Latest Legislation Headlines

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

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....

Big ‘I’ Says Reform Needed for National Flood Insurance Program

Jul 12 2005 // The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) praised the House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity for holding a hearing on the future of the National Flood Insurance...

Swiss Re Tabs Hall as VP and Regulatory Counsel for Govt. Relations and Public Policy

Jul 12 2005 // Swiss Re has named Debra Hall to the newly-created position of vice president and regulatory counsel, Government Relations and Public Policy. Hall, who is responsible for working with government and industry officials on...

N.H. Gov. Lynch Signs Big Changes for Small Group Health into Law

Jul 7 2005 // Surrounded by supporters, Gov. John Lynch this week signed into law a bill that promises to dramatically change the way health insurance companies set rates for small businesses in New Hampshire.Lynch said he was satisfied...

Alaska Gov. Attaches Workers’ Comp Strings to Budget Appropriations

Jul 6 2005 // Lawmakers made sure Angoon got a taste of the oil-wealth bounty in this year’s capital budget by earmarking money for a search-and-rescue boat, a fire truck, a snow plow and renovations to the community hall.But when...

CII Warns EC Directive Could Hamper Flood Risk Management

Jul 5 2005 // The U.K.’s Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) notes that “legislation to implement the EC Water Framework Directive could seriously limit our ability to implement flood management schemes in future.”The...

Conn. Treasurer Touts Turnaround in Debt-Ridden Second Injury Fund

Jul 5 2005 // Connecticut has eliminated the projected 20-year debt of its Second Injury Fund for workers’ compensation claimants in just six years by paying off the final $48 million late last week, the state treasurer...

No Accord by Ore. Lawmakers on Doctor Insurance Problems

Jul 5 2005 // Legislators have failed to reach agreement on how to ease doctors’ high insurance costs, so the issue may go before voters for a second time.“Neither side will give,” said Democratic Sen. Alan Bates, an...

Bill Aims for Ore. Taxpayers to Cover More Costs of Fires on Private Forests

Jul 5 2005 // Taxpayers would shoulder more of the burden of shielding Oregon’s private forests from fires under a bill that won approval from the Oregon House this week.The legislation, which now heads to the Senate, is an...

Standard & Poor’s Annual Insurance Conference

Jul 4 2005 // Top Corporate Executives Stress Moving Beyond SpitzerDespite recent adversity and scrutiny faced by the insurance industry, financial ratings for companies appear on the upswing. “For the first time that I can...

International Newsbriefs

Jul 4 2005 // EU Leaders Fiddle While Europe Burns: The crisis in the European Union, provoked when French and Dutch voters rejected the EU Constitution, is being largely ignored by Europe’s leaders. Instead of a bit of...

For Mutuals, SOX Rules Don’t Fit

Jul 4 2005 // Crucial differences between public and mutual insurers cause the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies to oppose the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ proposal to embed in state insurance...

FAIA ‘Roundups’ Analyze Florida Legislation, Its Impact

Jul 4 2005 // A summary and analysis of 2005 Florida legislation and its impact on the insurance industry, including detailed analyses of SB 1912, SB 530, SB1486, HB 501, HCB 6001 and HB 19 were presented to Florida Association of...

Disclosure, Marketing Dominate Young Brokers and Agents Conference

Jul 4 2005 // Agents and brokers must unite and work together so that their industry is able to flourish despite recent challenges involving broker disclosure, participants learned at IBA West’s Young Brokers and Agents Conference...

ACIC OPPOSES CREDIT BILL:

Jul 4 2005 // The Association of California Insurance Companies is opposing legislation which would eliminate rather than regulate credit-based insurance scoring, according to ACIC President Sam Sorich. The bill is SB 603 by Sen....

FEDERAL JUDGES ORDER CLAIMANTS TO REIMBURSE FEMA

Jul 4 2005 // Quiana Riggins and Lesley Johnson have been ordered by the U.S. District Court in Miami to repay the Federal Emergency Management Agency for funds they received after filing false hurricane damage claims.Riggins and...