Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
‘All Kids Buckled Up’ Legislation Passes Oklahoma House
Mar 12 2020 // A bill that would strengthen seat belt laws for youth ages 8 to 17 has passed the Oklahoma House with a vote of 78-18. House Bill 2791, by State Rep. Ross Ford (R-Broken Arrow), would require every person under the age of...
West Virginia Lawmaker Loses Suit Blaming Indiana Bar for Blindness
Mar 12 2020 // The Indiana Supreme Court has ruled against a lawsuit filed by a West Virginia delegate over a 2006 parking lot brawl that left him blinded years before he was elected to office. The lawsuit said Cavanaugh’s Sports...
Wisconsin Governor Proposes Flood Bills Hoping to Bring Lawmakers Back
Mar 12 2020 // Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has proposed a multimillion-dollar package of legislation designed to control spring flooding, hoping to convince Republicans to reconvene the state Assembly to pass them. Assembly...
COVID-19 Emergency Regulations for Health Carriers Approved in Maryland
Mar 11 2020 // The Maryland General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive & Legislative Review has approved emergency regulations for all health carriers regulated by the Maryland Insurance Administration...
Florida Governor Declares State of Emergency Over Coronavirus
Mar 11 2020 // Swift-moving developments over the new coronavirus ricocheted across Florida’s Capitol as Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Monday and lawmakers disrupted their legislative session so crews in surgical...
Aon and Willis Towers Watson Say Merger Is All About ‘Getting Better, Not Bigger’
Mar 10 2020 // There are several talking points that are evident about the planned merger of broking giants Aon and Willis Towers Watson. First, it’s not about getting bigger; it’s about getting better. And, second,...
Dinallo Returns to Debevoise & Plimpton as Chair of Insurance Regulatory Practice
Mar 10 2020 // Debevoise & Plimpton LLP has announced that Eric Dinallo has returned to chair its Insurance Regulatory Practice and join its Financial Institutions and White Collar & Regulatory Defense Groups. Dinallo will focus...
Louisiana Republicans, Business Aligned on Auto Insurance, Tort Reform
Mar 10 2020 // Business groups see an opportunity with the new, more conservative Republican-led Louisiana Legislature to gain traction on a top goal, to rein in civil lawsuits and damage awards against them. GOP lawmakers have made the...
Judge Sides With Transgender Alaska Librarian in Employee Benefits Case
Mar 9 2020 // An Alaska healthcare plan that has excluded coverage of gender-confirming surgery for transgender employees is discriminatory, a federal judge ruled. The decision came in a 2018 case filed against the state by Jennifer...
Acadia Insurance Hires Former New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner Elias
Mar 9 2020 // Acadia Insurance, a regional underwriter based in Westbrook, Maine, has hired former New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner John Elias to its management team as senior vice president and chief underwriting officer. He will...
Hold the Phone: Massachusetts’ Hands-Free Driving Law Takes Effect
Mar 9 2020 // Massachusetts’ new hands-free driving law went into effect February 23rd. The law, signed by Governor Charlie Baker in November, is intended to reduce the number of distracted driving injuries and deaths in the...
Declarations
Mar 9 2020 // Not High Time “This bill is not about getting high. This bill is about getting well.” — Dr. Alan Shackelford, a Colorado doctor who described the success of using medical marijuana on people with seizures...
Why Banning Rating Factors Could Hurt Auto Even More
Mar 9 2020 // Auto insurance affordability is an important issue for consumers and the industry. Insurers take a wide variety of actions to make auto insurance as affordable as possible for consumers because they recognize that its cost...
California FAIR Plan Can Offer Only Fire Insurance, Judge Says
Mar 9 2020 // A fund that offers only fire insurance to California residents in wildfire-prone areas can’t be required to provide coverage for other hazards such as flooding or theft, a judge ruled in late February. Superior Court...
Arizona Court Rules Workers’ Comp OK for Cops’ High-Stress Situations
Mar 9 2020 // An Arizona court ruling stemming from a sheriff’s deputy’s encounter with a shotgun-wielding man says law enforcement officers can claim workers’ compensation benefits if diagnosed with PTSD or other...
Trump Signs $8.3B Bill to Fight Coronavirus
Mar 6 2020 // President Donald Trump signed a $7.8 billion emergency coronavirus spending bill on Friday after the number of infections continued to rise and stocks tumbled. The amount of money provided in the legislation far exceeds...
South Dakota Legislation Banning Cell Phone Use While Driving Sent to Governor
Mar 5 2020 // A bill passed by the South Dakota Legislature bans the use of smartphones and other electronic communication devices while driving, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) reported. The APCIA supports...
New York Bill Requiring Backseat Buckle Up Passes Legislature
Mar 5 2020 // New York senators moved to strengthen the state’s seat belt laws Tuesday and approved a bill that requires backseat adult passengers to buckle up. The legislation, passed by the state Senate and Assembly, now moves...
FDA Bans Electrical Shock Medical Device in Rare Regulatory Action
Mar 5 2020 // The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday banned electrical stimulation devices (ESDs) used in curbing self-injurious or aggressive behavior, citing substantial risks of illness or injury to patients. The...
Delaware Judge Holds Hearing in Lawsuit Over Hidden Bathroom Camera
Mar 4 2020 // A Delaware judge is holding a hearing in a lawsuit over the secret filming of women and girls in a restaurant bathroom. Tuesday’s hearing involves a lawsuit filed in 2018 by the mother of two young girls. The...
