Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Michigan Judge Stops Insurance Scoring Ban

May 9 2005 // In a scathing opinion that sides with insurers on nearly all points of fact and law, Barry County Court Judge James Fisher declared illegal a rule set banning insurance scoring and reducing base rates. “The...

Minnesota’s Commissioner Wilson Backs Move to File and Use

May 9 2005 // Minnesota’s position as the last remaining state in the Upper Midwest to regulate personal-lines insurance forms and rates on a prior approval basis may be in danger because an industry-backed bill to change to...

Ga. Approves Asbestos Legislation

May 9 2005 // Georgia enacted meaningful asbestos/silica litigation re-form recently as Gov. Sonny Perdue signed House Bill 416, which requires plaintiffs to meet specific medical criteria before they can pursue an asbestos or silica...

W. Va. S.B. Prohibits Third-Party Lawsuits

May 9 2005 // The West Virginia House of Delegates passed Senate Bill 414 prohibiting third-party bad-faith lawsuits against insurance companies. The bill was part of Gov. Joe Manchin’s insurance and tort reform proposals and has...

Florida CFO Lauds Passage of Homeowners Insurance Protections for Residents

May 9 2005 // Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher on Monday said that the homeowners insurance legislation that passed late Friday contains numerous provisions that will benefit Florida’s...

SOLON CAN’T STOMACH OBESITY SUITS:

May 9 2005 // A state legislator wants to add Pennsylvania to the list of states that protect the food industry from lawsuits in which people blame restaurants and other food vendors for making them fat. Rep. Douglas Reichley, R-Lehigh,...

How to Own an Insurance Company

May 9 2005 // Purchasing a Shell Could be a Smart Move for Some Profit-Seeking Brokers Oft times, managing general agents, wholesalers and insurance brokers feel they are inadequately compensated for the important services they provide...

PCI: Collaborative Effort Yields Positive Results for Insurers in Washington

May 9 2005 // Despite early signs that the 2005 session of the Washington Legislature would impose a series of costly and burdensome measures on the insurance market, the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America saw the most...

On the Issue of Agent/Broker Compensation & Contingencies

May 9 2005 // The PIA Western Alliance has always supported vigorous insurance oversight and penalties should be imposed when agents or brokers break the law. As an association we regularly school our members to make sure their...

AB 975 Hearing Postponed Indefinitely

May 6 2005 // AB 975, legislation that would clarify the definition of broker in the California Insurance Code, was not heard in the Assembly Insurance Committee May 4, according to the American Agents Alliance. The hearing on AB 975...

NAMIC Commends Md. Legislative Focus on Teens; Other Bills Discussed

May 5 2005 // Resisting efforts to impose new regulatory mandates, the Maryland legislature’s enactment of seven bills to enhance the state’s teen driver graduated licensing statutes and provide stricter provisions for...

IBA West Submits Testimony Opposing Revised Proposed ‘Broker Fiduciary Duties’ Regulations

May 5 2005 // IBA West submitted written testimony expressing strong opposition to the revised “Broker Fiduciary Duties” regulations proposed by Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi this week. “While these regulations...

AIA Urges Lawmakers to Defeat Maine Premium Tax Increase

May 5 2005 // The American Insurance Association (AIA) is urging Maine lawmakers to reject a proposal (LD 1021) that would increase the premium tax by 25 percent. “This tax increase would damage the state’s economy by making...

FBI Targets Insurers in Widening Fraud Probe; Industry Responds

May 5 2005 // The insurance industry, already under scrutiny by state and federal authorities for various practices, now faces another questioner. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched a probe of the insurance industry that...

AIA Applauds Fla. Asbestos Reform Legislation’s Passage

May 5 2005 // The American Insurance Association has applauded the Florida Legislature’s passage of landmark legislation to help truly sick victims of asbestos exposure receive compensation quickly and fairly. The bill now will go...

D.C. Mayor Calls for Med-Mal Reform

May 5 2005 // Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams took a step this week to ensure that District residents continue to receive high-quality health care by introducing the Health Care Reform Act of 2005. The legislation is aimed at...

AIA Backs N.Y. Workers’ Comp Guaranty Fund Bill

May 5 2005 // The American Insurance Association (AIA) on Wednesday praised legislation (S.5248A/A.7708), which passed the Assembly on Monday and the Senate late Tuesday, to protect the solvency of the workers’ compensation...

Calif. Credit Regulation Bill Passes First Committee

May 4 2005 // Legislation sponsored by the Association of California Insurance Companies (ACIC) to impose strong regulation of the use of credit information by homeowners insurers passed its first committee test today. The bill, AB 1454...

Fla. Sets Groundwork for Hurricane Savings Accounts

May 4 2005 // Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher today applauded state lawmakers for approving a measure that lays the groundwork for Floridians to set up hurricane savings accounts and protect these accounts from...

Australian Regulator Seeks Closer Scrutiny Over Insurers

May 3 2005 // The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), which regulates the country’s insurance industry, is proposing tighter reporting requirements in order to enable the regulator to more closely scrutinize the...