Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Pennsylvania Judge Allows COVID Business Loss Suit Against Lloyd’s to Advance
Oct 30 2020 // Lloyd’s of London lost its initial bid to squelch a coronavirus business interruption lawsuit brought by a Philadelphia bar and restaurant. Judge Gary S. Glazer of the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia turned...
Republicans Eye ‘Jackhammer’ to Reform Tech Liability While Democrats Grab ‘Scalpel’
Oct 30 2020 // Big Tech’s decisions to block some posts and videos while letting other content viewed as inflammatory proliferate have drawn the ire of Republicans and Democrats alike, raising the prospect that a 24-year-old U.S....
How Government Plans to Make COVID-19 Vaccine Free for Every American
Oct 30 2020 // Federal health officials Wednesday issued insurance coverage rules designed to deliver on the promise that every American will have access to free COVID-19 vaccines when they are approved. The regulations from the Centers...
Louisiana Gov. Edwards Rejects Legislation Giving Lawmakers More Emergency Power
Oct 29 2020 // Gov. John Bel Edwards has vetoed the centerpiece bill of Louisiana’s just-ended special session, a measure seeking to give lawmakers more authority in a governor’s emergency decisions, including the ability to...
Wisconsin DNR Wants to Raise Mining Fees, Require More Detailed Plans
Oct 29 2020 // Mining applicants would have to pay more for permits and licenses, supply more detailed plans to state regulators, and work around a new list of areas deemed off-limits under regulations the Wisconsin Department of Natural...
Insurers Again Battled Many California Bills, but a Fight Last Year Was Biggest Recent Victory
Oct 28 2020 // The election is nearly here, and while it’s been quite a year all around, things could have been worse for the insurance industry. When the year started, insurance industry lobbyists were facing a big battle, and not...
London Must Clarify How Far It Will Diverge from EU Financial Rules: EU Official
Oct 28 2020 // Britain must spell out how far it wants to diverge from European Union rules if it wants access to the bloc’s financial market from January, a top European Commission official said on Tuesday. Britain has left the EU...
Slabbert Succeeds Clementi as Chief Executive Officer of MS Amlin Underwriting Ltd.
Oct 28 2020 // MS Amlin Underwriting Ltd. (MS AUL), the Lloyd’s re/insurer, announced the appointment of Johan Slabbert as chief executive officer. Slabbert will take up the role on Nov. 1, 2020, subject to regulatory...
Twitter, Facebook, Alphabet Executives to Defend Liability Shield Before Senate
Oct 28 2020 // The chief executives of Twitter Inc., Facebook and Alphabet Inc. will tell U.S. lawmakers at a hearing on Wednesday that a federal law protecting internet companies is crucial to free expression on the internet, according...
El Paso Judge Imposes Curfew as Virus Cases Overwhelm Hospitals
Oct 27 2020 // Residents in the Texas border city of El Paso have been urged to stay home for two weeks as a spike in coronavirus cases overwhelms hospitals, prompting the state to dedicate part of the city’s civic center as a...
Judge in California OKs $78M Settlement by Air Medical Company
Oct 27 2020 // A judge has given final approval to a $78 million settlement by a medical helicopter company that was sued by its California flight crew employees over unpaid overtime and missed breaks. The decision last week by Alameda...
Insureds After COVID Premium Cuts Must Ask State Regulator First, Judge Rules
Oct 26 2020 // A federal judge has ruled that State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. does not have to return premiums to a small business customer because of the insured’s reduced business during the pandemic. The judge in Missouri found...
Big Tech Lobby Seeks EU Liability Cover to Tackle Hate Speech, Illegal Content
Oct 26 2020 // Big technology platforms are calling on the European Union to protect them from legal liabilities for removing hate speech and illegal content as government scrutiny over how platforms manage user posts grows worldwide. A...
Pennsylvania Justices Review Priest Abuse Lawsuit’s Ruling on Time Limits
Oct 23 2020 // Pennsylvania’s highest court on Tuesday grappled with whether a woman’s lawsuit on claims of sexual abuse by a priest decades ago should be allowed to proceed – a lower-court ruling that has launched many...
Judge Rules New York City Crosswalks Fail to Protect Blind Pedestrians
Oct 23 2020 // Most crosswalks in New York City violate laws protecting people with disabilities by failing to properly protect blind and low-vision pedestrians, a judge ruled Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer in Manhattan...
Judge in North Carolina Favors Policyholders in COVID-19 Closure Lawsuit
Oct 23 2020 // A judge in Durham County, North Carolina has handed down what may be the nation’s first dispositive ruling in favor of policyholders in a COVID-19 business-interruption lawsuit. Superior Court Judge Orlando F. Hudson...
Insurers Drop Appeal Against UK Court Ruling on 3 COVID Business Interruption Policies
Oct 22 2020 // Six insurers have decided not to appeal against a London High Court ruling that they were wrong to reject claims from holders of three business interruption insurance policies who have been pushed to the brink of collapse...
After Helping Shepherd Pandemic Loans, Banks Now Brace for Regulatory Risks
Oct 21 2020 // Banks that facilitated the U.S. government’s Paycheck Protection Program at first saw the effort as a small revenue booster with a patriotic bonus, shepherding $525 billion in loans to businesses slammed by the...
Applied Underwriters Sues California Over ‘Bad Faith’ Insurer Conservatorship Plan
Oct 21 2020 // Workers’ compensation specialist Applied Underwriters is suing California Insurance Department officials to halt a state plan its says would force its workers’ compensation partner California Insurance Co....
Trump EPA Saves Coal Plants Millions with Delay on Coal Ash Pond Closures
Oct 20 2020 // The Trump administration will let some leaking or otherwise dangerous coal ash storage ponds stay in operation for years more and some unlined ponds stay open indefinitely under a rule change announced last Friday. The...
