Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Texas Supreme Court Continues Onslaught of Coverage Decisions

Mar 24 2008 // Since last August, the Texas Supreme Court has issued a half dozen major insurance cases, many on issues pending for years. The Court recently heard argument in key cases involving the insurability of punitive damages in...

Feds Propose Changes to Flood Insurance Q&A for Lenders

Mar 21 2008 // The federal bank, thrift, credit union, and Farm Credit System regulatory agencies today requested public comment on new and revised interagency questions and answers for lenders regarding flood insurance.The Interagency...

Nebraska Lawmakers Sign Off on Multimillion-Dollar Settlement

Mar 21 2008 // Nebraska state lawmakers signed off on a nearly $10 million settlement between the state and the mother of a man injured in a traffic accident ago nine years ago.The Legislature gave first-round approval to paying that and...

Maryland Senate Revives Ban on Cell Phones, Texting While Driving

Mar 20 2008 // A cell phone driving ban that has been rejected many times by Maryland lawmakers — as recently as last week — is alive again and headed for approval in the Maryland Senate.But it’s still unclear whether this is...

Former La. Lawmaker: Restitution Cash from Insurance Co. Liquidation

Mar 20 2008 // Former Louisiana Senate president Michael O’Keefe, serving 19.5 years for stealing from a failed medical malpractice insurance company, said he and his codefendants plan to pay $4.7 million in restitution by using...

Update: Kentucky Senate Passes Mine Safety Bill

Mar 20 2008 // The Kentucky Senate passed legislation that would require coal companies to post their global positioning system (GPS) coordinates at mine sites so that medical helicopters can be given precise directions in cases of...

House Financial Chair Frank Calls for U.S. Financial Risk Regulator

Mar 20 2008 // The chairman of the House Financial Services Committee called Thursday for Congress to consider creating a “financial services risk regulator” with broad powers across a wide range of financial...

Kentucky Lawmakers Want Faster Med-evacs after Mine Accidents

Mar 19 2008 // A severely burned Ora Murphy lay on a gurney at a coal mining operation in the remote mountains of eastern Kentucky waiting for a medical helicopter to transport him to a hospital nearly 100 miles away.Problem was, no one...

City Officials in Oklahoma Seek More State Money for Roads, Bridges

Mar 19 2008 // Oklahoma municipal leaders have asked state lawmakers to support increasing state funding for transportation projects in cities and towns and said crumbling roads and bridges pose a public safety threat in local...

Some Nevada Lawmakers Seeking Review of Malpractice Caps

Mar 19 2008 // A health scare linked to unsafe practices at surgical centers across Nevada is prompting some lawmakers to press for a review concerning a voter-imposed cap on medical malpractice punitive damage awards.While most support...

Florida Lawmakers Propose Bundle of Bills to Make Roads Safer

Mar 18 2008 // Lawmakers are looking to make Florida roads safer with bills that deal with issues ranging from road rage to driver education programs.It’s not unusual to see a number of bills that tweak fines and modify existing...

Ohio County Judge Rules Statewide Smoking Ban Constitutional

Mar 18 2008 // A local judge has ruled that a state law banning smoking in public places and most workplaces is constitutional.Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Fred Nelson ruled Friday in the Cincinnati lawsuit filed against the Ohio...

Miss.: Scruggs Pleads Guilty to Trying to Bribe a Judge

Mar 17 2008 // Mississippi attorney, Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, used a mix of bare-knuckle tactics and country-lawyer charm to extract billion-dollar settlements from cigarette makers, asbestos companies and other big...

Louisiana Lawmakers Approve Millions for Road, Bridge Projects

Mar 17 2008 // Louisiana Lawmakers have approved sweeping interstate expansions and the repaving of miles of highways as part of their plans to pour more than half of a billion-dollar state surplus into transportation projects.During the...

Provost to Succeed Crouse as Chief Vermont Captive Regulator

Mar 17 2008 // When long-time regulator Leonard Crouse retires as deputy commissioner of the Vermont Captive Insurance Division in June, David F. Provost will step up to the post.Provost is an assistant chief examiner in the division who...

U.S. Court Rules Against Bear Stearns in Insurance Case

Mar 17 2008 // Here is more bad news for troubled investment bank Bear Stearns Co Inc: A New York appeals court has ruled that its insurers are not responsible for the costs of an $80 million settlement in late 2002 over the firm’s...

North Dakota Judge: Family Must Pay for Death of Teen

Mar 13 2008 // A judge has awarded civil damages of more than $881,000 in the case of a teenage driver involved in a Ransom County crash that killed another teenager two years ago.Southeast District Judge Daniel Narum ruled that Dillon...

S&P Report Examines Solvency II Impact on Europe’s Insurers

Mar 13 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services new report -“One In Four Of Europe’s Insurers Could Face Major Strategic Decisions Under Solvency II” – concludes that the regulations, which are...

Judge Tosses Insurance Company’s Lawsuit Against Robert De Niro

Mar 13 2008 // A California judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Robert De Niro by an insurance company that claimed he misrepresented his health for a movie role.Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. insured the film “Hide and...

Identity Theft, Privacy Addressed in Bill Passed by Okla. Senate

Mar 13 2008 // Legislation aimed at preventing identity theft and protecting the privacy of Oklahoma’s citizens has passed the Oklahoma Senate. Senate Bill 1745, sponsored by Sen. Randy Bass, D-Lawton, won unanimous approval.The...