Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Two Industry Opposed Bills Die in California Legislature

Jul 18 2005 // California’s SB 46 and SB 603 both died in the Legislature in late June, allowing insurers to breathe a little easy–for now.SB 46, authored by Sen. Richard Alarcon (D — San Fernando Valley), would have...

ALASKA GOV. SIGNS REFORM REGULATIONS BILL:

Jul 18 2005 // Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski recently signed 18 bills into law, including legislation to reform insurance regulations. “I was pleased to sign these important pieces of legislation into law,” Murkowski said....

New SOX Rules Don’t Fit Mutual Insurers for Size

Jul 18 2005 // For mutual property/casualty insurers, year-one SOX compliance costs would exceed $300 million.It’s obvious to us at the National Association of Mutual Insurance Cos. that there are crucial differences between public...

Alan A. Smith, Jr. is president/CEO of the Western

Jul 18 2005 // By Alan A. Smith, Jr.Many of our allies in the fight against the Garamendi Agenda were puzzled by IBA West General Counsel Steve Young’s open hostility toward the Western Insurance Agents Association’s...

Who’s Afraid of a Little Competition?

Jul 18 2005 // Ah, the traditional signs of summer-salt air, suntan lotion and that pungent smell without which no vacation trip is complete-the fumes of expensive gasoline. Although skyrocketing gas prices consume much of the...

Agent Leader Hits Hodgepodge of Disclosure Rules by Insurers

Jul 18 2005 // While insurance companies are calling upon state officials to coordinate their responses to the various brokerage compensation and other inquiries, independent insurance agents are worried about how the insurers themselves...

News Briefs

Jul 18 2005 // WASH. WORK COMP BENEFITS SEE INCREASE OF 0.6%: Workers currently receiving Washington workers’ compensation time-loss or pension benefits will receive a 0.6 percent cost-of-living increase effective immediately....

A Rare California Policy Success Trying to Survive

Jul 18 2005 // This month new workers’ compensation insurance rates went into effect in California. And thanks to reforms championed early on by State Sen. Charles Poochigian and Assemblyman Abel Maldonado, and later pushed by Gov....

Jul 18 2005 // Majestic Insurance Company announced the appointment of David Porter to the new position of marketing manager for Southern California. Porter has more than 25 years of experience in the industry. Prior to joining Majestic,...

Insurers Balk about Added Burden as N.J. Gov. Codey Signs Bill Restoring Consumer Advocate Office for 2006

Jul 18 2005 // New Jersey has brought back to life the state’s consumer advocate office that was killed more than 10 years ago.New Jersey Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey recently signed into law a bill that restores the Department of...

New SOX Rules Don’t Fit Mutual Insurers for Size

Jul 18 2005 // It’s obvious to us at the National Association of Mutual Insurance Cos. that there are crucial differences between public and mutual insurers. That’s why we oppose the National Association of Insurance...

PIA PUBLISHES ‘LEGISLATIVE REPORT’

Jul 18 2005 // The Professional Insurance Agents of Florida has completed its 2005 Legislative Report summarizing the provisions of recent legislation passed in the spring sessions of the Florida Legislature and has scheduled meetings to...

60-DAY NOTICE REQUIRED

Jul 18 2005 // The Alabama Hurricane Issues Task Force headed by Walter A. Bell, Insurance Commissioner, has recommended a new regulation that would force insurers to give 60 days notice to policyholders whose insurance will be changed...

Who’s Afraid of a Little Competition?

Jul 18 2005 // Five or fewer insurers control at least three-quarters of the small-group insurance market. This lack of competition contributes to double-digit premium increases for many small businesses and forces an increase in the...

Wis. Supreme Court Rules Med-Mal Award Cap Unconstitutional

Jul 15 2005 // The Wisconsin Supreme Court has struck down a law capping noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases at $350,000. The court voted 4-3, saying the cap was “unreasonable and arbitrary” and no...

R.I. Governor Blasts, Vetoes Beacon Mutual Expansion

Jul 15 2005 // Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri has vetoed a bill that would have permitted the state’s largest workers compensation insurer, Beacon Mutual, to restructure and expand into other states.Carcieri blasted the...

ACIC Opposes Department’s Proposed Homeowners Regulations

Jul 14 2005 // The Department of Insurance’s proposed homeowners regulations exceed the agency’s authority to adopt standards that involve underwriting practices, according to the Association of California Insurance...

Calif. Supreme Court Rejects Third Lawsuit Against Workers’ Comp Issues

Jul 14 2005 // Yesterday, the California Supreme Court denied the writ of mandate in a case filed by a group sponsored by the California Applicant Attorneys’ Association, the American Insurance Association reported today. The case...

PCI: Security Breach, Workers’ Comp Highlight First Part of Pa. Session

Jul 12 2005 // The Pennsylvania General Assembly recessed for the summer on Friday, but not before passing key insurance-related legislation involving topics such as the security of personal data and changes to the workers compensation...

Insurers Balk as N.J. Gov. Codey Signs Bill Restoring Consumer Advocate

Jul 12 2005 // New Jersey Acting Governor Richard J. Codey today signed into law a bill that restores the Department of the Public Advocate as a government watchdog to act on citizen complaints on insurance, utilities and other issues....