Latest Texas Headlines
All the headlines from our Texas Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Texas Workers’ Comp Division Improves Readability of Letters to Injured Workers
Jun 8 2017 // The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation announced it has modified form letters it sends to injured employees, making them easier to read. The DWC said a group of experts from across the agency looked at ways to...
After 18 Months, Houston Hurricane Vulnerability Documents Arrive from Feds
Jun 8 2017 // Note: This article originally appeared in the Texas Tribune. Eighteen months ago, the Texas Tribune and ProPublica asked the federal government for some documents. At the time, we were investigating what will happen the...
Texas Governor Signs Statewide Texting While Driving Ban
Jun 7 2017 // Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law a measure banning texting while driving statewide. Under HB 62 by Midland Rep. Tom Craddick, drivers who are caught using a phone to text, send email or post to social media while...
Texas Insurance Council Symposium to Address Cyber Threats
Jun 6 2017 // The Insurance Council of Texas and the Association of Fire and Casualty Companies in Texas’ Annual Mid-Year Symposium will feature a panel discussion on cybersecurity, the growing cyber market for insurers, and the...
Private Insurer Will No Longer Fund Fraud Prosecutions in Texas
Jun 6 2017 // Note: This article originally ran in the Texas Tribune. Thanks to new money and oversight from the Texas Legislature, the state can now pursue workers’ compensation fraud cases without relying on an unusual and...
NICB Confirms Texas as Leader in Hail Damage Claims
Jun 5 2017 // Everything is big in Texas, including hailstorms. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reported that insurance claims for hail damage in Texaslast year exceeded the previous two years combined. Hail damage fluctuates...
Business Moves
Jun 5 2017 // Hub International, Rossmann-Hurt-Hoffman Hub International Limited (Hub), a global insurance brokerage, has acquired Rossmann-Hurt-Hoffman Inc. (RHH). Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Based in Ellicott City,...
Texas ‘Industrial Insureds’ Bill Signed into Law
Jun 5 2017 // The Texas Legislature has passed a bill exempting certain commercial insureds from the requirement that agents make a “diligent effort” to find insurance in the admitted insurance market before taking the risk...
Texas Senate Passes Texting While Driving Ban
Jun 5 2017 // The Texas Senate on May 19 passed a measure banning texting while driving statewide. HB 62 by Midland Rep. Tom Craddick previously was approved by the House. While more than 100 cities in the state have texting and driving...
Texas Workers’ Comp Research Group to Complete Report Card, Study Compound Drugs
Jun 5 2017 // The Texas Workers’ Compensation Research and Evaluation Group has released its 2017 research agenda, a blueprint for its efforts to provide critical data for decision-makers in the Texas workers’ compensation...
Texas Lawmakers Pass ‘Hailstorm’ Litigation Bill
Jun 5 2017 // Legislation backed by the insurance industry and some Texas business groups that curtails the ability of policyholders to sue insurance companies over property claims following extreme weather events passed the state...
People – South Central
Jun 5 2017 // LevelFirst, the Dallas-based wholesale broker and MGA binding facility owned by IIAT Services Co., has promoted Kate Innocent to vice president. Innocent joined LevelFirst in 2014 as associate underwriter and most recently...
Statewide Ride-Hailing Regulation Bill Signed by Texas Governor
Jun 1 2017 // A bill that preempts local regulations for ride-hailing companies in Texas and replaces them statewide standards has been signed by Gov. Greg Abbott. HB 100, sponsored in the Senate by Georgetown Sen. Charles Schwertner,...
Texas Windstorm Insurer: Finances Sound at Start of Hurricane Season
Jun 1 2017 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) says it is financially sound and ready for the 2017 hurricane season by once again securing $4.9 billion in total funding. In a media release, TWIA said its 2017 season...
Texas Surplus Lines Stamping Office Launches New Website
Jun 1 2017 // The Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas (SLTX) has introduced a new website as part of its long-term technology and communication initiatives. The updated site will be housed under the domain www.sltx.org. It includes a...
Coastal Texans Concerned About Rising Sea Levels Amid Hurricane Threats
May 31 2017 // Lalo Ojeda has lived with hurricanes all his life. The Houston Chronicle reports he was 14 when Hurricane Carla inundated Galveston Island in 1961. He evacuated as Hurricane Rita barreled toward the coast in 2005, then...
Texas Bill Affirming Workers’ Comp Division Fraud Unit Advances
May 26 2017 // The Texas Senate has passed legislation that affirms the authority of Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation fraud unit to conduct criminal investigations. The Senate passed HB 2053 on May 24; it was previously...
Tribune: Governor Appears Undecided on Signing Texas Texting-While-Driving Ban
May 26 2017 // Note: This article originally appeared in the Texas Tribune. Gov. Greg Abbott appears to be undecided on whether he will sign a proposed statewide ban on texting while driving that is now on his desk. Abbott’s...
Texas ‘Industrial Insureds’ Surplus Lines Bill Signed into Law
May 25 2017 // On May 11, the Texas Senate passed a bill exempting certain policyholders from the requirement that agents to make a “diligent effort” to find insurance in the admitted commercial insurance market. Gov. Greg...
Storm Triggered Sensor Halts Texas Roller Coaster, Strands Riders
May 23 2017 // Six Flags Over Texas says stormy weather including high winds triggered a safety sensor that halted a new roller coaster and left eight riders stranded for hours in its Arlington, Texas, theme park. The 120-foot-tall...