Latest Legislation Headlines

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

NYDFS Grants Charter to New York Virtual Currency Company

May 7 2015 // New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) announced Thursday that it has granted a charter under the New York Banking Law to itBit Trust Company, LLC – a commercial Bitcoin exchange.ItBit, which is based in...

N.J. Gov. Signs Electronic Proof of Auto Insurance, Reverse Rate Evasion Bills

May 7 2015 // New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed into law on Thursday A-3905/S-2680, which authorizes motor vehicle operators to display proof of auto insurance in either the physical format (a paper insurance card provided by their...

Oklahoma Texting While Driving Ban Signed by Governor

May 7 2015 // Gov. Mary Fallin added her signature to legislation that makes it illegal to text message while driving in Oklahoma and then issued a challenge to the state’s motorists.“Don’t text and drive in the state...

Montana Law to Raise Some Highway Speed Limits to 80 Mph

May 7 2015 // Speed limits on rural interstate highways in Montana will increase to 80 mph this fall, but the cost of a speeding ticket will go up, too.Gov. Steve Bullock signed Senate Bill 375 on Monday. The new law will increase speed...

Republican Senate Bill on Dodd-Frank, Insurance Changes Expected Next Week

May 7 2015 // The chairman of the Senate Banking Committee is pushing ahead with a bill to ease rules across sections of the financial industry after the first round of efforts to work with his Democratic counterpart failed.Alabama...

Uber Pulls Out of Kansas After Senate Imposes Stricter Regulations

May 6 2015 // Ride-hailing service Uber said it ceased operations in Kansas after the state legislature decided to override Gov. Sam Brownback’s veto of a bill that will impose stricter regulations on ride-hailing services.Uber...

Colorado Lawmakers Agree on School Violence Liability Bill

May 6 2015 // Legislation to make Colorado public schools legally liable for student safety awaits the governor’s signature.The state House and Senate agreed Monday on final language in the bill to allow public schools to be sued...

India’s Raise of Foreign Insurers’ Investment Cap a ‘Positive Step’: AIA

May 6 2015 // Stephen Simchak, director of international affairs for the American Insurance Association (AIA) In his testimony before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on trade and investment policies in India. Has welcomed...

Vermont’s New Captive Legislation to Revise Some Capital Requirement Rules

May 6 2015 // Vermont officials announced that Gov. Peter Shumlin will sign new legislation passed in April that would bring several changes to the state’s captive insurance rules — including changes to the investment...

Florida Commissioner McCarty Touts State Regulation Before Congress

May 6 2015 // Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty championed flexible state insurance regulation and warned against “one-size-fits-all” bank-like regulation for insurers in recent testimony before the U.S. Senate...

Kansas Overrides Brownback Veto on TNC Bill

May 5 2015 // In a disappointing development, the Kansas Legislature has overturned Gov. Sam Brownback’s veto of S.B. 117, the so-called “Uber bill.”While S.B. 117 is not without redeeming qualities – a regulatory...

Texas Bill Preventing Cities from Banning Oil Drilling Sent to Governor

May 5 2015 // Texas cities would no longer be able to ban oil and gas companies from drilling inside municipal limits under a bill lawmakers sent to Governor Greg Abbott.Final passage of the legislation in the state Senate is a win for...

U.S., Canada Agree on Oil Train Safety Mandates

May 5 2015 // Almost two years after an unattended oil train derailed and exploded in Quebec, killing 47 people, the U.S. and Canadian governments jointly set new rules designed to reduce the risks of hauling crude by rail.Newly built...

Insurers Warn Against Encroachment on State Regulation

May 5 2015 // Insurance companies are calling for Congress to ensure state-based insurance regulation remains protected from federal or international “regulatory encroachment.”“Congress must now increase its oversight...

Corporations Push for Fewer U.S. Drone Restrictions

May 5 2015 // As U.S. regulators study how to govern commercial drones, corporate America is plunging ahead on using unmanned aircraft in a bid to speed the process and win concessions on proposed restrictions.Large companies including...

Federal Judge Says U.S. Liable for Some Katrina Flooding in Louisiana

May 4 2015 // Ruling in a nearly decade-old lawsuit, a judge in Washington said on May 1 that the federal government is responsible for some of the catastrophic flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina and other storms — flooding...

Wisconsin Governor Signs Bill Regulating Ridesharing Operations

May 4 2015 // Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has signed a bill that creates statewide regulations on ridesharing companies such as Uber and Lyft.The measure would prohibit any local ordinances governing ride-hailing companies. Instead, the...

Lawmakers in California to Weigh in on Rules For Medical Pot Shops

May 4 2015 // The California Legislature is considering multiple – and conflicting – plans to impose the first major statewide restrictions on medical marijuana dispensaries and growers.The debate over the billion-dollar industry...

Lawmakers in California to Weigh in on Rules For Medical Pot Shops

May 4 2015 // The California Legislature is considering multiple – and conflicting – plans to impose the first major statewide restrictions on medical marijuana dispensaries and growers.The debate over the billion-dollar industry...

State Regulation Worked in Red Rock/Foster Jennings Case: Oklahoma Commissioner

May 4 2015 // The circumstances surrounding the liquidation of a small Oklahoma insurer highlight the concern over how effectively state insurance regulators are able assess potential buyers of insurance companies, according to a recent...