Latest Legislation Headlines

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

News Currents

Feb 19 2006 // Colorado wants to form consumer insurance board to advise commissionerThe Colorado House has introduced a bill that would create a Consumer Insurance Board to provide policy guidance to the Commissioner of Insurance,...

SPECIAL REPORT: Commercial Auto

Feb 19 2006 // Unusual circumstances surround dropped sale of Universal UnderwritersMost failed company mergers remain a secret, except to a handful of insiders. That was not the case with the collapsed attempt by Zurich Financial...

PCI Urging Colo. Lawmakers to Reject Insurance Data Reporting Bill

Feb 17 2006 // The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) testified before the Colorado House Business Affairs and Labor Committee on Friday that legislation (HB 1330), which would impose extensive new data reporting...

Bipartisan Proposal calls for Elected Commissioner in Fla.

Feb 16 2006 // Florida’s insurance regulator should have to answer directly to voters, several lawmakers said in proposing a constitutional change to return the job to an elected Cabinet post from an appointed one.While being...

AIA Takes Issue with Mont. Democratic Party Comments

Feb 16 2006 // The American Insurance Association (AIA) on Thursday called statements by the Montana Democratic Party about former Montana Governor and current AIA President Marc Racicot “outrageous, shameful attempts to make...

Senate Kills $140 Billion Asbestos Fund Over Budget Rule

Feb 15 2006 // On a procedural budget vote, the U.S. Senate yesterday killed a proposed $140 billion private asbestos victims fund that has been years in the making. The final vote was 58 to 41, with 60 votes needed to keep it alive.The...

Pressure Mounts for Wash. House Leaders Considering “Wal-Mart bill”

Feb 15 2006 // Pressure is mounting for majority House Democrats in Washington state to vote on a bill that would force minimum health care spending by large employers, while some lawmakers suggested the issue could be left to the voters...

Iowa’s GOP Legislators Push Proposal to Cap Punitive Damage Awards

Feb 15 2006 // Republican legislative leaders in Iowa are hoping to cap excessive damage awards with a proposal that would slap a $500,000 limit on punitive damages assessed in medical malpractice lawsuits.Senate Republican President...

N.Y. Regulator Balked at Spitzer Deal Ending AIG Contingent Pay

Feb 15 2006 // Producers should no longer expect contingent commissions from American International Group, according to the recent settlement with New York Attorney General Spitzer and what the company says is its own global policy...

Kansas Agent’s Probation Revoked, Judge Reinstates Prison Sentence

Feb 14 2006 // Wichita resident Jeffrey Lopez, a former insurance agent, convicted of two felonies in 2001, had his probation revoked and was ordered to serve a prison sentence.Kansas Securities Commissioner Chris Briggs says that Lopez...

Okla. Lawmaker Says Fisher Conviction Shows Need for Ethics Reform

Feb 14 2006 // Former Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher’s conviction on campaign-related charges of embezzlement and perjury demonstrate the necessity of stronger ethics laws in Oklahoma, according to State Rep. Ryan McMullen...

PIA of Fla.: Lawmakers ‘Mulling Over’ Filings; Bill to Require ‘Loyalty Clause’

Feb 13 2006 // A “loyalty clause” prohibiting insurers from canceling a policy for homeowners who have been with a carrier for three or more years is part of a bill filed in the Florida Legislature by Sen. Ron Klein, D-Boca...

Colo. Wants to Form Consumer Insurance Board

Feb 13 2006 // The Colorado House has introduced a bill that would create a Consumer Insurance Board to provide policy guidance to the Commissioner of Insurance, gather and prepare information for hearings regarding proposed insurance...

Spouses of Deceased Workers to Receive Retroactive Benefits

Feb 13 2006 // According to the Workplace Health, Safety & Compensation Commission of New Foundland and Labrador (Canada), 58 women whose husbands were fatally injured before the Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ equality rights...

Colo. Medical Payment Bill Goes Down to Defeat

Feb 13 2006 // Legislation to force Colorado consumers to buy medical payment coverage was narrowly defeated Monday on the Colorado House floor.House Bill 1036, killed by a one-vote margin, would have required insurers to provide $5,000...

Judge: La. Homeowners Can Opt Out of Suit Against Murphy Oil

Feb 10 2006 // Terms of a class-action lawsuit against Murphy Oil USA does not prevent Louisiana homeowners from leaving the suit and settling their own claims stemming from the refinery’s oil spill after Hurricane Katrina, a judge...

Okla. House Committee Votes to Protect Agriculture from Frivolous Lawsuits

Feb 10 2006 // If you overeat and gain weight, you’ll have to rely on diet and exercise – not a lawsuit – to solve the problem under legislation approved by an Oklahoma House of Representatives committee.House Bill...

GE Insurance Solutions: Legal Reform Momentum Continues

Feb 10 2006 // Victories and defeats in the courtroom can impact the nation’s economy, with potential consequences for decades to come.GE Insurance Solutions has been tracking and shaping efforts to level the litigation playing...

Ohio Governor Outlines Proposals on Contracting and Lobbying Reforms

Feb 10 2006 // Ohio Gov. Bob Taft proposed reforms this week with the goal of ensuring greater transparency and fairness in state contracting and executive branch lobbying. Taft described the specifics of his proposal in a memo to...

Indiana General Assembly Considers Key Insurance Proposals

Feb 9 2006 // The Indiana General Assembly begins the second half of its 2006 session considering important insurance bills, according to the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies.“Key bills correcting an error in the...