Latest Legislation Headlines

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

Lobby: Many Mich. Consumers Will Pay More if Scoring Ban Approved

Oct 20 2004 // Many consumers will pay more for home and auto insurance if a state-proposed rule to ban the use of credit-based insurance scoring discounts in Michigan becomes effective next year, a lobbyist for the state’s...

Garamendi Unveils Proposal to Protect Consumers from Undisclosed Commissions

Oct 20 2004 // Calling secret broker commissions a “serious problem that betrays the public’s trust,” California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi announced new regulations on Oct. 20 to require agents and brokers...

PCI Cites State Trade Group’s ‘Crucial Role’ in Regulatory Reform Debate

Oct 19 2004 // Ernie Csiszar, president of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, told the annual meeting of State Insurance Trade Associations (SITA) that State insurance company trade groups will play a crucial role in...

Md. Leaders Optimistic Over Med-Mal Session

Oct 18 2004 // Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich and top legislative leaders emerged from a meeting in the governor’s mansion last Thursday, holding out hope of a special legislative session next month to deal with a medical malpractice...

Judges Uphold TWCC’s Removal of Doctors from ADL

Oct 18 2004 // The Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission (TWCC) reported that a District Court Judge in Ector County has turned down a request for a temporary injunction from a Odessa-area doctor who was denied admission to...

AWCC Names Douthit as Administrative Law Judge

Oct 15 2004 // The Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission (AWCC) appointed Dale Douthit, a Russellville attorney, as its newest Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).The AWCC, administrator of the state’s workers’...

Federal Judge Dismisses Holocaust Insurance Cases

Oct 15 2004 // A federal judge on Thursday tossed out 20 lawsuits accusing an insurance company of not paying benefits to victims of the Holocaust. U.S. District Judge Michael Mukasey claimed the lawsuits are pre-empted by the U.S....

Mass. Targets Amusement Park Safety

Oct 12 2004 // Massachusetts would spend an extra $1.7 million to hire additional amusement ride inspectors, force ride operators to boost liability insurance from $1 million to $5 million and create stricter education requirements for...

Oregon’s Liberty Northwest Negotiated Tax Break

Oct 12 2004 // Nine years ago, private workers’ comp insurer Liberty Northwest struck a deal with legislators that it would pay no taxes on profits in Portland or Multnomah County, according to The Oregonian. Liberty Northwest is...

N.J., PA. SENATORS PROMOTE KIDS ACCOUNTS:

Oct 11 2004 // U.S. Senators Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and Jon Corzine (D-N.J.) have introduced bipartisan legislation to expand opportunities for young adults, encourage savings, and promote financial literacy by establishing investment...

N.Y.’s Serio Defends States as Federal Oversight Debate Begins

Oct 11 2004 // State insurance commissioners stood their ground last month at hearings in Washington where they opposed an expanded federal role in insurance regulation and withstood a withering attack on their performance from a leading...

Nevada, Oregon and Wyoming take Med-mal Crisis to the Polls

Oct 11 2004 // On Nov. 2, citizens of three Western states will decide whether or not to limit damage awards in medical malpractice insurance cases. Nevada, Oregon and Wyoming will join Florida as the four states to consider placing caps...

WCIRB RECOMMENDS 3.5 PERCENT INCREASE IN RATES:

Oct 11 2004 // At a Department of Insurance rate hearing in San Francisco on Sept. 15, the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau recommended that insurers raise workers’ comp rates by 3.5 percent in January 2005....

CALIF. GOV. VETOES SB 494:

Oct 11 2004 // Continuing to act on his pledge to improve California’s business climate and prevent expensive litigation and abuse by special interest groups, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed legislation sponsored by personal...

Nonadmitted Markets Open Options for Homeowners

Oct 11 2004 // Myths about the E&S market should not prevent homeowners from securing high-quality coverage. High-quality nonadmitted markets can provide consistent, reliable coverage for high-value and high-risk properties.Even...

Nonadmitted Markets Open Options for Homeowners

Oct 11 2004 // Even before Charley and Frances, insurers were fleeing the homeowners market for high–risk properties at an alarming pace. Over the last several years, large catastrophe and mold losses have caused a number of...

Nonadmitted Markets Open Options for Homeowners

Oct 11 2004 // Even before Charley and Frances, insurers were fleeing the homeowners market for high-risk properties at an alarming pace. Over the last several years, large catastrophe and mold losses have caused a number of insurers to...

Dusk Delayed as House Takes First Step Toward Extending TRIA’s Sunset

Oct 11 2004 // Regardless of whether George W. Bush is re-elected or John Kerry moves into the White House, the property/casualty insurance industry appears to have a good chance of getting its wishes when it comes to extending the...

Remember the Lessons of Hurricane Andrew

Oct 11 2004 // Due to efforts to rebuild the Florida property insurance market after Hurricane Andrew, most policyholders in the wake of 2004s more costly hurricane season should not face the same post-Andrew price increases or limited...

Pa. Judge Rules Public Has Right to Know Details of Medical Malpractice Settlement

Oct 8 2004 // Bucking tradition, a Lackawanna County, Pa. judge has ruled against a doctor who sought to keep the details of a medical malpractice settlement under wraps, saying that taxpayers have a right to know because they are...