Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Florida Streamlines Licensing for Agents, Adjusters

Jul 23 2012 // A new Florida law seeks to reduce the regulatory burden on agents and adjusters by consolidating some licenses and revamping the education classes they must take to conduct business in the state.Among the changes:...

N.J. Court Rules on Workers’ Comp Occupational Stress Claim

Jul 23 2012 // A New Jersey court struck down recently a claim by a former bank employee who sought workers’ comp disability benefits for what the claimant described as a psychological illness caused by occupational stress.The...

What to Know About the NEW & IMPROVED Flood Program

Jul 23 2012 // If it were a dam or a levee, it would have been replaced ages ago. Yet the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has stayed afloat despite a regular leaking of funds since its inception in 1968. The often-maligned...

Court Rules for Travelers in Penn. Kickback Case

Jul 23 2012 // A federal appeals court said recently Travelers Property Casualty Co. doesn’t have to pay $1.75 million in damages as part of a settlement involving privately owned juvenile detention facilities in...

Michigan House GOP Won’t OK Health Exchange Anytime Soon

Jul 20 2012 // Republican lawmakers want more questions answered before they’ll consider giving GOP Gov. Rick Snyder approval to start work on a website for purchasing health insurance required under the federal health care law,...

House Lawmakers Reach Deal on Russia Trade Pact, Rights Bill

Jul 20 2012 // The top Republican and Democrat on the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee said on Thursday they had reached a deal to move forward on Russian trade legislation, including human rights provisions opposed by...

Bipartisan Senate Bill Addresses Cyber Threats

Jul 20 2012 // Compromise legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday would bolster cyber threat assessment and permit the government to share information with American business under certain conditions, a step aimed at better...

Congress Looking to Rein In ‘Patent Trolls’

Jul 19 2012 // A relatively obscure government agency at the center of a high stakes battle between the companies that make smartphones – Apple, Samsung Electronics, HTC and others – could well be headed for big changes.The...

Russia Backs WTO Entry; U.S. Friction Persists

Jul 19 2012 // Russia’s upper house of parliament voted on Wednesday to ratify entry into the World Trade Organization, and now only the signature of President Vladimir Putin is needed to complete the country’s 18-year bid to...

Senate Panel Approves Russia Trade, Human Rights Bill

Jul 19 2012 // The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill to ensure U.S. exporters share in the benefits of Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization but also to punish Russian officials for...

South Florida Not Receptive to Citizens’ Rate Hike Plans

Jul 18 2012 // Executives and the board of governors of Florida’s largest state-back property insurer received a rude reception at a public rate hearing in Miami where they indicated they will consider increasing rates on existing...

Geneva Association Survey Targets ‘Inappropriate Regulation,’ Economic Crisis

Jul 18 2012 // A bulletin from the insurance think tank The Geneva Association notes that “leaders of the insurance industry have significant concerns about the effects of inappropriate regulation and the effects of the current...

Hawaii Enacts 4 New Laws To Curb Cybercrimes

Jul 17 2012 // Four new Hawaii laws are aimed at curbing cybercrimes.Gov. Neil Abercrombie recently signed bills to combat cyberbullying, to prohibit adults from soliciting minors to electronically transmit nude images of minors and to...

Yes, Of Course We Do Need a National Catastrophe Solution

Jul 16 2012 // The National Conference of Insurance Legislators has a tendency to be a very deliberative and, yes, dilatory, body. During the meeting of its Property and Casualty Insurance Committee last Friday in Burlington, Vermont...

In Massachusetts Senate Race, Health Care Still Hot Topic

Jul 16 2012 // In Massachusetts’ contentious U.S. Senate race, few issues divide the two candidates more sharply than the health care law signed by President Barack Obama and upheld by the Supreme Court.Republican Scott Brown ran...

New Law on BP Oil Spill Promises States More in Restoration Monies

Jul 16 2012 // U.S. Gulf Coast states have a higher stake in the amount of money the U.S. government can wring out of BP Plc for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill due to a new law that would divert billions of dollars in potential BP...

EU under Pressure to Delay Solvency II Insurer Capital Rules

Jul 16 2012 // The European Union may be forced to put back the January 2014 start date for its Solvency II capital regime for insurers after talks to agree a final draft of the strict new rules collapsed, Europe’s top insurance...

Health Care on Agenda When Michigan Lawmakers Return

Jul 16 2012 // Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and his fellow Republicans could find themselves knee-deep in health care issues soon when lawmakers briefly return after a five-week break.Snyder needs to get reluctant House Republicans on board...

Under New Law, Penn. Dentists Now Required to Buy Liability Insurance

Jul 13 2012 // Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett signed into law late last month Senate Bill 388 that mandates all dentists in the state to purchase professional liability insurance.Under new law, Pennsylvania dentists are now required to...

North Carolina Resolves Media Concerns Over Workers’ Comp Data

Jul 13 2012 // North Carolina officials have found a way to resolve media groups’ concern over public access to some employers’ workers’ compensation information while maintaining the confidentiality of other...