Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Court Overturns Ruling on Auto Rate Settings

Dec 2 2004 // The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned a lower court ruling that would have reportedly given a single jury the power to set rates for auto insurance across the country.In the case of Gilchrist, et al. v. State...

PCI Supports NAIC Broker Disclosure Provisions, but Recommends Changes in Written Testimony

Dec 2 2004 // The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) supports provisions of a model regulation that require insurance brokers to disclose that they are acting as a broker and to disclose all sources of compensation...

Execs Predict Shift in Insurance Brokerage Compensation in 2005

Dec 1 2004 // A new poll has found that property casualty executives expect changes in the insurance brokerage and regulatory models to have fundamental and long-lasting effects on the industry, including downward pressure on industry...

S.C. Legislature to Discuss Insurance Fraud

Dec 1 2004 // During the past five years, insurance fraud complaints have grown by 61 percent in South Carolina, while the average U.S. family pays an extra $1,030 in insurance premiums each year to cover the cost of medical, auto, and...

NCOIL Releases Broker Disclosure Model in Effort to Address to Compensation Issues

Dec 1 2004 // In an effort to address broker compensation issues that have arisen as a result of New York Attorney General Elliot Spitzer’s and other state investigations, the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL)...

PCI’s Csiszar: Regulatory Reforms Needed Now More than Ever

Nov 30 2004 // The insurance industry, entrenched in controversy and hampered by a disjointed regulatory system, needs serious reforms in order to remain an effective risk-transfer mechanism for the U.S. economy, according to Ernie...

American Agents Alliance Welcomes Nigohosian as New Executive Director

Nov 29 2004 // The American Agents Alliance Board of Governors announced the selection of Ken Nigohosian as the association’s new executive director. Nigohosian was chosen from among a pool of the insurance industry’s best...

Conn. Accused of Laxity in Bail Bonds Oversight

Nov 28 2004 // A whistle-blower complaint has accused the Connecticut Department of Insurance of failing to adequately investigate and sanction bondsmen who illegally provide discounted bail bonds.State auditor Kevin P. Johnston said he...

Fla. Cabinet Issues Emergency Rule: Extends Moratorium to Dec. 31 for Unrepaired Homes

Nov 23 2004 // Gov. Jeb Bush and members of the Florida Cabinet have approved an emergency rule extending the moratorium to Dec. 31 and banning insurance companies from canceling or non-renewing insurance policies for victims whose homes...

N.Y. Superintendent Calls for Auto Rate Reassessment as Fraud-Fighting Successes Drop Insurers’ Losses

Nov 23 2004 // New York Superintendent of Insurance Gregory Serio on Tuesday announced the commencement of an immediate and broad-based review of auto insurance rates for private passenger vehicles in New York State.Insurance companies...

Speed-to-Market Seminar in January

Nov 22 2004 // To assist P/C insurers on improving speed-to-market, the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI), the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and InSystems are sponsoring a free seminar for...

PCI Asks Regulators to Put Caps on Budget Reserve

Nov 22 2004 // The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) urged regulators to show budget discipline and responsibility by capping the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) budget reserve at a...

Action Needed to Address State-Based Insurance Regulation

Nov 22 2004 // With the latest insurance industry market conduct problem, consumers once again see not only the failure of state insurance regulation to protect them but the refusal of state insurance regulators to take responsibility...

Texas Judge Strikes Down Rate Rollbacks for State Farm, Farmers

Nov 22 2004 // TDI, Lt. Governor vow to continue efforts on behalf of homeowners.A state district judge in Texas on Nov. 8, 2004, overturned mandated rate rollbacks in homeowners insurance for State Farm and Farmers insurance companies,...

SMART: An Opportunity to Re-Energize States

Nov 22 2004 // Through the State Modernization And Regulatory Transparency Act (SMART Act), Congressmen Michael Oxley, R-Ohio, and Richard Baker, R-La., have made a creative initial proposal to re-energize state insurance regulation...

NAIC Advances ’05 Budget; Vote Set for Winter Meeting

Nov 22 2004 // The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) last week advanced its proposed 2005 budget during a public hearing and subsequent meeting of the NAIC Internal Administration (EX1) Subcommittee, both conducted...

Ethics Agency Investigating Ex-SAIF Leader

Nov 22 2004 // The state ethics commission has launched an investigation into the lobbying activities of Katherine Keene, the former president of the SAIF Corp.At issue is whether Keene, who resigned in 2003, failed to register as a...

Industry Under Fire: Will Insurance Broker M&As Still Keep Pace’

Nov 22 2004 // Will pending investigations of insurance brokers halt the robust pace of the industry’s mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity? In mid-October 2004, New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer filed a civil...

Insurers Pleased with Results of 2004 Federal and State Elections

Nov 22 2004 // While most folks are just happy the political advertisements are gone, Election Day 2004 did provide some results of interest to the insurance industry.President George W. Bush (R) was re-elected for a second term,...

R.I. OFFICIAL SEEKS BAN ON FEES:

Nov 22 2004 // In the wake of the ongoing insurance brokerage probe involving bid rigging and incentive payments, Rhode Island Secretary of State Matt Brown is proposing legislation to prohibit insurance industry “incentive...