Latest Legislation Headlines
All the headlines from our Legislation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Bankruptcy Judge Approves $13.5B PG&E Deal with California Wildfire Victims
Dec 18 2019 // A U.S. bankruptcy judge approved on Tuesday PG&E Corp.’s $13.5 billion settlement with victims of Californian wildfires, and the company’s stock rallied as the utility gained momentum to emerge from...
W.R. Berkley Corp. Forms Captive Insurer in North Carolina
Dec 18 2019 // W.R. Berkley Corporation has formed Oak Harbor Reinsurance Co. (Oak Harbor Re), a protected cell captive insurance company, which was licensed by the N.C. Department of Insurance on Nov. 25. According to the North Carolina...
Judge Rules U.S. Army Engineers May Be Liable for Hurricane Harvey Floods
Dec 17 2019 // Hundreds of Houston homeowners near U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-managed reservoirs may receive compensation for flooding of their properties during 2017’s Hurricane Harvey, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. The U.S....
Government Spending Bill Includes Flood, TRIA Renewals and Obamacare Taxes Repeal
Dec 17 2019 // Congress is planning to use a $1.4 trillion package of two must-pass spending bills to repeal Obamacare taxes, raise the age for tobacco purchases to 21 and extend the U.S. Export-Import Bank for seven years, according to...
Judge Puts Hold on Enforcement of Arkansas’ Meat-Labeling Law
Dec 16 2019 // A federal judge has restricted Arkansas from enforcing a law that bans using terms such as “burger” or “sausage” to sell vegetarian and vegan products. U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker granted a...
Surprise Medical Bill Moving in Congress Could Help Insurers As Well as Patients
Dec 16 2019 // Congress is closing in on a deal that could shield patients from surprise medical bills, eliminating a source of frustration for Americans who face unexpected charges from emergency care and other procedures. The question...
Judge Approves $103M Settlement for Florida Bridge Collapse Victims
Dec 16 2019 // The families of six people killed, along with 10 people injured, when a bridge collapsed at a Miami university are set to receive a nearly $103 million settlement. Judge A. Jay Cristol, with U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Miami,...
Michigan Car Insurance Fee to Drop by 55% Next July
Dec 16 2019 // Michigan drivers who want unlimited medical coverage for crash injuries will pay $100 per vehicle starting in July, which will be 55% less than the record high $220 annual fee they currently pay. The Michigan Catastrophic...
Officials Say Regulation Standards Factor in Alaska Quake Damage
Dec 16 2019 // Assessments following Alaska’s enormous 2018 earthquake showed building damage was worse outside Anchorage’s safety area because of reduced regulation, municipal officials said. There was less structural damage...
Driver Privacy Concerns in Auto Insurance. There’s an App for That.
Dec 13 2019 // Apps that let you book a ride to work or borrow a car for your next vacation are feeding into a revolution in auto insurance — while also raising some privacy red flags. Data on everything from how frequently a car...
California Judge Allows Gender Pay Bias Suit Against Disney to Proceed
Dec 13 2019 // Walt Disney Co. failed to persuade a judge to dismiss a lawsuit by female employees who allege the company discriminates by paying male workers better. A state judge in Los Angeles found that the 10 current and former...
Michigan House Votes to Ban Drivers Under 18 from Using Cellphones
Dec 13 2019 // Drivers younger than 18 would be prohibited from using cellphones except for emergencies under legislation approved by the Michigan House. Michigan now bars drivers with a learner’s or intermediate permit –...
Judge Orders South Carolina Authorities to Protect Farmer’s Seized Hemp Crop
Dec 12 2019 // A judge is allowing a South Carolina hemp farmer arrested after authorities said he grew the crop in unregistered fields to harvest some of his crop and put the money in a trust as he awaits trial. The State Law...
Court Rules Events After Email Instruction Don’t Erase Claim for Phishing Loss
Dec 12 2019 // A $1.7 million email phishing fraud that included phone calls with a fake lawyer and an intervention by a Wells Fargo fraud investigator is still a fraud and Ironshore Indemnity is liable for the claim, a split panel with...
Johnson & Johnson Appeals Judge’s Ruling in Oklahoma Opioid Lawsuit
Dec 12 2019 // Attorneys for Johnson & Johnson have appealed an Oklahoma judge’s order for the company to pay $465 million to address the state’s opioid crisis. The company argues in an appeal filed on Dec. 9 that the...
New York Doors-Off Helicopter Ride Raised Concern Months Before Crash
Dec 12 2019 // A government safety inspector who saw a popular New York City, doors-off sightseeing helicopter flight operation six months before a fatal 2018 crash called it “unorthodox,” but officials thought they had no...
Southeast Insurance Chiefs Farmer, Altmaier Elected to Top NAIC Posts
Dec 11 2019 // South Carolina Department of Insurance Director Ray Farmer and Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier have been elected to the positions of president and president-elect, respectively, of the NAIC (National...
E-Cigarette Makers Lose Legal Challenge to FDA’s Regulatory Authority
Dec 10 2019 // U.S. rules for marketing e-cigarettes withstood a legal challenge by a maker of the devices and an industry group. A federal appeals court in Washington upheld the Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory authority...
India’s Top Court Reaffirms Content Immunity for Internet Firms in Google Case
Dec 10 2019 // Alphabet Inc.’s Google isn’t liable for defamatory content posted on its platforms after 2009, India’s top court ruled, reaffirming immunity for Internet companies in the world’s second-most...
Exxon Beats New York Claim of Climate Change Accounting Fraud
Dec 10 2019 // Exxon Mobil Corp. won a closely watched securities-fraud trial that delved into its internal accounting for the financial risks of climate change, a striking rejection of New York state’s claim that the company...
