulation Schedules Aug. 1 Hearing in Key West
Jul 17 2006 // A public hearing has been scheduled by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Aug. 1 in Key West concerning Citizens Property Insurance Corp.’s actuarial rate filings for Monroe County. These rate filings...
Calif. Agency Approves Change in Auto Insurance Law
Jul 17 2006 // A state administrative office on Friday approved changes to California’s insurance law, clearing the way for regulations that will force insurers to base premiums on drivers’ records instead of their...
Fed Official Raises Concerns Over Wal-Mart Entry into Banking
Jul 14 2006 // A Federal Reserve official raised concerns this week about nonfinancial companies such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot establishing banks. Legislation to block such arrangements has been moving forward in the House. The two...
Judges Refuses to Toss Testimony About Katrina’s Winds
Jul 14 2006 // A judge on Thursday refused to throw out an engineer’s testimony that Hurricane Katrina’s winds caused much of the damage to the home of Mississippi couple suing Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. for denying most...
S.D. Amendment Allowing Judges to be Sued Opposed by Insurer Trades
Jul 14 2006 // The American Insurance Association (AIA) and the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) said today that South Dakota Attorney General Larry Long’s official explanation of a proposed constitutional...
Safeco Announces Changes in Top Personnel
Jul 13 2006 // Safeco President and Chief Executive Officer Paula Reynolds announced a series of executive changes designed to accelerate the company’s progress toward becoming a low-cost insurance provider with distinctive...
