Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Conn. Civil Union Bill Signed into Law

Apr 22 2005 // Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed landmark legislation this week that makes Connecticut the first state to recognize same-sex civil unions without court pressure.It joins Vermont and Massachusetts as the only states...

Powell, Ridge and Oxley to Address PCI Annual Meeting this October in Chicago

Apr 22 2005 // Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, and U.S. Representative Mike Oxley (R – Ohio), will be the featured speakers at the 2005 Property Casualty Insurers Association...

Okla. Governor Praises House Committee Approval of Comp Reform Legislation

Apr 22 2005 // Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry’s office reported that his efforts to reform Oklahoma’s workers compensation system cleared another legislative hurdle, passing the House Judiciary Committee. Senate Bill 846, which is...

Fla. House Passes HB1019, Asbestos and Silica Compensation Act

Apr 22 2005 // The Florida House has passed the Asbestos and Silica Compensation Act (HB1019), which requires plaintiffs meet specific medical criteria before they can pursue an asbestos or silica claim in the court system. The bill...

Calif. Sen Feinstein Reacts to Asbestos Compensation

Apr 22 2005 // U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) joined Senators Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), at a news conference recently to discuss bipartisan legislation creating a national trust fund to...

La.’s Baker Named Big ‘I’ Legislator of the Year

Apr 21 2005 // The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America bestowed upon Rep. Richard Baker of Louisiana the prestigious Gerald Solomon-IIABA Legislator of the Year Award for 2004.Baker, chairman of the House Financial...

Passage of Highway Safety, Terrorism Exclusion Legislation Highlight 2005 Idaho Legislative Session

Apr 21 2005 // Idaho’s 2005 legislative session was marked as much by what legislation was passed as by what was not passed, according to the American Insurance Association (AIA).“Idaho legislators and Gov. Dirk Kempthorne...

NAMIC Opposes Calif. Commissioner’s Proposed ‘Use it and Lose it’ Regulations

Apr 21 2005 // The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) said it opposes California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi’s proposed “Use it and Lose it” regulations.Garamendi alleged that...

AIA Pleased as 2005 Ark. Legislative Session Ends

Apr 21 2005 // The Arkansas General Assembly has completed its business for 2005, but will return for a formal and mostly ceremonial sine die adjournment on May 13, the American Insurance Association (AIA) reported.“AIA had two...

AIG Restructures Its Executive Governance, Adds 2 Outside Directors to Board

Apr 21 2005 // The board of directors of American International Group Inc., which is under investigation by state and federal authorities for certain accounting and reinsurance practices, has elevated public policy concerns and added...

ACIC President Responds to California Commissioner’s Homeowners Insurance Proposal

Apr 20 2005 // Calling insurers “dead wrong” for canceling or non-renewing homeowners who file a legitimate insurance claim, California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi announced new regulations to protect homeowners...

PCI’s Csiszar, Panelists Discuss Sarbanes-Oxley, TRIA Concerns

Apr 19 2005 // The Property Casualty Insurers Association’s Joint Marketing and Underwriting Seminar, held April 17 in St. Petersburg, Fla., had a baseball motif, “Hitting a Grand Slam with Marketing and Underwriting Tools...

Judge Sentences Former Miss. Deputy to 14 Months

Apr 19 2005 // Misrepresenting collateral used to secure a loan, submitting a fraudulent insurance claim and receiving the insurance payments has netted Kyle C. Ferrell, a former Jackson, Miss. Police officer and Hinds County...

PCI, NAMIC Voice Opposition to Sen. Specter Legislation

Apr 19 2005 // In a letter Tuesday to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) and the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) voiced their...

CA DWC Releases First Annual Report of Progress on Workers’ Comp Reforms

Apr 18 2005 // The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has released its first annual report of progress on implementation of Senate Bill (SB) 889, the law authorizing workers’ compensation reform passed...

Could Washington Be Listening to Small Business?

Apr 18 2005 // There probably are few American small business owners who could correctly identify the federal group whose primary job is to keep the president of the United States updated on the activities of government such as...

Pack Away Your Sorrows

Apr 18 2005 // An interesting confluence of recent events in Missouri very well illustrates the fickle nature of politicians when it comes to the regulation of insurance. First came a week of ceremonies in which brand new Republican Gov....

\Asked & Answered: Wisconsin Commissioner Jose Gomez

Apr 18 2005 // John Fogerty once sang, “I ain’t no fortunate son.” As the son of an independent insurance agent who forced me to work in the office while I was growing up, I can relate to the sentiment.Wisconsin...

Missouri House Votes to Tigthten Med-Mal Rate Regulation

Apr 18 2005 // JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.–The House recently passed legislation that would tighten regulation of medical malpractice insurers as part of an effort to bring down premiums for physicians.The 141-11 vote sends the bill to the...

Tougher Laws Key to Fight Against Insurance Fraud

Apr 18 2005 // How do you convince overworked state prosecutors to chase down often stale-sounding insurance swindles when their case files already are bulging with high-profile crimes such as drugs, robbery and murder?Insurance-fraud...