Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
North Carolina Lawmakers Send Bill to Allow More Business Re-Openings to Governor
Jun 22 2020 // North Carolina legislators sent another bill on Thursday to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper designed to overturn parts of his executive order for COVID-19 that’s kept several types of retail businesses shuttered for...
Tennessee House Lawmakers Advance Broad Coronavirus Liability Protection
Jun 19 2020 // Tennessee would become the latest state to provide health care providers, schools and businesses broad protections against coronavirus lawsuits under a proposal gaining traction inside the GOP-dominant Statehouse. House...
Justice Department Outlines Proposed Overhaul of Social Media Immunity
Jun 19 2020 // The Justice Department on Wednesday outlined a broad overhaul of legal protections for online platforms such as Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Facebook Inc. if they deliberately promote illegal speech on their...
Judge Halts Limit on California Governor’s Emergency Powers
Jun 19 2020 // An appellate judge on Wednesday stayed a lower court’s order barring Gov. Gavin Newsom from issuing directives that might conflict with state law, freeing him to take additional executive actions during the...
New Law Expands Access to Medical Marijuana in Louisiana
Jun 19 2020 // More Louisiana residents will have access to medical marijuana under a significant expansion of the state’s therapeutic cannabis program that was signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards. The changes in the law,...
Air Safety Regulator, Boeing Made Mistakes on 737 MAX, Says Federal Aviation Chief
Jun 18 2020 // The head of the Federal Aviation Administration, Steve Dickson, acknowledged on Wednesday that Boeing Co. and the U.S. air safety agency both made mistakes on the 737 MAX jet, but rejected senators’ accusations the...
Lawmaker Wants Government to Require Masks for Airline Passengers
Jun 18 2020 // A U.S. senator said on Wednesday he was hoping for bipartisan support in Congress for mandatory rules on masks for air travel after the head of the Federal Aviation Administration again resisted calls for a mandate. While...
Judge OKs Addition of Louisiana to Spillway Lawsuits
Jun 17 2020 // A federal judge in Mississippi has approved Louisiana’s request to be added as a defendant in two lawsuits challenging the way a major Mississippi River flood control structure is operated. The lawsuits filed in...
California Orders Workers’ Comp Carriers to Return Premiums Due to Stay-At-Home Orders
Jun 17 2020 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today issued an order adopting emergency workers’ compensation regulations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new regulations go into effect on July 1. The...
$300M Small Business Aid Plan Signed by Louisiana Governor
Jun 17 2020 // Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has signed a Republican-crafted plan to spend $300 million in federal coronavirus aid to help small businesses recover from the outbreak, agreeing to a grant program that peeled off dollars...
Minnesota Lawmakers Push $300M Plan to Rebuild from Unrest
Jun 17 2020 // Democrats who control the Minnesota House announced a $300 million economic aid proposal June 15 for businesses that were damaged or destroyed during the civil unrest over the death of George Floyd. The legislation is...
After Veto, Louisiana GOP Lawmakers Try Again for Auto Crash Lawsuit Limits
Jun 17 2020 // Despite a veto from the governor, the Louisiana House has plowed ahead with a top priority for business lobbying groups, trying to lessen the money that people could win against insurance companies and businesses in car...
Liability Waivers Not Always Effective But Employers Take ‘Better Safe Than Sorry’ View
Jun 17 2020 // As businesses reopen across the U.S. after coronavirus shutdowns, many are requiring customers and workers to sign forms saying they won’t sue if they catch COVID-19. Businesses fear they could be the target of...
Vermont Governor Signs New Captive Insurance Industry Legislation
Jun 16 2020 // Vermont Governor Phil Scott has signed new legislation that aims to strengthen Vermont’s captive insurance laws, increase efficiencies and add flexibility to regulatory policy and procedures. “COVID-19 has...
No-Deal Brexit Would Deepen Economic Pain for UK’s Coronavirus-Hit Companies
Jun 16 2020 // Trade talks between the EU and UK have struggled in recent weeks, increasing the prospect that Britain departs the bloc without a deal and that businesses face an extreme shock when the divorce takes effect. It’s a...
Michigan’s No-Penalty Amnesty Period for Uninsured Drivers Starts July 2
Jun 15 2020 // Beginning July 2, uninsured drivers in Michigan can get insurance coverage without facing penalties during an 18-month amnesty period, state insurance regulators say. The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial...
Louisiana Governor Rejects Car Accident Tort Reform Bill
Jun 15 2020 // Gov. John Bel Edwards on June 12 vetoed eight bills passed by Louisiana lawmakers in their recently ended regular session, including the business lobby’s top priority, a measure to scale back damage claims against...
Judge Limits California Governor’s Emergency Rule-Making
Jun 15 2020 // A California judge has sided with Republican legislators who said Gov. Gavin Newsom overstepped his powers with dozens of emergency orders during the coronavirus crisis that changed everything from how public meetings are...
Judge Extends Time for Local Boy Scout Councils to File for Protection
Jun 11 2020 // The judge presiding over the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy has approved an agreement among attorneys to extend an injunction halting child sex abuse lawsuits against the organization’s 261 local councils until...
Unprecedented Arctic Diesel Spill Angers Putin and Could Force Green Reform in Russia
Jun 11 2020 // The mishandling of the biggest Arctic oil spill ever infuriated Russian President Vladimir Putin and could give a boost to the country’s environmental regulation. MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC, Russia’s biggest...
