Latest Legislation Headlines

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

New Law Requires Insurers to Provide Consumer Bill of Rights

Jan 30 2001 // A new law went into effect Jan. 1, 2001, requiring insurers to provide insureds with an Auto Body Repair Consumer Bill of Rights. All insurers that issue automobile liability or collision policies must distribute the...

Insurers Cite Data Limits on Vehicle Defects

Jan 26 2001 // Four insurance trade associations have said they cannot supply data to federal safety regulators that will indicate whether certain passenger vehicles pose a potential danger to consumers. In a joint statement filed last...

AIG Indian Joint Venture License Approved

Jan 24 2001 // American International Group announced that it has received approval from the Indian Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority to establish a joint venture with the Tata Group “to market commercial and personal...

Modernized Surplus Lines Regs Expected to Make Filing Easier

Jan 22 2001 // New surplus lines regulations went into effect in Texas on Dec. 12, 2000, the result of a request by the Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas. The changes mark the first update to the regulations in more than 10 years...

Judge OKs Amended Icahn Offer

Jan 16 2001 // A federal judge ruled Friday that investor Carl Icahn can proceed with his tender offer for a portion of Reliance Group Holding’s debt. The offer will be subject to several amendments, however. The offer must include...

Washington Insurance Commissioner Seeks to Resolve Past Political Bickering

Jan 16 2001 // Newly elected Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler wants to regain some powers stripped away by lawmakers peeved at predecessor Deborah Senn, Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News service has reported. Kreidler...

Judge Blocks ICAHN Tender for Reliance Group Bonds

Jan 9 2001 // A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked Carl Icahn from proceeding with his tender offer for bonds of Reliance Group Holdings Inc. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of...

Minnesota Agents Association Floats Legislative Collective Bargaining Draft; Seeks Input

Jan 8 2001 // In 1900, Texas independent agents approved a plan to unionize. The plan eventually faltered at the national level, but now, more than a century later, Minnesota agents are floating a similar idea. The board of directors of...

A Legislative Preview for the 77th Session of the Texas Congress

Jan 8 2001 // Now that the presidential election saga has come to a close and a new governor and lieutenant governor are in place, the new guard at the Texas capitol has begun making decisions and appointments for the upcoming 77th...

Welcome to our First Ever

Jan 8 2001 // The demarcation between years always seems to take on a contemplative aspect. We look back to where we’ve been, and then look forward to weigh our expectations. Will the market continue to harden? Will the dot-coms...

U.S. Lawmakers to Create Broad New Financial Panel

Jan 3 2001 // The House Rules Committee has proposed establishing a new Committee on Financial Services, abolishing the Committee on Banking and shifting securities and insurance issues from the Commerce Committee to the new forum. The...

New York DOI Codifies Statutory Accounting Principles

Jan 2 2001 // New York Superintendent of Insurance Neil D. Levin announced the adoption of a new regulation implementing a codification of statutory accounting principles for insurers. The purpose of the codification is to enhance the...

Calif. Appeals Court Ruling Nullifies Prop. 103 Provisions

Jan 2 2001 // A California appeals court ruled Friday that auto insurers can calculate premiums based on where a customer lives, a ruling that could result in a California Supreme Court showdown. The decision from the 1st District Court...

Calif. Court Rules Legal Malpractice Suits Can Extend to Public Defenders

Dec 21 2000 // The California Supreme Court ruled on Dec. 18 that public defenders can face malpractice lawsuits, much the same as private defense lawyers. Public defenders, who represent the poor, do not have the same immunity to...

Minnesota Agents Draft Collective Bargaining Legislation

Dec 20 2000 // The board of directors of the Minnesota Independent Insurance Agents has drafted legislation for possible introduction in the state legislature this January that would permit agents to collectively bargain the terms and...

Australia May Welcome More Captives

Dec 13 2000 // Some new proposals put forth by the Australian insurance industry may mean increases in the number of captive insurers choosing to domicile there, and the return of companies that have gone offshore to Singapore, Bermuda...

Judge’s Dismissal of U.S. Lawsuits Conditioned on Holocaust Payments

Dec 12 2000 // U.S. Judge Michael Mukasey ordered a conditional dismissal of lawsuits brought by Holocaust survivors and their families against several German insurers, who have failed to pay claims from Nazi-era insurance policies.The...

Maryland Judge Rules on GAMHC Assets

Dec 11 2000 // Cole County Circuit Judge Thomas J. Brown issued an order setting rules on how to distribute $1.2 billion in proceeds from the sale of General American Mutual Holding Co.’s (GAMHC) assets to MetLife.As a mutual...

Fremont Downgraded, Under CDI’s Supervison

Dec 11 2000 // Fremont General Corp. and related entities are now under the increased regulatory oversight of the California Department of Insurance (CDI), and the three big rating organizations are not taking this as a good sign. A.M....

Commercial Dereg Bill Passes in D.C.

Dec 7 2000 // Legislation to reduce government regulation of commercial insurance in Washington, D.C. achieved final passage Tuesday through a unanimous vote of the District of Columbia Council. The Insurance Trade and Economic...