Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Consumer Group Criticizes California’s Rate Approval Regulations

Apr 24 2008 // A consumer advocacy group is condeming California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner’s action in issuing emergency regulations governing the state’s prior approval insurance rate system.According to The...

Vermont Considers Special Car Locks for Repeat Drunk Drivers

Apr 23 2008 // The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee says he wants Vermont to study special ignition locks for repeat drunken drivers that would require a clean breath test before allowing a car to be started.“My intention...

Judge in Mississippi Rejects Fraud Claim against State Farm in Katrina Suit

Apr 23 2008 // A federal judge on Monday dismissed claims of fraud in a key Hurricane Katrina lawsuit that accused State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. of using different engineering reports to deny a Mississippi couple’s insurance...

California Aims To Improve Insurance Rate Approval Process

Apr 22 2008 // California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has issued emergency regulations to clarify and streamline the prior approval rate system. The regulations are designed to make the rate filing process more efficient,...

Insurance Sector Ranks Second in Federal Political Giving

Apr 21 2008 // Corporations, industries, labor unions, governments and other interests spent a record $2.79 billion in 2007 to lobby in Washington, the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics calculated.The total represents an...

Tennessee Nixes Emergency Service Fees

Apr 21 2008 // Tennessee has a new law that stops cities from imposing fees for the cost of responding to motor vehicle accidents.The measure (HB 2547) was passed by the Tennessee General Assembly and became effective with Gov. Phil...

Federal Charter: A Future ‘Insurance Subprime’ Debacle?

Apr 21 2008 // The banking and securities industry is facing worldwide subprime mortgage-related losses which knowledgeable sources – including the International Monetary Fund — now suggest could top $1 trillion, according to...

Federal Charter: A Future ‘Insurance Subprime’ Debacle?

Apr 21 2008 // The banking and securities industry is facing worldwide subprime mortgage-related losses, which knowledgeable sources – including the International Monetary Fund — now suggest could top $1 trillion, according to...

Insurers: Colorado Bill Threatens Auto Insurance Savings

Apr 21 2008 // The Colorado Legislature is considering a bill that the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America claims would add bureaucratic red tape and costs to the state’s automobile insurance system. House Bill 1389,...

State v. Federal Fight Heats Up

Apr 21 2008 // In the face of growing economic turmoil, the Bush administration is calling for an overhaul of the system regulating the nation’s financial services industries — including insurance. The reform proposal announced...

World’s Weather as a Deranged Pinball Machine?

Apr 21 2008 // The 10th edition of the European Insurance Forum (EIF), held at Dublin’s Four Seasons Hotel and sponsored by the Dublin Insurance & Management Association (DIMA) April 7-8, focused on some major issues of...

White Papers and Blueprints: Agents Chart Their Own Regulatory Future

Apr 21 2008 // Insurance Journal‘s Editor-in-Chief Andrea Wells interviewed Robert Rusbuldt, CEO and president of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (the Big “I”), at the Big “I”...

Rep. Kanjorski: Feds Must Learn About Insurance Before Regulating It

Apr 18 2008 // A key Congressman involved in insurance regulation issues says that Washington does not have the knowledge of the insurance industry it needs to regulate the business and he has proposed a new federal insurance information...

Auto Exempted from Colorado Fair Accountable Insurance Rates Act

Apr 18 2008 // After more than five hours of testimony and deliberation on Colorado House Bill 1389, the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee has amended a controversial bill that insurance associations said would have imposed a...

California Judge Approves Ford Explorer Settlement

Apr 17 2008 // A California judge on Tuesday approved the settlement of a class-action lawsuit that will compensate about 800,000 Ford Explorer owners whose vehicles lost value because of a perceived rollover danger.The settlement ends...

Maryland Judge Rules Blogger Not Protected by News Shield Law

Apr 17 2008 // A Worcester County, Maryland judge has ruled that a Salisbury area Web blog publisher is not protected by a state law shielding news reporters from defamation lawsuits.The ruling means blogger Joseph Albero must explain...

States Tell Congress They Can Handle Insurance Regulation

Apr 17 2008 // State officials told Congress this week that they are making progress in modernizing insurance regulation and that further improvements should be implemented by them as the debate in Washington over whether federal...

Minnesota Lawmakers OK Compromise on Suing Home, Auto Insurers

Apr 16 2008 // The Minnesota Legislature approved this week a compromise bill giving consumers more clout in court when they disagree with their home and auto insurance companies.The legislation passed the Senate 47-15 and the House...

Agent Group Supports Resolution Opposing Optional Federal Charter

Apr 16 2008 // The Professional INsurance Agents Association of Ohio (PIA) recently testified before the Ohio House Insurance Committee in support of a resolution for Ohio to formally oppose any “new layers of needless federal...

Legislation to Expand Liability Risk Retention Act Introduced into Congress

Apr 16 2008 // Legislation designed to modernize the federal Liability Risk Retention Act (LRRA) of 1986 was introduced into Congress yesterday.H.R. 5792, or the “Increasing Insurance Coverage Options for Consumers Act of...