Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Idaho Senate Votes to Ease Workers Comp For Firefighters

Mar 15 2012 // Senate lawmakers have endorsed a bill to better protect Idaho firefighters who contract cancer.The Senate voted 23-10 Monday to pass legislation that would help the state’s nearly 1,000 firefighters secure workers...

Oklahoma Tops in Prescription Painkiller Abuse

Mar 15 2012 // Sherri Carwithin was lying on the hardwood floor of her south Oklahoma City home when police found her body, clad in pajama bottoms and a T-shirt. Perched on her chest was her small dog, Patches, who growled at the...

How Workers’ Compensation Fared in 2012 Florida Legislature

Mar 15 2012 // While their debates over property insurance and no-fault auto insurance consumed the attention of state officials and the media, Florida lawmakers were quietly dealing with several other insurance issues including...

Vicarious Liability Ruling May Impact Education Insureds in California

Mar 14 2012 // The California Supreme Court ruled that a public school district may be vicariously liable for the negligent hiring, retention and supervision of a guidance counselor who allegedly sexually abused a student.And that ruling...

Idaho House: Private Insurers Should Set Up Exchange

Mar 14 2012 // Idaho House members voted 49-13 to encourage private insurers to establish their own health insurance exchange, rather than having federal or state governments set one up as envisioned by the 2010 federal health care...

Michigan Agency Plans Workplace Safety Rules Changes

Mar 14 2012 // A state office is making hundreds of recommendations to eliminate Michigan workplace safety regulations that exceed federal standards.The report released by the Office of Regulatory Reinvention aims to eliminate what the...

West Virginia Passes Ban on Texting While Driving

Mar 13 2012 // West Virginia lawmakers ended their 60-day legislative session over the weekend by passing agreements on fighting methamphetamine labs and targeting distracted drivers.A unanimous Senate vote and an 80-8 vote in the House...

Administration Issues Rules for State-Run Health Insurance Exchanges

Mar 12 2012 // The Obama administration on Monday released broad new operating rules for state-run health insurance exchanges, which form a key part of the 2010 federal healthcare reform law that will face landmark Supreme Court hearings...

Oklahoma Leaders Shelve Plan for Insurance Exchange

Mar 12 2012 // Oklahoma legislative leaders said on March 8 they are shelving a plan to comply with the new federal health care law by setting up a state health insurance exchange.In a joint statement, House Speaker Kris Steele and...

Missouri Senate Passes Workplace Discrimination Measure

Mar 12 2012 // The Missouri Senate has given final approval to legislation aimed at changing the state’s rules for lawsuits that deal with workplace discrimination.Senators backed the bill in a 23-8 vote along party lines, sending...

Florida’s Citizens Assessment Rate to Change Under New Law

Mar 12 2012 // Florida lawmakers have approved a bill that reduces the assessment rate of the state-run property insurer to give policyholders more time to retire deficits. The bill would also reduce the financial pressure on the...

Judge: NYC Could Owe Over $128M in FDNY Lawsuit

Mar 12 2012 // A federal judge said last Thursday the amount of back wages owed minorities affected by discrimination in the city’s firefighter entrance exams could be more than $128 million.In a decision, U.S. District Judge...

Florida Passes PIP Reform Bill

Mar 12 2012 // Gov. Rick Scott got the legislation he wanted to reform Florida’s mandatory motor vehicle no-fault law and crack down on the abuses in personal injury protection cases that have led to skyrocketing increases for...

Judge Combines West Virginia Slurry Pollution Cases

Mar 12 2012 // The claims of hundreds of Boone County residents who blame coal companies for contaminating their water supplies will be heard in a single trial, a judge ruled last week.Circuit Judge William Thompson issued an order...

Workers’ Compensation Bill Sent to Missouri Governor

Mar 9 2012 // Lawmakers gave final approval on March 7 to legislation that would expand the type of ailments covered by the state workers’ compensation system, a move that supporters hope will make Missouri more attractive to...

Judge Denies Claim Mississippi DUI Law Is Unconstitutional

Mar 9 2012 // Harrison County Circuit Judge Larry Bourgeois has declined to throw out the indictment in a DUI death case and dismissed a defense attorney’s claim that the Mississippi law is unconstitutional.The ruling was sought...

Captives Bring Premium Dollars and Jobs to Missouri

Mar 9 2012 // When it comes to the captive insurance industry, slow and steady growth is just fine with the state of Missouri. But it’s not like the state is reluctant to encourage captives to form or relocate there. Far from...

Florida House, Senate Differ on PIP Reform; Special Session Possible

Mar 8 2012 // The Florida Senate has rewritten the House’s bill aimed at reforming the state’s no-fault auto law, adding numerous provisions that are opposed by House lawmakers.As a result, there is a chance that the issue...

Ban on Texting While Driving in Pennsylvania Goes Into Effect

Mar 8 2012 // A new state law requiring Pennsylvania drivers to pull over and stop if they want to use text-based communications went into effect at midnight Thursday, although it remains legal to use a hand-held cellphone behind the...

Lawmaker Halts Effort to Ease West Virginia Motorcycle Helmet Law

Mar 8 2012 // Efforts to ease West Virginia’s motorcycle helmet law have been stopped short by the bill’s advocate, who pledged to fight for legislation making helmets optional next year.The Senate Transportation committee...