Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Pennsylvania Federal Judge Dismisses Parks Lawsuit Against Tyson Foods

May 12 2016 // This lawsuit over hot dogs failed to cut the mustard.A federal judge threw out a lawsuit accusing Tyson Foods Inc and its Hillshire Brands unit of infringing a trademark belonging to the maker of Parks’ sausages when...

Why Independent Agents Went to Capitol Hill to Lobby

May 12 2016 // Independent insurance agents and brokers from all 50 states convened in Washington, D.C., last month for the Big “I” Legislative Conference. Our members met with almost every U.S. Senate and House office to...

Background Checks For Uber, Lyft Drivers Established in Iowa

May 11 2016 // Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has signed a bill into law that creates new statewide rules for ridesharing companies such as Uber and Uber to do business in Iowa. Branstad signed the bill this week following approval this...

North Carolina Supreme Court Rules Law Violates Rights of Veteran Teachers

May 11 2016 // North Carolina’s Supreme Court says state lawmakers violated the constitutional rights of veteran teachers by taking away job protections they’d already earned. The state’s high court ruled unanimously...

World Drone Business to Grow More Than 6000% by 2020 in $127B Market: PwC

May 10 2016 // Drones will soon be boosting crop yields, verifying insurance claims, and assisting in future Hollywood blockbusters in a business that’s due to boom by more than 6,000 percent by the end of the decade.The global...

New York Regulator Approves New Virtual Currency Exchange

May 10 2016 // New York state has approved regulations allowing a new virtual currency called Ether.Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, and the state’s Department of Financial Services announced the move on May 5. The regulations will...

Voters in Texas Capital Keep Fingerprinting for Rideshare Drivers

May 10 2016 // Fingerprinting drivers for ride-hailing companies must continue in Texas’ capital city after voters rejected a $9 million campaign by Uber and Lyft to overturn the safety measure.Both Uber and Lyft threatened to...

Comcast Settles Over Late Founder’s Insurance

May 10 2016 // Comcast Corp. paid $490 million this year to unwind obligations under life insurance policies tied to late founder Ralph Roberts and his wife Suzanne, a remnant of an era when generous executive perks received less...

Taking Stock of D&O Insurance Market: Capacity, Coverage and Culpability

May 10 2016 // The directors and officers (D&O) liability marketplace continues to find softening rates and intense competition especially in excess layers, according to industry executives. The industry is also seeing a continuing...

Pennsylvania Officials: $11M Fine Against Uber Could Stunt Tech Growth

May 9 2016 // Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Pittsburgh-area officials want the state’s regulators to greatly reduce their record-setting $11.4 million fine against ride-sharing company Uber.The Public Utility Commission fined...

FAA Creates Drone Advisory Panel, Lifts Barrier to Education

May 9 2016 // The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is establishing a broad-based advisory committee to provide advice on key unmanned aircraft integration issues.Also, under a new policy, the agency will also make it easier for...

Cigna Cautions That Anthem Merger May Not Happen in 2016

May 9 2016 // Cigna Corp.’s acquisition by health insurance rival Anthem Inc. may not be approved this year, Cigna said Friday in a regulatory filing.Shares of both companies declined. An analyst said the delay could be a sign of...

Man Can Seek Damages from Cleveland Indians, Ohio High Court Rules

May 6 2016 // Ohio’s high court says a New York man who was hit by a foul ball at a baseball game and blinded in one eye can seek damages from the Cleveland Indians.Lawyers for Keith Rawlins of Rochester, New York say the team is...

Judge Grants Class Action Status to West Virginia Miner Lawsuit

May 6 2016 // A lawsuit filed by miners in West Virginia who say they were unlawfully laid off in Wyoming County has been certified as a class action.The Register-Herald reports Judge Irene Berger granted the certification Tuesday in...

As Once-Mighty Politician Gets Prison, Albany Moves On

May 5 2016 // As former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was being sentenced to 12 years in prison for corruption, many of the politicians he once served with were passing legislation to outlaw commercial bass fishing in the...

Judge Rejects Uber’s Independent Contractors Claim in Sex Attacks Suit

May 5 2016 // Uber Technologies Inc.’s denial of responsibility for sexual assaults by drivers failed to derail a lawsuit brought by two women who say they were attacked last year.A San Francisco federal judge on Wednesday...

London Company Market Concerned About Loss of Single Passport if UK Exits EU

May 5 2016 // Membership of the European Union provides insurers with substantial benefits and London Market companies would be significantly damaged if they were lost, according to the International Underwriting Association...

Tennessee Bill Allowing College Employees to be Armed Becomes Law

May 5 2016 // A bill allowing staff and faculty at Tennessee’s public colleges and universities to be armed on campus became law Monday without the Republican governor’s signature.Gov. Bill Haslam said in a statement that he...

Special Report: Execs Warn of Impending Florida Market Crisis Over Water Loss Claims

May 3 2016 // Abuse of assignment of benefits (AOB) from water loss claims has become a full-blown Florida insurance crisis that will mean higher insurance rates next year and for the foreseeable future for every Florida policyholder,...

PCI Supports Hawaii Legislation to Use Smartphones as Proof of Insurance

May 2 2016 // The Hawaii Legislature has approved a bill that will enable Hawaii drivers to show proof of insurance with their cellphone in a traffic stop.House Bill 1705 will give consumers the choice to use a paper insurance card or...