Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Kentucky Tries to Find Amish Buggies Compromise

Sep 21 2011 // A western Kentucky lawmaker is trying to find a compromise in the debate over a law that requires slow-moving vehicles to display a reflective triangle, a requirement that Amish men say infringes on their religious...

Bill Would Funnel Fines Paid by BP to Gulf States

Sep 21 2011 // U.S. Senators Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss) say they are hopeful that a key Senate committee will this week approve legislation to direct a significant portion of federal fines paid by BP for the...

Alabama Special Session on Home Insurance Possible in January

Sep 19 2011 // The special legislative session that Gov. Robert Bentley has promised on the affordability and availability of homeowners insurance could come in early 2012.The governor and the chairman of his insurance commission said a...

New Patent Reform Law Aims to Reduce Backlog, Curb Lawsuits

Sep 19 2011 // President Barack Obama signed into law a patent overhaul bill Friday that backers say will curb frivolous lawsuits and help the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office do the hiring needed to clear a huge backlog of...

People

Sep 19 2011 // XL Insurance has made six key appointments to its North America Construction team. The latest additions to XL Insurance’s North America construction team include:Lawrence Lejfer — Vice president and senior...

Mass. Court Rules on Joint Employment Under Workers’ Comp

Sep 19 2011 // Two employers can be held jointly responsible for workers’ compensation benefits for an injured worker whom they both classified as an independent contractor, a Massachusetts court has ruled.The Massachusetts Appeals...

N.Y. Agents Appeal Compensation Disclosure Ruling

Sep 19 2011 // Two agent groups in New York have filed a formal appeal of a trial court ruling that upheld a controversial state regulation requiring insurance producers to disclose their compensation.The Independent Insurance Agents and...

Judge in Louisiana Won’t Stop State Health Insurance Contracts

Sep 16 2011 // A Baton Rouge, La., judge has refused to block the state from signing contracts with three private insurance companies chosen to take part in Louisiana’s new health-care delivery system for the poor. In a separate...

Business Lobby Looks to Soften Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

Sep 16 2011 // The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has put reshaping a U.S. anti-bribery law near the top of its legislative wish list, setting up a battle pitting the powerful business lobby group against supporters of the statute who say it...

Florida’s Citizens Faces Critics at Public Hearing Over Sinkhole Rates

Sep 14 2011 // Florida homeowners came by the hundreds in cars and buses to speak out against the state-backed property insurer’s plan to increase sinkhole rates by an average 429 percent.At an unprecedented public hearing in Tampa...

Illinois Lawmakers on Exchange Panel Get Insurance Funds

Sep 14 2011 // The insurance industry is handing out cash to lawmakers who will play pivotal roles in setting up Illinois’ health-benefits exchange.The exchange is supposed to make health insurance more affordable for consumers and...

Judge Weighs Family’s Wrongful Death Claim Against U of Mississippi Football

Sep 14 2011 // A Hinds County judge says he will rule soon on a motion by the University of Mississippi to move a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a former Ole Miss football player to Lafayette County.Arguments were heard...

U.S. Report on BP Oil Spill Imminent

Sep 14 2011 // A U.S. government team investigating last year’s massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill will blame BP and its contractors for mistakes that led to the disaster in a report expected out as early as Wednesday, according to...

Federal Judge Rejects Health Insurance Mandate in Latest Case

Sep 14 2011 // A federal judge in Pennsylvania said the insurance-buying mandate in President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul is unconstitutional, the latest ruling over an issue likely to be taken up by the U.S. Supreme...

Keep Properties Open, Lawmakers Urge New Hampshire Landowners

Sep 13 2011 // New Hampshire lawmakers are urging nervous landowners to leave their properties open to recreation while they work to improve their liability protections.State Rep. Gene Chandler, a Bartlett Republican, and state Sen. Andy...

Michigan Begins Debate Over Personal Injury Auto Insurance Benefits

Sep 12 2011 // The state Legislature is preparing to begin debate on possible changes to Michigan’s unique auto insurance coverage for people injured in accidents.Michigan now is the only state in the nation that mandates unlimited...

Judge Orders Insurers to Pay in Delaware Diocese Bankruptcy

Sep 12 2011 // A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Friday ordered insurance companies to pay their share of a settlement with priest sex abuse victims that is the foundation of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington’s reorganization plan,...

Senate Committee Passes Federal Flood Insurance Reform Legislation

Sep 8 2011 // As many property owners continue to recover from hurricane and tropical storms Irene and Lee and new storms form offshore, the U.S. Senate is taking steps to renew the federal flood insurance program.Today, the Senate...

Mass. Court Rules on Joint Employers’ Responsibilty for Workers’ Comp

Sep 8 2011 // Two employers can be held jointly responsible for workers’ compensation benefits for an injured worker whom they both classified as an independent contractor, a Massachusetts appeals court has ruled.The Massachusetts...

White House Requests $5.2B in New Disaster Funds

Sep 7 2011 // The White House told Congress last week there’s a need for more than $5 billion in additional disaster relief money, not even counting the billions that probably will be called for to help East Coast states hit by...