Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Florida Panel Advances Bill to Limit Nursing Home Partners’ Liability

Mar 7 2014 // Defendants who can be named in lawsuits against nursing homes in Florida would be limited under a bill that moved this week through the House Civil Justice Committee.Developers, silent partners and other parties that could...

Florida Lawmakers Turn Attention to Privatizing Commercial Business in Citizens

Mar 7 2014 // One year after enacting reforms designed to reduce the amount of homeowners business in the state’s insurer, state lawmakers are now looking to further shrink Citizens Property Insurance Corp. by targeting its...

Only 2 Inspectors For Asbestos Projects in Iowa

Mar 7 2014 // Two inspectors are responsible for making sure thousands of asbestos-removal projects are being properly handled in Iowa each year.The Des Moines Register reported that the lack of inspections at asbestos removal projects...

Judge OKs Settlement in Deadly 2010 West Virginia Plant Explosion

Mar 7 2014 // A judge has approved a settlement that resolves federal workplace and environmental civil charges at a plant in Hancock County where an explosion killed three workers in 2010.Under the settlement, metal recycler AL...

Ohio’s Exotic Animal Law, with Insurance Component, Survives Federal Lawsuit

Mar 6 2014 // A federal appeals court has upheld Ohio’s restrictions on exotic animals, rejecting a challenge by owners who had claimed the law was too stringent and forced them to join organizations they disagree with. Among...

Group Warns Maryland’s Auto Repair Bill Could Raise Costs for Consumers

Mar 6 2014 // An industry association says a recently proposed bill in Maryland could hurt consumers by limiting insurers’ ability to manage auto body repairs and control costs.Maryland’s Senate Bill 487 (Motor Vehicle...

Judge Orders Farmers Insurance to Pay Oklahoma Plaintiffs $15M

Mar 6 2014 // An Oklahoma judge has ordered Farmers Insurance and a subsidiary to pay a total of $15 million to three plaintiffs who filed claims for damage to their homes caused by a deadly tornado that struck Woodward in 2012.The...

Private Market Could Grow As Government Flood Insurance Prices Rise: Fitch

Mar 6 2014 // As federal subsidies for flood insurance are reduced and the cost of government provided insurance goes up, the demand for private flood coverage could also rise, according to Fitch Ratings.However, it remains to be seen...

House Passes Flood Insurance Bill; Key Senators Sign On

Mar 4 2014 // The U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday evening passed legislation to curb some of the premium increases in the nation’s flood insurance program that have been causing “sticker shock” for property...

Bill Subjecting Prescription Drugs to Trafficking Law Passes Oklahoma House

Mar 4 2014 // Individuals carrying large quantities of prescription drugs would face drug trafficking charges under legislation approved unanimously by the Oklahoma House of Representatives.House Bill 2589 by State Rep. Pat Ownbey,...

Only 2 Inspectors Monitor Asbestos-Removal Projects in Iowa

Mar 4 2014 // Two inspectors are responsible for making sure thousands of asbestos removal projects are being properly handled in Iowa each year.The Des Moines Register reports that the lack of inspections at asbestos removal projects...

Court Rules BP Must Honor Terms of $9.2 Billion Oil Spill Settlement

Mar 3 2014 // BP Plc must abide by terms of a $9.2 billion settlement it reached with victims of the 2010 oil spill, a federal appeals court ruled in rejecting the company’s objections that the deal is being misinterpreted by the...

Court Rulings Against Speeding Cameras Mount in Ohio

Mar 3 2014 // The speeding cameras have gone dark in another Ohio community, the latest turned off by a string of court rulings against automated traffic enforcement.A Butler County judge last week ordered the village of New Miami to...

New Wisconsin Lemon Law Limits Time to Seek Damages

Mar 3 2014 // If the vehicle you just bought turns out to be a lemon, you’ll have less time in Wisconsin to seek damages from the manufacturer and you won’t get as much money.The restrictions that went into effect on March 1...

West Virginia Lawmakers Amend Chemical Spill Bill As Session Nears End

Mar 3 2014 // As time ticks away, West Virginia lawmakers are suggesting another face-lift for a bill that would tighten aboveground storage tank regulations and safeguard water systems against chemical spills.The House of Delegates...

BP Can’t See Documents from Probe Into Lawyers, Judge Says

Mar 3 2014 // BP is not entitled to see confidential documents used by a court-appointed investigator who has alleged that some attorneys acted improperly in the claims process arising from the 2010 Gulf oil spill, a federal judge ruled...

AG Coakley Testifies in Support of Flood Insurance Bill in Massachusetts

Feb 28 2014 // Concerned that increased insurance rates caused by new flood zone maps will “tip the balance” for homeowners who weathered the economic downturn but are still feeling its effects, Massachusetts Attorney General...

Missouri Housed Endorses Bill Limiting Medical Malpractice Awards

Feb 28 2014 // Seeking to sidestep a court ruling, the Missouri House endorsed legislation that attempts to reinstate limits on the amount of money people can receive from medical malpractice lawsuits.The bill given initial approval...

Dog Bite Liability Measure Advances in Maryland Senate

Feb 28 2014 // Maryland’s Senate advanced a measure on Wednesday that would hold dog owners liable for bites, but protect those who can prove they didn’t know their dog was dangerous.The bill, which could get a vote in the...

Texas Judge Rules Against Armstrong in Fight over Insured Bonuses

Feb 27 2014 // A Texas judge has rejected Lance Armstrong’s request to stop an arbitration panel from reviewing $12 million in bonuses the cyclist was paid before admitting he used performance-enhancing drugs.Judge Tonya Parker...