Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Gun Liability Insurance Bills Aren’t the Answer, Says Insurance Industry

Apr 10 2013 // Congress appears ready to take up gun control legislation for the first time in years, with proposals under consideration focusing on background checks, straw purchases and money for school safety.If the debate stays on...

Wisconsin Lawmaker Defends Change to Asbestos Lawsuit Rules

Apr 9 2013 // Asbestos-exposure lawsuits would be slowed until plaintiffs reveal how many businesses their attorneys plan to go after under a bill introduced by a Republican lawmaker, who said the measure would prevent lawyers from...

Washington Weighs Compensation for Wrongful Convictions

Apr 9 2013 // Alan Northrop anxiously waits outside a Senate committee hearing, his girlfriend rubbing his shoulders and whispering words of support as he prepares to sign in to testify about nearly two decades of freedom lost.“Oh...

Feds Will Enforce Insurance Regulations In Wyoming

Apr 9 2013 // The federal government will directly enforce Affordable Care Act regulations in Wyoming when key pieces of the federal health care reform law take effect in January.Federal officials made the decision after learning the...

South Carolina Copper Thefts Continue Despite Tougher Laws

Apr 9 2013 // Although tougher laws have been passed, officials in South Carolina say metal robbers continue to plague homeowners, churches, government agencies and utilities.The Greenville News reported that thefts continue despite a...

Connecticut Shoreline Avoids Zoning Changes After Storms

Apr 8 2013 // After hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed by storms raking Connecticut’s shoreline, a state task force recommended that local zoning codes be changed to reflect rising sea level and new flood elevations.But...

Florida Justices Face Another PIP Conundrum: Medical Fees

Apr 8 2013 // Florida’s high court is poised to decide how much money insurers owe some medical providers in cases where an auto policy does not specifically state that the fees will be based on a fee schedule approved by state...

W.R. Berkley Corp. Divests, Connecticut Bank Acquires InsurBanc

Apr 8 2013 // InsurBanc — a federal savings bank founded by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America and W.R. Berkley Corp. a dozen years ago — has joined Connecticut Community Bank N.A., based in Westport,...

Insurance Company Settlement Money to Bolster Louisiana’s Budget

Apr 8 2013 // Louisiana has received $95 million in legal settlements with insurance companies, ending questions about whether the money would roll in for this year’s budget or leave lawmakers scrambling to fill a...

Judge Approves $4M For Libby Asbestos Attorneys

Apr 8 2013 // A state judge says lawyers for victims of asbestos exposure in a contaminated Montana town are entitled to more than $4 million in fees and expenses out of a $19.6 million settlement with chemical manufacturer W.R. Grace...

Remembering 29 Miners Lost in West Virginia Blast 3 Years Ago

Apr 8 2013 // As West Virginians marked the third anniversary of an explosion that killed 29 coal miners Friday, congressional Democrats called the lack of action on tougher mine safety legislation “shameful.”Gov. Earl Ray...

The Right Career Choice for the Next Generation

Apr 8 2013 // The road to becoming a successful independent insurance agent is not always easy. The economy and often volatile property/casualty insurance market cycle are just two of the potholes agents must maneuver. Young agents in...

How Obamacare Could Affect P/C Insurance

Apr 8 2013 // Key changes in federal health care reform remain months away, but property/casualty actuaries are already trying to determine what impact they will have on their business, particularly workers’ compensation and...

Judge: Chicago Firm Can Sue Facebook over ‘Timeline’

Apr 7 2013 // Chicago-based social media company called Timelines Inc. can sue Facebook Inc. over allegations that it violated the smaller firm’s trademark on the word “timeline,” a federal judge ruled.Timelines...

Florida May Scrap No-Fault Auto Insurance Law

Apr 5 2013 // Frustrated by a recent court decision temporarily blocking part of Florida’s no-fault auto insurance law reformed last year, state lawmakers are considering scrapping the entire law. Current proposals would reinstate...

Florida Lawmakers Advance Parasailing Regulations with Insurance Mandate

Apr 5 2013 // A bill to ensure more safety for thrill seekers who soar above Florida’s coastlines while dangling from parachutes has cleared its initial hurdle, winning swift approval from a state Senate panel this week.The...

N.Y. Congresswoman Receives Death Threats Over Gun Liability Insurance Bill

Apr 4 2013 // A New York congresswoman who recently proposed federal legislation that would require gun owners to buy liability insurance said she has been receiving death threats over her proposal.Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., issued a...

‘Stranger Liability’ For California Wholesalers Settled, but Not Done

Apr 3 2013 // A few wholesalers groups are breathing a brief sigh of relief following a recent Los Angeles Superior Court decision in a lawsuit involving “stranger liability.”The issue was brought to light in Hull & Co....

Mass. Regulators Received Over 10K Auto Insurance Complaints, Inquiries in 2012

Apr 3 2013 // Massachusetts regulators said 10,729 consumers had contacted the state’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation and its insurance division in 2012 with questions and complaints regarding their auto...

Arkansas Legislative Leaders Back Insurance Expansion

Apr 3 2013 // The Republican leaders of the Arkansas House and Senate have endorsed a proposal to purchase private insurance for thousands of low-income workers using federal funds, an idea lawmakers are considering as an alternative to...