Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Lawmakers Told Montana’s Workers’ Comp Costs Too High

Jul 10 2009 // A new study given to lawmakers shows that Montana’s workers’ compensation costs are among the most expensive in the country.The National Council on Compensation Insurance report says that Montana ranked near...

Legislation to Extend National Flood Program Introduced into Congress

Jul 10 2009 // Legislation that would temporarily extend the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) until March 31, 2010, was introduced into Congress yesterday. House Financial Services Housing Subcommittee Chairwoman Maxine Waters,...

Texas Supreme Court Rules for Insured in Appraisal Clause Case

Jul 10 2009 // The Texas Supreme Court recently upheld an appeals court ruling that favors the insured in a dispute over the scope of an appraisal clause in a homeowners insurance policy.Delivering the written opinion of the Court in...

New York Eases Compensation Disclosure Mandate for Producers

Jul 10 2009 // The New York State Insurance Department this week released a new draft of a rule governing when and how insurance producers must disclose their compensation and competing quotes to customers.The latest draft appears to be...

North Carolina Lawmakers Consider Cap on Damages in Adultery Lawsuits

Jul 9 2009 // A Senate committee has backed limits to a North Carolina law that allows scorned spouses to sue and collect damages for stolen affection and adultery. A Senate judiciary committee this week recommended a bill barring...

Florida’s Citizens Insurance Proposes to Hike Some Rates, Decrease Others

Jul 9 2009 // After three years of no increases, Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. is about to hike premiums up to 10 percent for many of its policyholders, although not for as many as some insurance insiders and...

Arkansas Workers’ Comp Commission Summarizes New Law

Jul 9 2009 // The Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission has posted on its Web site a summary of changes to workers’ comp regulations as a result of the passage of Act 237 during the 2009 legislative session. According to...

Illinois’ McRaith Named Director of New Department of Insurance

Jul 8 2009 // Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has named Michael McRaith as the director of the newly created Department of Insurance. As a result of Governor Quinn’s Executive Order 4, the Department of Insurance (DOI) separated from...

Rhode Island Court Rules Insurer Not Obligated to Defend Nightclub Owners

Jul 8 2009 // A Rhode Island court has ruled that a commercial general liability insurance policy held by the owners of the Station nightclub does not require the insurance company to defend them against criminal charges.The case arose...

New York Delays Medical Malpractice Rates Pending Lawmakers’ Action

Jul 8 2009 // Acting New York State Insurance Superintendent Kermitt Brooks announced today that he is delaying the setting of new medical malpractice insurance rates.He said the delay is to allow time for the Senate to respond to the...

Pay Consultants Face Ban on Providing Other Work for Same Firm

Jul 8 2009 // The Obama administration plans to detail as soon as this week new measures to clamp down on potential conflicts of interest between compensation consultants and corporate executives, sources familiar with the...

California Commissioner Rejects Workers’ Comp Bureau Rate Increase

Jul 8 2009 // Citing testimony that self-insured employers have been able to reduce overall workers’ compensation costs, California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has rejected the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating...

South Carolina Insurance Chief Faults Legislative Audit of Department

Jul 6 2009 // A report by the auditing arm of the South Carolina Legislature has concluded that the state insurance department overall does a good job regulating insurance companies and their rates but it could do a better job of...

Zurich Expands Cyber Security Coverage

Jul 6 2009 // Zurich North America Commercial enhanced and expanded a product that helps businesses manage the financial and reputational risks of cyberspace – the Zurich Security and Privacy Protection Policy.The consequence of...

Governor Vetoes Missouri Motorcycle Helmet Repeal

Jul 6 2009 // Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has vetoed legislation that would have relaxed a law that requires motorcyclists in Missouri to wear helmets at all times, citing concerns about highway safety and health care costs.The veto came...

Oregon Weighs In On Insurance Legislation

Jul 6 2009 // The Oregon Legislature adjourned the 2009 legislative session ended with a mixed bag of results on insurance issues, according to the American Insurance Association (AIA).“A number of costly and unnecessary bills...

New Rhode Island Law Saves Residents Money When Storms Loom

Jul 6 2009 // A new law could save homeowners money when a hurricane off the Atlantic coast churns up weather strong enough to damage homes in Rhode Island but never reaches the state.Legislation signed last month by Gov. Don Carcieri...

Judge: No Coverage for N.J. Manic Depressive with a Credibility Problem

Jul 6 2009 // A New Jersey woman who claimed her bipolar disorder was brought on by a stressful relationship with her boss is not eligible to collect workers’ comp benefits, a compensation judge has ruled.The case was brought by...

Florida Workers’ Comp Lawyers Retained Business After 2003 Reforms

Jul 6 2009 // After Florida limited the fees insurers had to pay to attorneys in workers’ compensation cases in 2003, attorney involvement in cases fell only slightly, according to new research.In fact, a significant proportion of...

People

Jul 6 2009 // Jeffrey A. Vanderpool has been promoted to senior vice president and chief claims officer at Sunshine State Insurance Co. in St. Augustine, Fla. Vanderpool has served as vice president of caims since he joined the insurer...