Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Federal Judge Rules BP Absolved from U.S. Lawsuits Over Drilling Ban

Mar 11 2016 // BP Plc does not have to face U.S. lawsuits by energy and drilling companies over losses they suffered from an offshore drilling ban imposed soon after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a federal judge ruled.U.S. District...

Old Mutual to Split into 4 Units as CEO Works to Reverse Flagging Returns

Mar 11 2016 // Old Mutual Plc plans to split into four units as Chief Executive Officer Bruce Hemphill breaks up the U.K. financial services company to reverse years of flagging returns.The insurer will spin off its controlling stake in...

Senate Bill Would Require Testing Drone Operators on Rules of the Sky

Mar 10 2016 // All U.S. drone operators would for the first time have to prove they understand aviation regulations under broad legislation introduced Wednesday in the Senate.A bill setting policy for the Federal Aviation Administration...

Comprehensive Medical Marijuana Plan Rejected by Utah Lawmakers

Mar 9 2016 // A proposal that would have made edible marijuana products legal in Utah for those with chronic pain has died, concluding a more than yearlong effort that was severely stunted after the Mormon church came out in opposition...

Lawmakers Seek Audit of Mine Cleanup Insurance Program

Mar 9 2016 // Federal auditors should examine a program that has allowed leading coal companies to lower cleanup insurance costs and could leave taxpayers on the hook if the miners declare bankruptcy, Democratic lawmakers said on...

Florida Passes Expanded Medical Marijuana Legislation, Bill Heads to Governor

Mar 9 2016 // Florida’s contentious medical marijuana legislation is headed to Gov. Rick Scott.After 21/2 hours of debate on Monday, the Senate approved a House version of a bill (HB 307) that would expand the so-called...

Florida Assignment of Benefits, Ridesharing Bills Approaching Dead End

Mar 8 2016 // It’s looking like Florida lawmakers will not provide resolution for two controversial issues currently facing the Florida insurance industry, this year at least.With just three days left in the 2016 Florida Session,...

Washington Judge Orders Lender to Pay Homeowner $213K for Distress

Mar 8 2016 // A nationwide mortgage lender is appealing a $213,000 emotional distress judgment awarded to a Bellevue, Wash. mom who was fighting to keep her home.Leticia Lucero sued Cenlar after the company failed to notify lenders her...

Florida High Court Rules Artist Can Sue UPS Over Lost Paintings

Mar 8 2016 // The Florida Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that an artist can sue UPS in state court over two paintings removed from their shipping tube while in transit and sold by the company UPS contracts to handle its...

Taxi Drivers Sue Jackson, Mississippi Over ‘Unfair’ Regulations

Mar 7 2016 // Two taxicab drivers are suing the city of Jackson, Mississippi, claiming the city has imposed restrictive regulations on the taxi industry. The Mississippi Center for Public Policy announced March 2 that taxicab drivers...

Audit Criticizes Michigan Environmental Regulators over Flint Water Crisis

Mar 7 2016 // Michigan environmental regulators made crucial errors as Flint began using a new drinking water source that would become contaminated with lead, auditors said on March 4, as crews in the city started to dig up old pipes...

State Lawmakers Seeking Ways to Grapple with ‘Big Data’ in Insurance

Mar 7 2016 // Insurance is about information. Outside of the technology industry itself, few sectors are better situated to seize the advantages of so-called “big data” than insurance.Such was the consensus of a panel...

Mass. Bill Would Mandate Background Checks for Rideshare Drivers

Mar 7 2016 // Massachusetts state lawmakers unveiled a bill that would regulate ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft with a requirement that drivers undergo rigorous criminal background checks but not fingerprinting.The House...

Vermont Fines Continental for Workers’ Comp Overcharges

Mar 7 2016 // Vermont Department of Financial Regulation Commissioner Susan L. Donegan announced on Feb. 26 that Continental Indemnity Co., a subsidiary of Applied Underwriters Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company, has paid Vermont...

Ridesharing Companies Get 2 More Months to Operate in Florida County

Mar 6 2016 // The Commission in Palm Beach County, Florida, has voted to allow ridesharing services Uber and Lyft to keep operating for the next two months.The Sun Sentinel reports that the commission voted March 1 to extend a temporary...

Massachusetts Top Court Rules on Damages for Injured Workers

Mar 4 2016 // Massachusetts’ highest court recently ruled in a case of first impression that a workers’ compensation insurer is not entitled to a lien on the money awarded to claimants for pain and suffering.This ruling from...

Iowa Business Leaders Backing Bill Expanding Medical Marijuana Law

Mar 3 2016 // Influential Iowa business leaders are urging state legislators to pass a bill that would expand the state’s medical marijuana laws.The Des Moines Register reports that more than 90 business leaders sent lawmakers a...

Hedge Funds Leery of Moves to Limit U.S. Reinsurance Tax Break

Mar 3 2016 // Dan Loeb’s reinsurer cited risks tied to regulation as the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden work to limit what the lawmaker called a “tax loophole” used by hedge fund managers to route...

Hawaii Lawmakers Consider Ban on Bosses from Workers’ Personal Accounts

Mar 2 2016 // Hawaii lawmakers are considering a bill to ban employers from accessing employees’ personal social media accounts.So far, more than 20 states have banned employers from snooping in employees’ personal accounts....

House Committee Passes Private Flood Insurance Bill

Mar 2 2016 // The House Financial Services Committee this morning approved a proposal intended to encourage more private insurers to write flood insurance.The committee approved the Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act...