Latest Legislation Headlines

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

MODES OF INSURANCE REGULATION — WHO SUPPORTS WHAT?

Nov 20 2006 // H.R. 5637, the Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act, would:— Give sole regulatory and enforcement authority to the insured’s home state for the placement of surplus lines/nonadmitted insurance; — Create...

Democratic Congress OK for industry traditionally tied to Republicans

Nov 20 2006 // The new Congress may be blue on Capitol Hill, but insiders say that’s not necessarily a bad color for the insurance industry.“The more things change, the more they may remain pretty much the same,” said...

Power shift in the political landscape

Nov 19 2006 // With Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, we’ll likely see action on a number of insurance issues.Although it took a little time for all the votes to be counted, the 2006 midterm elections saw a wave of...

Power shift in the political landscape

Nov 19 2006 // With Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, we’ll likely see action on a number of insurance issues.Although it took a little time for all the votes to be counted, the 2006 midterm elections saw a wave of...

By Adam Friedlander

Nov 19 2006 // Some brokers have taken steps to protect themselves, asking clients to sign agreements to hold them harmless if they elect to obtain coverage from a trust. Their concern relates to the insolvency exclusion of self insured...

Conn. high court rules liability waiver doesn’t immunize negligent employer

Nov 19 2006 // Requiring a worker to sign a liability waiver does not give blanket immunity to employers if that person is later hurt on the job, the state Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled.The ruling said the waivers do not protect...

News Currents

Nov 19 2006 // Newcomer Sink, veteran Oxendine elected key insurance playersA veteran Republican Georgian commissioner and a Democratic novice Florida financial chief promise to play key roles in insurance issues in the Southeast in the...

Power shift in the political landscape

Nov 19 2006 // With Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, we’ll likely see action on a number of insurance issues.Although it took a little time for all the votes to be counted, the 2006 midterm elections saw a wave of...

Power shift in the political landscape

Nov 19 2006 // With Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, we’ll likely see action on a number of insurance issues.Although it took a little time for all the votes to be counted, the 2006 midterm elections saw a wave of...

News Currents

Nov 19 2006 // Calif. associations take issue with broker definition, OAL to weigh inThe California Office of Administrative Law (OAL) has decided to accept a petition filed by Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West (IBA West)...

Power shift in the political landscape

Nov 19 2006 // Although it took a little time for all the votes to be counted, the 2006 midterm elections saw a wave of Democratic candidates wrest control of both houses of Congress, gain a majority of the governorships and take control...

IIABA president: contingency commission crisis threatens agents

Nov 19 2006 // For a small- to mid-sized independent insurance agency, contingency commissions can determine whether the business survives, according to many within the industry.That explains why Alex Soto, a Miami agent who is also...

Democratic Congress OK for industry traditionally tied to Republicans

Nov 19 2006 // News CurrentsThe new Congress may be blue on Capitol Hill, but insiders say that’s not necessarily a bad color for the insurance industry. “The more things change, the more they may remain pretty much the...

The Locomotive That Drive the Insurance Train

Nov 19 2006 // The insurance industry’s excess and surplus lines (E&S) sector has experienced a pronounced reversal of position in the last 20 years. Once considered a mere adjunct, a safety valve for risks that were too hard...

Judge Allows Miss. Suit Against Agent for Lapsed Flood Policy

Nov 17 2006 // A federal judge has ruled that a Gulf Coast couple can sue their insurance agent for negligence after he allegedly allowed their flood insurance policy to lapse only days before Hurricane Katrina wrecked their home.Michael...

Conn. Agents Told to Brace for Bill to Ban Contingent Pay

Nov 17 2006 // Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Susan Cogswell has warned independent agents in her state that they should expect to see legislation to restrict or wipe out their contingent commissions.She said that legislation should...

S.D. Announces New Online Enhancements for Insurers, Agents

Nov 15 2006 // Insurance carriers, agencies, and producers will be able to connect with the South Dakota Department of Revenue and Regulation, Division of Insurance 24 hours a day, thanks to an agreement signed recently with a national...

Mass. Adopts ‘High Net Worth’ Exclusion for Insolvency Fund

Nov 15 2006 // Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) has signed legislation that creates a high net worth exclusion into the state law governing the fund that covers claims when an insurer becomes insolvent.A high net worth policyholder is...

Neb. Senator’s Driver’s Certificate Legislation Raises Questions

Nov 14 2006 // To combat problems created by uninsured drivers, Nebraska State Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island plans to introduce legislation next year that would create a driver’s certificate.The certificate would allow a person...

Mississippi: Judge May Consider Consolidating 1,000 Lawsuits

Nov 13 2006 // Six lawsuits against insurance companies over damage claims from Hurricane Katrina once set for trial in 2007 have been delayed by U.S. District Judge L.T. Senter Jr.Senter also says he is willing to consider consolidating...