Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Alabama Eases Senior Driver Discount Rules

Sep 21 2012 // Alabama senior citizens will have easier access to courses that can qualify them for automobile insurance premium credits under a new state law that allows them to take the courses online.Approved by state lawmakers...

Calif. Workers’ Comp Reform Law at ‘Halftime’

Sep 20 2012 // Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of articles to look at California’s workers’ compensation reform law in detail and what must be done to implement that law by Jan. 1, 2013.When Gov. Jerry...

Iowa Judge: Texas Firm Must Pay Disabled Workers $1.4M

Sep 20 2012 // A Texas company that profited for decades by supplying mentally disabled workers to an Iowa turkey plant at wages of 41 cents per hour must pay the men $1.37 million in back wages, a federal judge has ruled.The judgment...

Pentagon Warns Private Computer Networks on Vulnerability to Cyber Attacks

Sep 20 2012 // Privately-owned U.S. computer networks remain vulnerable to cyber attacks, and many U.S. companies are not doing enough to protect them, Deputy U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on Wednesday.“I hope this...

Bank Group Warns of Heightened Risk of Cyber Attacks

Sep 20 2012 // A financial services industry group warned U.S. banks, brokerages and insurers on Wednesday to be on heightened alert for cyber attacks after Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase experienced unexplained outages on their...

Calif. Workers’ Comp Reform Dominates Conference

Sep 19 2012 // Senate Bill 863, or the more popular usage “SB 863,” was the phrase at the beginning, end or middle of many-a-conversation during the California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference on...

Heightened Regulation Forcing Insurers to Focus on Modeling Risks: Conning

Sep 19 2012 // The growing level of activity among regulatory bodies and quasi-regulatory agencies focused on strengthening insurance solvency protection systems, particularly regarding increased risk capital and enhanced risk...

Aon Benfield Launches Updated Financial Analysis Tool – ReMetrica v6

Sep 18 2012 // Aon Benfield, the global reinsurance intermediary and capital advisor of Aon plc, announced the launch of version 6 of ReMetrica – its dynamic financial analysis tool. The bulletin said it would “reduce model size...

Alabama Officials Mull How to Share Oil Spill Penalty Money

Sep 18 2012 // Local communities should not hire lobbyists as Alabama tries to determine how to dole out at least $1 billion in penalty funds it expects to receive as a result of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Alabama Gov....

Wyoming Lower Court to Reconsider Errant Golf Ball Lawsuit

Sep 17 2012 // A lawsuit filed by a golf tournament spectator who got whacked in the head by a golf ball is headed back for another round in court following a Wyoming Supreme Court ruling on Sept. 14.The court ruled 3-2 against...

Judge Fines Las Vegas Sands Corp. $25,000 in Termination Lawsuit

Sep 17 2012 // A Nevada judge has fined Las Vegas Sands Corp. $25,000, citing its failure to disclose important information in a lawsuit filed by a fired executive against the casino company.Clark County District Judge Elizabeth Gonzales...

Mississippi Workers’ Comp Drug Testing, Benefits Changes Go Into Effect

Sep 17 2012 // Insurers and employers in Mississippi now have greater latitude to conduct alcohol and drug tests on employees following a workplace accident and reduce benefits for workers with pre-existing conditions.Those changes are...

Judge Hears Case Over Katrina Floodwall Failure

Sep 14 2012 // Alvin Livers lost his dream home when busted floodwalls unleashed a torrent of water that inundated his New Orleans neighborhood during Hurricane Katrina. Seven years later, Livers is one of several homeowners seeking to...

Penn. Commissioner: Washington Slow to Give Guidance on Healthcare Law

Sep 13 2012 // Testifying before Congress this week, Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Consedine offered a blistering critique of the way the federal government is coordinating the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.In...

Financial Firms Having to Adjust to Aggressive Consumer Protection Bureau

Sep 13 2012 // The new federal agency charged with enforcing consumer finance laws is emerging as an ambitious sheriff, taking on companies for deceptive fees and marketing and unmoved by protests that its tactics go too far.In the 14...

Farm Bill, Crop Insurance Reform May Be Stalled Until November

Sep 12 2012 // It may be November before the U.S. Congress completes the new $500 billion U.S. farm bill as lawmakers cannot agree on how much to cut support to farmers or food stamps for the poor.“We’re stuck at the...

IMF Says Benefits of Global Financial Reform Outweigh Costs

Sep 11 2012 // Tough new global financial rules will nudge up credit costs, but the slight drag they will place on major economies is worth it to achieve a more stable financial system, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.In...

Judge Dismisses Velvet Underground Copyright Claim vs. Warhol Over Banana

Sep 11 2012 // A federal judge has dismissed part of The Velvet Underground’s lawsuit accusing the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts of violating its rights to an iconic banana image used on the rock band’s...

U.S. Treasury Sells $18 Billion of AIG Stock, Cuts Stake to 19%

Sep 10 2012 // The U.S. government cut its stake in American International Group Inc. to 19 percent on Monday, making a profit of $12.4 billion on the insurer’s crisis-era bailout and bringing the unpopular rescue closer to its...

Mississippi Court Rules Wal-Mart Not Liable in Gun Ammo Sale to Underage Shooter

Sep 10 2012 // If a store sells ammunition to an underage person who uses the bullets to kill someone, is the retailer responsible?Not necessarily, according to the Mississippi Supreme Court. The court ruled 5-4 this week in favor of...