Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Diet Dr Pepper Is Not Promising Weight Loss, Court Rules
Dec 31 2019 // A U.S. federal appeals court on Monday said the maker of Diet Dr Pepper did not deceive consumers into thinking the soft drink promoted weight loss by including “diet” in its name, a decision that could doom a...
Puff, Puff, Passed: 2019 Marijuana Laws in Review and 2020 Projections
Dec 31 2019 // With 2019 nearly rolled up, it is time to exhale and recap the latest dose of marijuana laws affecting the workplace. In the last twelve months, Illinois became the eleventh state to legalize recreational marijuana use by...
Judge Overturns $15M Award to Ex-LA Times Columnist
Dec 30 2019 // A judge has overturned a jury’s award of nearly $15.5 million to a former sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times who said he was forced out of his job because of age and health discrimination. Superior Court...
Texas’ New Surprise Medical Bill Law Goes into Effect on Jan. 1
Dec 27 2019 // Some Texans will have new consumer protections against surprise medical bills when a new law becomes effective on Jan. 1, the Texas Department of Insurance reported. Patients get surprise medical bills when they get care...
California Man Choked Unconscious Can Sue Police, Court Rules
Dec 27 2019 // A California man can proceed to trial with a lawsuit against a police officer who choked him unconscious at a Las Vegas nightclub, a federal appeals court ruled this week. “It has long been clear that a police...
Texas House Committee Hearing on Windstorm Insurance Legislation Set for Jan. 15
Dec 27 2019 // The insurance committee in the Texas House of Representatives will hold a hearing on Jan. 15 to consider the state of rulemaking and other governmental actions with regard to legislation passed in 2019 affecting...
Long-Awaited U.S. Drone Safety Rules Call for Extensive Tracking Network
Dec 26 2019 // All but the smallest civilian drones would have to broadcast radio tracking data to ensure greater safety and prevent terrorism under a sweeping proposal unveiled by U.S. regulators Thursday. The long-awaited draft rules...
Notre Dame Fire Reveals Global Safety Lapse Over Dangers of Lead Dust
Dec 23 2019 // PARIS (AP) — It took a blaze that nearly destroyed Paris’ most famous cathedral to reveal a gap in global safety regulations for lead, a toxic building material found across many historic cities. After the Notre...
California Proposes Major Change on Auto Insurance Group Discounts
Dec 23 2019 // The California Department of Insurance on Monday released proposed regulations to reform how insurance companies offer group discounts based on occupation, education, and other arbitrary factors. If adopted, this would be...
City of London’s Unity Begins Cracking over Brexit Trade Deal: Opinion
Dec 23 2019 // Boris Johnson’s triumphant U.K. election victory makes Brexit a near certainty next month. For the City of London, Britain’s split from its biggest trading partner is a huge leap into the unknown; one that will...
Bipartisan Internet Privacy Proposal Calls for User OK to Share Data But Is Mum on Suits
Dec 23 2019 // A top House panel unveiled long-awaited draft privacy legislation that calls for limits on sharing consumers’ information and would allow users to correct their personal data. The draft, which also calls for the...
DuPont Asks Delaware Judge to Toss Chemours Environmental Liabilities Suit
Dec 23 2019 // The DuPont Co. is asking a Delaware judge to dismiss a lawsuit claiming that it massively downplayed the cost of environmental liabilities that Chemours would be saddled with when DuPont spun off its former performance...
U.S. E-Cigarette Regulation Has Been Delayed for Years
Dec 23 2019 // As the Federal Drug Administration pressures e-cigarette firms to stamp out youth vaping, the agency faces criticism itself for failing to rein in the fast-growing industry after years of bureaucratic delays dating back to...
Spending Bills with Flood, Terrorism Insurance Renewals Go to President Trump
Dec 20 2019 // The Senate yesterday went along with House measures that fund the military and rest of the federal government through next September. The government funding measure includes two provisions of particular interest to the...
Reuters Report: Why Big Business Can Count on Courts to Keep Deadly Secrets
Dec 20 2019 // In the dreary archives of a Newark, New Jersey, courthouse, Ronald Motley found a treasure map. It was an evidence log, a detailed inventory of documents and other exhibits that had been used in an injured worker’s...
Massive MJBizCon in Vegas Reveals Coverage Gaps, Little Insurance Understanding
Dec 19 2019 // If gawking at tons of cannabis-churning pieces of agricultural equipment winding around a quarter-million feet of convention floor space wasn’t your thing, perhaps access to an abundance of pre-rolls, or whiffing...
Airlines Liable for Hot Drink Burns During Flights, EU Court Rules
Dec 19 2019 // Airlines are liable for a hot drink accidentally spilled and hurting a passenger, the European Union’s top court said in a dispute involving a carrier founded by the late-Formula One motor-racing champion Niki...
Court Nixes Obamacare Mandate But Punts on What That Means for the Law
Dec 18 2019 // A U.S. appeals court ruled on Wednesday that a component of the Obamacare law is unconstitutional, but dodged a major ruling by stopping short of declaring that the rest of the landmark 2010 healthcare statute must also be...
Oklahoma Appeals Judge’s $465M Order in Opioid Lawsuit
Dec 18 2019 // A judge didn’t order Johnson & Johnson to pay enough when he said the company must pay $465 million to address Oklahoma’s opioid crisis, the state said in an appeal filed on Dec. 16. Attorney General Mike...
British Accountants Under Pressure to Do More to Detect Fraud at Companies
Dec 18 2019 // British accountants could be required to look for fraud at companies they audit under proposals made in a government-backed review of recent corporate scandals which went undetected. Lawmakers called for a shake-up of...
