Latest Legislation Headlines

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

States Give a ‘Thumbs Up’ to Fingerprinting Insurance Producers

Sep 21 2009 // Don’t be alarmed, but there are convicted criminals roaming around the country acting as insurance producers. They could be robbers, forgers, possibly even rapists.They got their producer licenses in states that did...

Virginia Agents Present Award to Lawmaker

Sep 21 2009 // The Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia (IIAV) has given its Commonwealth Award to Republican lawmaker Frank D. Hargrove Sr. The award recognizes outstanding service for the insurance industry, independent insurance...

New York Issues New Draft of Disclosure Rules for Agents

Sep 21 2009 // The New York State Insurance Department released proposed new rules mandating how and what insurance agents must reveal to clients about how they are compensated in the sale of policy.The so-called transparency rules...

What to Know About Red Flags, Notification Laws and the Hi Tech Act

Sep 21 2009 // Data breaches have hit an all time high and with that have been a dramatic increase in new data security and privacy laws and regulations. Both state and federal regulations have been in place for several years with...

North Carolina Coastal Broker Ready to Ride Beach Plan Reform Wave

Sep 21 2009 // The Web site for Hanover Excess (www.hanoverxs.com) proclaims that the people at this North Carolina excess and surplus brokerage believe in the “pursuit of excellence while keeping a sense of humor.”David...

Colorado’s Pinnacol Defends Actions

Sep 21 2009 // Executives from Colorado’s state-chartered workers’ compensation insurance company defended themselves against accusations of lavish spending and excess profits during a legislative hearing and they told...

California Lawmaker Wants More Green Insurance Products

Sep 21 2009 // A bill recently introduced in California could encourage more ecologically friendly insurance policy products, putting the state again at the fore of pushing, and leading, for greener public policies.The bill, which has...

California Sets Rules for Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance

Sep 21 2009 // California has issued final pay-as-you-drive regulations, which will guide insurers offering consumers rates that are based on actual as opposed to estimated miles driven.The regulations allow insurers to offer discounts...

House Passes Surplus Lines Reform Legislation

Sep 21 2009 // The House of Representatives passed HR 2571, the Non-Admitted and Reinsurance Reform Act of 2009, on Sept. 9.The bill, authored by Reps. Dennis Moore, D-Kan., and Scott Garrett, R-N.J, will simplify the tax remittance and...

A.M. Best: New Regulations, Market Conditions and Financial Crisis Wreak Havoc on Workers’ Comp Line

Sep 21 2009 // Challenging market conditions, the financial crisis and the recession drove profitability downward for the U.S. workers’ compensation market in 2008.Changing regulatory conditions and reforms have also impacted the...

Feds, Regulators, Congress Eye the Future of Credit Rating Agencies

Sep 21 2009 // The nation’s insurance regulators, Congress and the SEC have eyes on credit rating agencies and the standards they must follow in the future.The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) said it will...

SEC Tightens Regulation of Credit Rating Agencies

Sep 18 2009 // Credit agencies will have to disclose more of their ratings history, and creators of financial products will have to share data with all credit raters, under rules adopted by U.S. regulators Thursday.The U.S. Securities...

Insurance Industry Facing Increased Regulatory, Legislative Activity: Study

Sep 18 2009 // Legislative and regulatory activity affecting the insurance industry has increased considerably in 2009 compared to the previous two years, according to a new report.From January to July 2009, more than 10,000 pieces of...

Kentucky Politician Charged with Ex-Girlfriend’s Murder Sought Revenge, Police Say

Sep 18 2009 // A one-time Kentucky political star whose reputation was tarnished by an ex-girlfriend’s domestic violence allegations told police of wanting revenge when he was arrested in a cemetery hours after she was shot to...

Leahy Bill Repeals Antitrust Exemption for Malpractice, Health Insurance Companies

Sep 18 2009 // Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. has introduced legislation to eliminate a federal antitrust exemption for health insurance and medical malpractice insurance companies.As the Senate prepares to...

Trial Date Set to Challenge New Texas Fraud Law

Sep 18 2009 // Recently enacted legislation that seeks to criminalize present day ambulance chasing is under attack by a small group of health professionals and lawyers who want to continue the practice, says the Texas Committee on...

Colorado’s Pinnacol Denies Need for Change

Sep 18 2009 // The head of Colorado’s state-chartered workers’ compensation insurance company is telling state lawmakers to leave his company alone.Pinnacol Assurance President Ken Ross issued a statement Wednesday saying the...

Lawmakers Eye Tornado Shelters for Trailer Parks in Oklahoma

Sep 17 2009 // Prompted by a deadly February tornado in southern Oklahoma, a state House panel on Tuesday examined ways to increase the number of tornado shelters at mobile home parks.Reps. Pat Ownbey, R-Ardmore, and Samson Buck,...

Oregon Tightens Regulation on Financial Advisors’ Sales Tactics

Sep 17 2009 // Oregon officials have filed proposed rules to better protect Oregon seniors and other investors from misleading sales tactics.The rules prohibit those who sell financial and insurance products from marketing themselves by...

Pitts Named Florida Workers’ Compensation Judge by Gov. Crist

Sep 17 2009 // Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has appointed Neal P. Pitts of Orlando as judge of Compensation Claims, succeeding Ivy Cream Harris in the Jacksonville district.Pitts, 55, has been a sole practitioner since 1987 and from 1983...