Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Judge Asked to Rule on Who Will Pay Defense Costs in N.D. Spud Suit

Feb 3 2014 // The two sides in a lawsuit filed by a prominent North Dakota businessman against his insurance company over defense costs in an alleged potato price fixing scheme are asking a judge to rule without the case going to...

Missouri Cancer Patients Seek Insurance Coverage for Chemo Pills

Feb 3 2014 // JoAnn Shaw was first diagnosed with cancer at age 19. Then again at 25. And 37. And 53. Each time, she was treated with intravenous chemotherapy.Today, she wears a wig, talks with a raspy voice and is in danger of losing...

Senate Clears Farm, Crop Insurance Bill for Final Vote

Feb 3 2014 // Long-delayed farm legislation easily cleared a procedural hurdle on Monday in the U.S. Senate, with final passage of the nearly $1 trillion bill expected as early as Tuesday.The House of Representatives last week...

Private Flood Insurance Provider Steps Into Connecticut Market

Feb 3 2014 // A private flood insurance provider has stepped into Connecticut’s market, the first time homeowners along the shoreline battered by Superstorm Sandy have an alternative to increasingly costly federal insurance.The...

Texas Fertilizer Explosion on List of Texas Lawmaker Priorities

Feb 2 2014 // The West fertilizer blast that killed 15 people will face more scrutiny over the next year from Texas lawmakers who could strengthen state regulations surrounding chemical facility safety and inspections, according to a...

Oregon Judge Lops Big Chunk off $18.6M Jury Award

Feb 1 2014 // An Oregon woman who won nearly $19 million in a lawsuit against Equifax over credit reporting mistakes saw the jury award cut to less than $2 million last week by a federal judge in Portland. Judge Anna J. Brown reduced...

California Judge Reinstates Sheridan Suit

Jan 31 2014 // A judge in Los Angeles has reinstated a lawsuit by Nicollette Sheridan over her firing from “Desperate Housewives.”The ruling on Wednesday could lead to a new trial on her claim that she was improperly ousted...

Mississippi Bills Seek More Insurance Company Cost Disclosure, Deductibles Regulation

Jan 31 2014 // Mississippi lawmakers could require insurers to disclose how much they collect in premiums and how much they pay in claims in each ZIP code under a bill advancing in the state legislature.House Bill 753 could spark more...

Senate Passes Flood Insurance Delay, Agent Licensing Bill

Jan 30 2014 // The Senate passed a bill Thursday to delay certain flood insurance rate hikes and create a national registry for licensing insurance agents by a vote of 67-32. (See how senators voted at end of story.)The bill delays the...

N.Y. Regulator Talks About Insurance Markets, 2014 Agenda

Jan 30 2014 // A top official from New York State’s Department of Financial Services (DFS) recently spoke about the state’s property/casualty insurance markets, calling it overall very good but “a bit more of a mixed...

House Passes Farm, Crop Insurance, Food Stamps Bill

Jan 29 2014 // The U.S. House passed and sent the Senate a much-delayed bill to set agricultural policy for five years, as a coalition of rural Republicans and urban Democrats overcame objections about farm subsidies and food-stamp...

California Lawmakers OK School Planning For Abuse, Safety

Jan 29 2014 // The California state Assembly has approved two bills that would require school districts to make detailed plans for reporting child abuse and prepare for violent incidents on campus.AB135 by Democratic Assemblywoman Joan...

Bipartisan Farm Bill Increases Crops Insurance, Trims Food Stamps

Jan 29 2014 // Editor’s Note: The House of Representatives passed the bill this morning. For the update, read here.House and Senate negotiators on Monday reached a bipartisan agreement on the long-overdue U.S. farm bill that ends a...

Bipartisan Farm Bill Saves Food Stamps, Crop Insurance

Jan 28 2014 // Editor’s Note: The House of Representatives passed the bill this morning. For the update, read here.Deep cuts in U.S. food-stamp spending sought by House Republicans were averted in a tentative agreement on a...

Senate Takes First Step on Flood Insurance, Agent Licensing Bill

Jan 27 2014 // The Senate voted 86-13 early Monday evening to proceed with debate on a bill to both delay some flood insurance premium increases and establish an optional national registry for insurance agent and broker licensing.That...

Kentucky Lawmakers May Debate Medical Malpractice Again

Jan 27 2014 // Kentucky lawmakers are preparing for another debate on whether to shake up the state’s medical malpractice system, with some influential outside voices joining on both sides of the discussion.A new coalition of...

Supreme Court Grants Nuns Compromise on Obamacare Birth Control Benefit

Jan 27 2014 // The U.S. Supreme Court said an order of Catholic nuns, for now, doesn’t have to fill out an Obama administration form that the religious group says might lead to contraceptive coverage for its employees.The justices...

Illinois Legislation Aims to Curb Pay for Non-Work Accidents

Jan 27 2014 // A bill filed in Illinois aims to clarify who is responsible for injuries sustained in a traffic accident on the way to work.Sen. Kyle McCarter, a Lebanon Republican, introduced Senate Bill 2622, which exempts an employer...

Court: Caregiver Stabbed by Son Deserves Workers’ Comp

Jan 27 2014 // A Pennsylvania state appeals court ruled on Jan. 8 that a western Pennsylvania woman who was paid to help care for her disabled adult son in her home deserves workers’ compensation after he tried to kill her by...

Autonomous Vehicle Testing Regulations for California Coming Soon

Jan 27 2014 // If you think Google when you think about autonomous vehicles driving the streets, you’re leaving out the rest of the players in what some see as the future of the auto industry.If fact, there are enough players in...