Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Important Legislation

May 7 2012 // Two pieces of P/C insurance related legislation passed in Missouri in 2011: SB 101 and SB 132. Under SB 101, contractors who perform roof or other residential exterior work cannot offer to pay a homeowner’s insurance...

Vermont Licensed 8 New Captives in Q1

May 7 2012 // Vermont officials said its captive insurance industry is off to a strong start in 2012, with the state having licensed eight new captives during the first quarter.“We had a great first quarter with the licensing of...

Replacement Costs Battle on the Road to Somewhere

May 7 2012 // Steve Young was somewhat upbeat when he was asked what he thought about the outcome of a long-brewing legal battle between three insurance associations and the California Department of Insurance.That upbeat attitude is...

Florida Governor Vetoes Cat Fund Tax-Credit Plan

May 7 2012 // Florida Gov. Rick Scott has chastised state lawmakers for failing to fully consider a controversial plan to use state premium tax credits to help shore-up the state’s homeowners’ reinsurance fund before...

N.Y. Court Ruling May Open Door for More Asbestos Suits Against Pfizer

May 7 2012 // A New York federal appellate court ruling last month could allow more asbestos liability suits to proceed against pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.The appellate court’s decision affirms the previous ruling last year from...

Florida Governor Signs Long-Awaited Auto Insurance Anti-Fraud Bill

May 4 2012 // Florida’s decade long attempt to reform the state’s automobile no-fault insurance law has finally paid off.Gov. Rick Scott, flanked by rows of law enforcement officials and state officials, signed into law...

Lawmakers OK Limits on Mississippi AG’s Deals with Private Law Firms

May 4 2012 // A measure to limit Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood’s ability to control state legal business is on the way to Republican Gov. Phil Bryant.The Mississippi Senate voted 34-18 Wednesday to pass House Bill 211,...

Judge Blocks $90 Million Insurance Settlement for Lehman Directors, Officers

May 4 2012 // With a nod to country singer Kenny Rogers, a federal judge has refused for now to allow insurers for former officers and directors of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. to pay $90 million to settle a fraud lawsuit brought by...

Appellate Court Dismisses Challenge To CDI Replacement Costs Regulation

May 3 2012 // The California Court of Appeal summarily dismissed a legal challenge by the Association of California Insurance Companies and the Personal Insurance Federation of California to homeowner protection regulations adopted by...

Hawaii Lawmakers Pass 3 Cybercrime Measures

May 3 2012 // Hawaii lawmakers have approved a trio of bills aimed at preventing cybercrimes.The bills passed Tuesday offer law enforcement and prosecutors more tools to charge and penalize those who use computers to commit crimes. One...

Missouri Governor Signals Compromise On Workers’ Comp

May 3 2012 // About six weeks after he vetoed legislation that would have changed the state’s workers’ compensation system, Missouri’s Democratic governor is signaling that he would be open to compromise with...

Another Insurance Attorney From Dewey & LeBoeuf Departs Firm

May 3 2012 // A number of insurance attorneys from N.Y.-headquartered elite law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf have left the company this year, as the firm, well-known for its insurance work, grapples with high debt and partner compensation...

Willis Re Reports on Mutual Insurers’ Diversification Challenges, Opportunities

May 3 2012 // Willis Re, the reinsurance arm of Willis Group Holdings, has released a report discussing the challenges and opportunities offered to mutual insurers through diversification, subtitled “Navigating the Pitfalls in...

New Law Increases Drunk Driving Penalty in Oklahoma

May 3 2012 // Under legislation recently signed into law in Oklahoma, a drunk driver who caused an accident resulting in great bodily harm could face a maximum of 10 years in prison.House Bill 2568, by state Rep. Harold Wright,...

N.J. Examines Stop-Loss Insurance for Self-Insured Small Businesses

May 2 2012 // A growing number of small businesses in New Jersey are self-funding or self-insuring their employees’ healthcare costs, and they are opting out of paying fixed premiums for traditional health insurance plans like...

New York Proposes New Rule to Crack Down on No-Fault Insurance Fraud

May 2 2012 // New York State regulators are expanding their effort to stop no-fault auto insurance fraud.The New York Department of Financial Services announced on Tuesday a new draft regulation, Regulation 68, that would make it easier...

Mississippi Lawmakers Pass Workers’ Compensation Changes Backed by Employers

May 2 2012 // Mississippi legislators offered sharply different views of a bill they passed Monday to change the way compensation is awarded to workers injured on the job, or to survivors of those killed at work.If Republican Gov. Phil...

Judge Rejects Strauss-Kahn Immunity in Civil Damages Lawsuit

May 2 2012 // A New York judge rejected former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s claim of diplomatic immunity on Tuesday, ruling a lawsuit filed by the hotel maid who accused him of sexual assault can move...

Geneva Association Reminds Federal Reserve Insurers Aren’t Banks

May 2 2012 // The Swiss-based insurance think tank Geneva Association has followed up on its recent report as to whether or not some insurers should be considered as G-SIFI’s (globally systemic important financial...

Oklahoma Governor Signs Firefighter Training Incentive Legislation

May 2 2012 // Legislation signed into law by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin will improve on a current training incentive for firefighters, according to the bill’s author.House Bill 1835 “changes the firefighter training incentive...