Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Judge: Exxon Must Pay $20M for Emissions from Texas Plant

Apr 28 2017 // A judge has ordered Exxon Mobil to pay a penalty of nearly $20 million for releasing 10 million pounds of pollutants into the air over the course of eight years from a complex it operates east of Houston.U.S. District...

Oregon Judge Dismisses $4M Suit in Family Drowning

Apr 28 2017 // A judge has dismissed a $4 million lawsuit filed by a relative of four people who drowned in a northwest Oregon lake in 2014.The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Judge Andrew Erwin dismissed the suit after Washington County...

MetLife CEO Says Businesses Must Give Up Tax Breaks for Lower Tax Rate

Apr 28 2017 // MetLife Inc. Chief Executive Officer Steve Kandarian said industries must be willing to forfeit some of their advantages in the tax code in order for the U.S. to seize a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to...

Senate Bill Would Extend National Flood Insurance Program for 10 Years

Apr 28 2017 // U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Kristen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) have released draft legislation to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for 10 years. The NFIP is currently set to expire on Sept. 30,...

California Lawmakers Pondering Move to Dump Health Insurers

Apr 27 2017 // California lawmakers are considering an audacious proposal that would substantially remake the state’s health care system by eliminating insurance companies and guaranteeing coverage for everyone.The idea known as...

House Committee Expected to Advance Overhaul of Dodd-Frank

Apr 27 2017 // A U.S. Congressional banking panel is moving to advance legislation that would overhaul how the government regulates the financial sector, although it faces obstacles towards becoming law.Representative Jeb Hensarling, who...

JPMorgan Not Liable to Madoff Customers, Court Rules

Apr 27 2017 // JPMorgan Chase & Co. is not liable to a group of former customers of Bernard Madoff who blamed the bank for being actively involved in his Ponzi scheme and ignoring red flags of fraud, a federal appeals court ruled on...

Florida House Advances Bill Targeting Claims Abuse, But Senate Battle Looms

Apr 27 2017 // A bill aimed at decreasing insurance claims abuse in Florida has made it through the Florida House, and the industry’s hope for assignment of benefits reform now officially rests with the state Senate.The Florida...

Kansas Tightens Amusement Park Regulations after Boy’s Waterslide Death

Apr 26 2017 // The death of a colleague’s son has spurred the governor in the often anti-regulation Kansas to toughen the state’s inspection requirements for amusement parks.A new law signed by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback...

Uninsured Driver Bill Signed by Oklahoma Governor

Apr 26 2017 // Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has signed legislation aimed at further reducing the number of uninsured drivers in Oklahoma.Senate Bill 115 transfers oversight of the Compulsory Insurance Online Verification System (OCIVS) for...

Supreme Court Weighs Limiting Where Corporations Can Be Sued

Apr 26 2017 // The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared poised to clamp down on where corporations can be sued, a potential setback for plaintiffs’ lawyers who strive to bring cases in courts and locales they consider...

Michigan Lawmaker’s Proposal Would Allow Auto Insurance Options

Apr 25 2017 // Michigan state Rep. Jason Sheppard of Temperance has introduced legislation that he says would help drivers and families financially saddled by Michigan’s exorbitant automobile insurance rates.House Bill 4488 will...

Large Claims Becoming More Expensive, Complex & Global: Allianz

Apr 25 2017 // Large liability claims are becoming more expensive, complex and international, with activity increasing outside the United States, according a report published by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty...

Despite Opposition, Controversial Insurance Bill Moving in Texas Legislature

Apr 24 2017 // Note: This story originally appeared in the Texas TribuneTexas property owners could face new hurdles when they try to sue their insurer over storm claims under controversial legislation being cheered by groups seeking...

Massachusetts Lawmakers Debate Pot Regulators’ Independence

Apr 24 2017 // Recreational marijuana may be legal for adults in Massachusetts but who ultimately will be in charge of regulating and enforcing the new law remains the subject of behind-the-scenes maneuvering on Beacon Hill.A legislative...

Q&A With Florida Commissioner Altmaier, an Agent Turned Regulator

Apr 24 2017 // Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier is just about to complete his first full year in the position since taking over for Kevin McCarty last May, and there hasn’t been a dull moment since he took the...

Connecticut Insurance Department Launches Licensing Site

Apr 21 2017 // The Connecticut Insurance Department has launched a new licensing web site, designed to improve customer service for the nearly 200,000 agents, brokers, adjusters and other licensees who conduct business with the...

Trump to Order Review of Dodd-Frank Reforms, Taxes for Insurers, Banks

Apr 21 2017 // President Donald Trump will order the Treasury on Friday to find and reduce tax burdens and review post-financial crisis reforms that banks and insurance companies have said hinder their ability to do business.A White...

Florida Lawmakers Move Toward Repealing PIP Mandate

Apr 21 2017 // Florida may change the kinds of auto insurance drivers must purchase.The Florida House on Wednesday voted 89-29 to repeal a requirement that motorists carry a type of auto insurance known as personal injury protection....

Florida Battle for Ridesharing Regulations Nears End of Long Road

Apr 21 2017 // After a four-year battle in the Florida Legislature, lawmakers on Wednesday passed statewide regulations for ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft that would undo a patchwork of local rules across the...