Florida Surplus Lines Take-Out Bill Heading for Defeat

A bill that would allow surplus lines policies to directly assume policies from Florida’s state-run property insurer is all but dead after lawmakers tacked on an amendment that would require policyholders to sign-up for the program. The Florida Senate by a 21 to 18 margin approved the amendment that was added to HB 245, sponsored by Senator Garrett Richter (R-Naples). Approved by the Florida House of Representatives, the bill would allow surplus lines carriers for the first time to participate in the depopulation programs of Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

Oklahoma Advances Open-Carry Firearm Bill

Despite some concern that Oklahoma is returning to the “lawless days of yesteryear,” a state House panel has approved a bill (House Bill 2522) to allow gun permit holders to openly carry firearms. The House Public Safety Committee voted 13-2 on this week for the bill that allows those with a concealed carry permit to openly carry their weapons. It now proceeds to the full House

Beyond Golf: P-U-T-T-E-R’s the Name of the Game in E&S World

Bill Reynolds, Atlantic Casualty Insurance Golf could be called the go-to sport of the insurance industry, so it’s safe to assume that most insurance professionals know what a putter is – a tool for cursing and hurling to the ground after a missed shot, right?

Senators Renew Push for Cybersecurity Law

Leading U.S. senators introduced a cybersecurity bill on Tuesday aimed at safeguarding the nation’s water and power systems, which experts have warned often only have the most rudimentary protections against hackers

Uninsured Driver Bill Advances in Oklahoma House

Oklahoma law enforcement officers would have more leeway to stop those suspected of driving uninsured vehicles under a measure approved by a House committee.

West Virginia Lawmakers Urged to Hold Mine Operators Accountable

West Virginia must hold coal operators accountable for any negligence or misconduct to prevent another Upper Big Branch, the worst U.S. coal mine disaster in four decades, the state’s special investigator of that deadly 2010 explosion told lawmakers this week. The investigator, J

Businesses Oppose Proposed Ohio Fraud Legislation

Some Ohio businesses are opposing a bill backed by the attorney general that would create tougher penalties on fraud and give whistle-blowers a slice of the damages or repayments. The proposed legislation, known as the Ohio “false claims act” in a reference to its federal counterpart, would apply to any contracts issued by the state and the money paid out for them, the Dayton Daily News reported. The attorney general’s office depicts it as a way to provide incentives that encourage people who know of fraud to report it, but business groups like the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio Hospital Association contend it would open the door for more people to bring false claims in hopes that companies would settle and they’d get a chunk of the settlement.

Florida Lawmakers Reject Bad-Faith Reform Bill

Business groups in Florida saw their efforts to reform the state’s bad-faith law end suddenly for the year after a legislative committee voted by a one vote margin to kill a bill that would have placed additional restrictions on lawsuits.

Connecticut Law Nixing Legitimate Malpractice Lawsuits

After losing a baby because of an incompetent cervix, Patricia Votre thought she was well prepared when she got pregnant again.

Mutual Insurers Pleased with FDIC Rule Clarifying Dodd-Frank

Mutual insurers are pleased with a new proposal that makes it clear they would continue under state regulation and not be governed by the liquidation provision of the new federal Dodd-Frank Act.

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