Latest Legislation Headlines

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

California Lawmakers Release Plan to Extend Cap And Trade

Jul 12 2017 // Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders have released a plan to extend through 2030 California’s cap-and-trade program, a key piece of the state’s quest to fight climate change by drastically reducing...

Federal Judge Halts West Virginia $151M Water Crisis Settlement

Jul 12 2017 // A federal judge has declined to grant preliminary approval to a $151 million settlement stemming from a 2014 chemical spill that sparked a water crisis in West Virginia.Local news outlets report Judge John T. Copenhaver...

New Law Causes Some Kansas Cities to Close Water Slides

Jul 11 2017 // Some Kansas cities are closing water slides at pools and aquatic centers this summer at least until confusion over a new state law that increased regulation of amusement park rides is cleared up.The law, which took effect...

Pennsylvania Court Rules Section of State Workers’ Comp Act Unconstitutional

Jul 11 2017 // The Pennsylvania Supreme Court last month found a section of the state Workers’ Compensation Act (the Act) unconstitutional in a move that challenges the way Pennsylvania has assessed workplace injuries for the past...

Banks Blast Rule Exposing Them to Consumer Class Actions

Jul 11 2017 // U.S. banks and credit card companies could be prevented from blocking customers from banding together to sue them under a rule released by the country’s consumer finance agency on Monday.In releasing the rule, which...

Kentucky Reduces Number of Coal Mine Safety Inspections to Cut Costs

Jul 11 2017 // Kathy Bartlett watched helplessly this spring as Kentucky lawmakers cut back on mine safety inspections and replaced them with coaching sessions on miners’ safety habits.She knows more than most what’s at...

Does Consumer Watchdog Founder Want Asimov-like Rules for Robot Cars?

Jul 10 2017 // A virtual grin arose on the face of Harvey Rosenfield with the mention of Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics.The mention was made during a phone call, but the overwhelming satisfaction of a smile was easily...

China’s Graft-Buster Is Front Runner to Head Insurance Watchdog: Sources

Jul 10 2017 // China is likely to name a senior Communist Party graft-buster to oversee the insurance sector, people familiar with the matter said, a signal that the country’s ongoing crackdown on irregular business practices in...

Public Service Commissioner Patronis Picked as Next Florida CFO

Jul 10 2017 // Gov. Rick Scott tapped Jimmy Patronis, a member of the Florida Public Service Commission and a former Florida State Representative, as Florida’s next chief financial officer, according to a statement from the...

South Carolina Sets Insurer Deadline Related to New Moped Safety Law

Jul 10 2017 // The South Carolina Department of Insurance has set a deadline for auto insurers in the state to meet the requirements of recently passed moped safety legislation.The new moped law, which took effect July 1, amends South...

Pennsylvania Introduces Legislation to Limit Surprise Balance Bills

Jul 10 2017 // Pennsylvania House Health and Insurance Committee Chairs Matt Baker and Tina Pickett have introduced legislation to protect health care consumers from surprise balance bills in a move Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner...

California Surplus Lines Don’t Want to be Left Out of State’s Marijuana Regs

Jul 10 2017 // California’s surplus lines industry is trying to clear up the haze over a proposed regulation that would require medical marijuana businesses to purchase insurance only from admitted carriers.The regulation is one of...

Returning from Recess, Senate Republicans Worried Obamacare Repeal Will Fail

Jul 9 2017 // Republicans expressed increasing pessimism on Sunday about the prospects for the healthcare bill in the U.S. Senate aimed at rolling back Obamacare as lawmakers prepared to return from a week-long recess.One prominent...

Brexit Should Preserve Free Trade for Financial Services: FCA’s Bailey

Jul 7 2017 // Finance firms should not be forced by regulators to change location after Britain leaves the European Union in 2019, Andrew Bailey, chief executive of the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority told a Reuters Newsmaker...

Truck Speeding Fix Among Safety Rules Halted by Trump Anti-Regulation Order

Jul 7 2017 // Years of pleas from parents whose son was killed by a speeding tractor-trailer, buy-in from some truckers and the promise of fewer highway deaths convinced U.S. officials in September to propose requiring speed-limiting...

Republican Lawmaker Mulready to Run for Oklahoma Insurance Post

Jul 6 2017 // A Republican state legislator from Tulsa has filed candidacy paperwork indicating he plans to run for Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner in 2018.State Rep. Glen Mulready filed a Statement of Organization form over the weekend...

California Governor Pushing for Cap-And-Trade Deal Before Deadline

Jul 6 2017 // Gov. Jerry Brown is working with lawmakers, business groups and environmentalists to reach a deal on extending cap and trade, California’s landmark program aimed at slowing global warming.Brown wants a consensus...

Q&A: How Driverless Car Technology Could Impact New York and Other States

Jul 6 2017 // New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in May signed a budget bill into law allowing self-driving and self-parking cars to be tested for one year on New York public highways.Prior to this law going into effect, the technology was...

Court: Former Work Comp Commissioner Can Sue Iowa over Alleged GOP Reprisals

Jul 6 2017 // In a landmark decision making it easier for citizens to sue government officials who violate their rights, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that a Democratic appointee can seek damages for alleged political retaliation he...

Opinion: Floridians Will Pay More For Less Under Citizens Managed Repair Program

Jul 6 2017 // Florida is famous for its catastrophic hurricanes, however, we also have our fair share of daily claims such as fire, vandalism and water losses. Florida is now becoming known for what is referred to as the...