Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Arizona Court Rules Workers’ Comp OK for Cops’ High-Stress Situations
Feb 28 2020 // An Arizona court ruling stemming from a sheriff’s deputy’s encounter with a shotgun-wielding man says law enforcement officers can claim workers’ compensation benefits if diagnosed with PTSD or other...
Congress Urged to Uphold, Not Override, State Privacy Laws
Feb 27 2020 // California Attorney General Xavier Becerra on Tuesday sent a letter to four top U.S. lawmakers urging them not to pre-empt the state’s new privacy law with a watered down federal legislation. The California Consumer...
Nicolopoulos Confirmed as New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner
Feb 27 2020 // The New Hampshire Insurance Department has announced that Chris Nicolopoulos was confirmed by the New Hampshire Executive Council as insurance commissioner succeeding John Elias, who resigned in December less than two...
Ohio Bill Would Lift Pain-and-Suffering Caps in Rape Cases
Feb 26 2020 // Proposed legislation in the Ohio House would lift caps on pain-and-suffering awards in lawsuits brought by rape victims. The bill introduced this month by two Democratic lawmakers stems from a 2016 Ohio Supreme Court...
Florida Carriers Seek Staggering Rate Increases Amid Market Turmoil
Feb 25 2020 // It’s no surprise that Florida carriers are raising homeowners’ insurance rates given several years of catastrophes and losses from litigation related to assignment of benefits and water damage claims. What may...
Judge Wants Questions Answered on Plan to Remove Capsized Ship in Georgia
Feb 24 2020 // A federal judge on Friday ordered attorneys for the U.S. Coast Guard and a maritime salvage company to answer detailed questions about plans to remove an overturned cargo ship on the Georgia coast by sawing it into eight...
Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Involving Firefighter Deaths in Delaware
Feb 24 2020 // A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Delaware’s largest city involving deaths and injuries of firefighters who responded to an arson. The lawsuit sought to hold Wilmington officials liable for the deaths...
But Wait. Here’s ‘The Rest of The Story’ on Buffett’s Lubrizol
Feb 24 2020 // In his firm’s annual report released this weekend, Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett included a side note on one of the companies his conglomerate bought in 2011 for $9 billion, a company called...
Kentucky House Clears the Way for Legalizing Medical Marijuana
Feb 24 2020 // After years of setbacks, medical marijuana advocates cleared a historic hurdle Thursday when the Kentucky House voted to legalize the use of cannabis for medical purposes. The measure won House passage on a 65-30 vote...
Hold the Phone: Massachusetts’ Hands-Free Driving Law to Take Effect
Feb 21 2020 // Massachusetts’ new hands-free driving law takes effect this Sunday, February 23rd. The law, signed by Governor Charlie Baker in November, is intended to reduce the number of distracted driving injuries and deaths in...
Judge Rules Army Corps Not Responsible for Harvey Flooding Damage
Feb 21 2020 // A federal judge has ruled the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers isn’t liable to damage to thousands of Houston homes that were inundated by two federally owned reservoirs in the days following Hurricane Harvey because...
Lawmakers to Introduce Bipartisan Bill Aimed at Internet Firms’ Liability Shield
Feb 21 2020 // U.S. legislation will be introduced in the coming weeks that could hurt technology companies’ ability to offer end-to-end encryption, two sources with knowledge of the matter said, and it aims to curb the...
California FAIR Plan Can Offer Only Fire Insurance, Judge Says
Feb 21 2020 // A fund that offers only fire insurance to California residents in wildfire-prone areas can’t be required to provide coverage for other hazards such as flooding or theft, a judge ruled this week. Superior Court Judge...
China Ends Two-Year State Custody of Troubled Anbang Insurance
Feb 21 2020 // China’s two-year state custody of Anbang Insurance Group Co., the group that became a poster child for private companies with too much debt and lofty global ambitions, is set to end this weekend. Authorities took...
Bills in Congress, States Seek to Curb Litigation Funding
Feb 20 2020 // Lawmakers in three states and in Congress have introduced bills to impose more controls on litigation funding companies, which insurers contend are one of the factors leading to an increase in “nuclear...
Suit Against Army Corps for Post-Harvey Flooding Dismissed by Federal Judge
Feb 20 2020 // A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers isn’t liable for flood damage to thousands of Houston homes after the agency cracked open the gates on two massive dams in the wake of Hurricane...
Salvage Firm Wants Judge to Halt Removal of Capsized Cargo Ship in Georgia
Feb 19 2020 // A maritime salvage company is asking a federal judge to stop the Coast Guard and a rival firm from carrying out their plans to remove a cargo ship that overturned five months ago on the Georgia coast. The multiagency team...
Justice Department Targets Internet Firms’ Liability Shield
Feb 19 2020 // Attorney General William Barr is taking aim at a legal shield enjoyed by companies such as Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Facebook Inc. as the provision comes under increasing fire from both liberals and...
California Commissioner, Lawmakers Intro ‘Hardened Homes’ Wildfire Bill Requiring Admitted Market to Offer Coverage
Feb 18 2020 // A newly proposed bill would clarify under California law the concept of “hardened homes” that are safer or more resistant to wildfires and then require admitted carriers to cover those homes. California’s...
In Houston, a City with No Zoning, Warehouse Blast Prompts Safety Debate
Feb 18 2020 // Houston’s lack of zoning restrictions has left many residents with neighbors they don’t want: petrochemical facilities and businesses that handle hazardous materials. That unease was laid bare again last month...
