Latest Legislation Headlines

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

California Judge Orders Kaiser to Broaden Reconstructive Surgery Coverage

Jul 21 2015 // A California judge has ruled that Kaiser Permanente cannot systematically classify removal of excess skin following bariatric weight loss surgery as a cosmetic procedure after a trial in a class action case.The trial began...

Abercrombie Settles Religious Discrimination Case After Supreme Court Ruling

Jul 21 2015 // Following a Supreme Court ruling in June against it, clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch’s has settled a religious discrimination case over its refusing to hire a Muslim woman who insisted on wearing a...

TNC Rain Dance Shows How NCOIL Is All Wet

Jul 20 2015 // “Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.” – UnknownCowboy aphorisms have a lot to offer contemporary culture, in spite of their dubious origins. The National Conference of Insurance...

Judge in California Says Uber Must Face Taxi Suit over Safety Claims

Jul 20 2015 // Uber Technologies Inc. lost a bid to dismiss a lawsuit over its claims to being safer than taxis.U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar in San Francisco on Friday allowed the case to proceed, finding that the app-based ridesharing...

Judge Finds Injuries ‘Part of Soccer’ in Dismissing Concussion Lawsuits

Jul 20 2015 // A U.S. judge has dismissed a lawsuit by soccer players and parents seeking to force FIFA and other governing bodies to change the sport’s rules to limit the risk of concussions and other head injuries, especially for...

Citizens to Hold Off on 2016 Sinkhole Rate Increases, For Now

Jul 20 2015 // In Citizens’ 2016 rate proposal, approved last month by the Citizens Board of Directors and awaiting approval by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, the insurer of last resort did not recommend any sinkhole...

Regulator to Lawmakers: Leave Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association Funds Alone

Jul 20 2015 // Michigan’s top insurance regulator has taken a stance against a bill that would allow lawmakers to appropriate money for road projects from the state-created mechanism to reinsure unlimited medical benefits for auto...

New Regulatory Guidance Affects Insurers, Producers

Jul 20 2015 // Producers, brokers and insurers are all targeted by cyber attackers looking for personal identifiable information (PII) that can be used to open fraudulent credit cards. To protect PII, in April the Cybersecurity (EX) Task...

Arizona Supreme Court Ruling May Expose Agents to Lawsuits

Jul 17 2015 // An Arizona Supreme Court ruling may expose agents who write auto policies to malpractice lawsuits if they are accused of failing to inform their customers about uninsured and underinsured motorists coverage – even with a...

California Judge Rules Apple Workers Can Sue as a Class Over Searches

Jul 17 2015 // For California workers seeking to be paid for time spent getting bags searched after their shifts end, state law may provide the remedy that federal law doesn’t.On Thursday, a judge in San Francisco said that Apple...

Head of UK Financial Watchdog Resigns; Government Refuses to Extend Contract

Jul 17 2015 // The head of Britain’s financial watchdog is stepping down early in a move some industry watchers said was a sign the government wants to take a less confrontational stance towards banks.Sources familiar with the...

Judge Blocks Access to Government Witnesses in GM Lost Value Suit

Jul 17 2015 // General Motors Co. customers suing over faulty ignition switches lost their bid for access to witnesses interviewed by the government in a probe of the automaker, a U.S. judge said.The customers, who are demanding as much...

Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Florida’s 2015 Insurance Legislation Takes Effect

Jul 17 2015 // Below is a list of insurance-related Florida legislation passed by lawmakers in the 2015 regular session. All legislation has been approved by Governor Rick Scott and became effective as of July 1, 2015.HB1133 –...

California Judge Rejects Lawsuit Claiming Google Privacy Violations

Jul 16 2015 // Google Inc. users were blocked from suing over alleged privacy violations by a judge who said they failed to show any of their information had been disclosed.It was the fourth time U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal...

California Judge Fines Uber $7.3 M, and Suspends Service

Jul 16 2015 // Uber has been fined $7.3 million for refusing to give California regulators information about the ride-hailing company’s business practices, including accident details and how accessible vehicles are to disabled...

Ambiguity Over Spousal Benefit Rules Could Test Gay Marriage Ruling

Jul 16 2015 // The Supreme Court was definitive in its decision to legalize gay marriage nationwide, but what is far from clear is whether U.S. companies must offer corporate benefits to same-sex spouses.Many large and mid-sized...

U.S. Appeals Court Rules for Whistleblowers in State Farm Katrina Fraud Case

Jul 16 2015 // Whistleblowers who sued State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. can seek more evidence of fraud against the U.S. government after 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, a federal appeals court ruled July 13.In its decision, the New...

Federal Court Rules Against Religious Groups Over Birth Control Coverage Opt-Out

Jul 15 2015 // Religious nonprofit groups must formally opt out of a U.S. health-care mandate if they wish to avoid a requirement that employers provide health-insurance coverage for birth control, a federal appeals court said.The...

Number of Food Recalls and Their Costs Are Increasing: Swiss Re Report

Jul 15 2015 // “Food manufacturers operate in a vast, globalized supply chain, where one mislabeled product or contaminated ingredient can cause sickness, death, multi-million dollar losses and massive reputational damage for the...

Regulator to Lawmakers: Leave Michigan CCA Funds Alone

Jul 14 2015 // Michigan’s top insurance regulator has taken a stance against a bill that would allow lawmakers to appropriate money for road projects from the state-created mechanism to reinsure unlimited medical benefits provided...