Proposed Insurance Legislation and Rulemaking
Legislation is the slowest-moving and most consequential category here. This section follows bills while they are still pending: rate regulation, tort reform, coverage mandates and the notice-and-comment rulemaking that implements them.
- Report: Bill Proposes $300M Buyout to Privatize Pinnacol
Colorado lawmakers are considering a bill that would privatize Pinnacol, the state-chartered workers’ compensation carrier, in exchange for a $300 million payment. The company would remain the insurer of last resort for three years before the Division of Insurance contracts with another carrier. A separate ballot initiative would ask voters to separate Pinnacol from the state in 2027 for a $150 million payment.
- New NC Law Will Raise Certain Workers' Comp Benefits in 2027
North Carolina ratified House Bill 315 on June 11, 2026, and Governor Josh Stein signed it on June 22, 2026. The law takes effect July 1, 2027, for claims arising on or after that date. It doubles several workers' compensation awards and raises the minimum weekly total disability rate from $30 to $50.
- Illinois HB 5228 Signed into Law
Governor J.B. Pritzker signed Illinois HB 5228 into law, changing the Illinois Workers' Compensation Act. The legislation updates utilization review requirements and medical necessity determinations. It also makes other changes to the workers' compensation process.
- Chapter 187
Massachusetts enacted Chapter 187 on August 7, 2026, to further regulate insurance claims. The law bars property and casualty policies from prohibiting an insured from hiring or consulting a public insurance adjuster as a condition of recovery. Any conflicting policy language is unenforceable and must be removed.
- Bennet, Coons, Lankford Introduce Bill to Help Unemployed Workers Start Small Businesses - U.S. Senator Michael Bennet
Senators Michael Bennet, Chris Coons, James Lankford and Jon Husted introduced the NO BOSS Act to modernize the federal Self-Employment Assistance program. The bill would let laid-off workers keep unemployment insurance benefits while working full time to start a business. It would remove the requirement that beneficiaries be likely to exhaust benefits and clarify that business planning and feasibility studies count as entrepreneurship work.
- Kentucky General Assembly
Kentucky’s updated statutes include Section 51-010 on the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Compact, as reflected in the 2026 Regular Session database update. The chapter was last updated on August 13, 2026.
- Employer Guide to Colorado's Newest Workplace Laws ...
Colorado enacted new workers’ compensation rules under SB 093 and SB 175. For construction projects over $1 million, permit applicants must verify coverage for themselves and subcontractors before work begins, and complaints can be filed with the state. The EMF revision law takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
- California Bill to Subsidize Post-Production Advances as Commercials Bill Dies
A California bill to subsidize post-production advances cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee on a 5-1 vote. It now heads to the Senate floor. A separate bill, AB 2403, to create a $15 million subsidy for commercial production was held and will not advance this year.
- Workers Compensation News: page 94 | WorkCompCentral
Georgia lawmakers introduced HB 1119 to change how prescription drugs are provided and reimbursed under workers' compensation. California AB 1683 would indefinitely extend employers’ use of prepaid debit cards to pay indemnity benefits. Georgia HB 1071 would add workplace safety requirements for extreme heat.
- California Advances Bill to Expand Antitrust Enforcement Law
A California bill would expand the Cartwright Act to cover conduct by individual companies. The law now focuses on anticompetitive conduct by two or more companies. The measure was sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
- SB 5217 Washington State Legislature - Bills
Washington lawmakers passed SB 5217, which expands pregnancy-related accommodations. Gov. signed the bill on May 20, 2025, and it became Chapter 379 of the 2025 Laws. The measure takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
- Workers' comp law could raise employer costs
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed House Bill 5228 on Aug. 7, taking effect immediately. The law adds a surcharge to the annual Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission Operations Fund fee and new limits on employer liability. A watchdog said the surcharge totals $7 million and rises 3.5% each year.
- More insurance changes are in store from the Legislature
Florida lawmakers unanimously passed two bills after approving two rounds of property insurance reforms last year. The measures would expand state insurance regulators’ authority to review claims handling and punish bad actors. Another bill approved by both chambers would restrict foreign principals from China and six other foreign countries of concern from buying property within 10 miles of military installations or critical infrastructure.
- Nevada Workers' Comp Law Changes 2026 | KTL
Nevada Senate Bill 317, passed in 2025, updates the state’s industrial insurance statutes with changes that phase in through 2027. The law creates graduated penalties from $375 to $3,000 for repeat violations, shortens claim-handling deadlines, raises a benefit maximum in October 2026, and adds a prescription drug formulary in 2027. It does not change Nevada’s workers’ compensation coverage mandate for most employers with one or more employees.
- NJ A4560 - New Jersey 2026-2027 Regular Session | LegiPlex
New Jersey Assembly Bill A4560 would create a Joint Blue Ribbon Task Force on the Impacts of Climate Change on Property Insurance. The task force would study how climate change affects the availability and affordability of residential and commercial property insurance, including flooding, sea level rise, wildfires and storms. The bill does not change rates or coverage, but would require a formal report to the governor and legislature.
- Georgia HB 1021: New Rideshare Insurance Law Explained
Georgia House Bill 1021 takes effect July 1, 2026, and requires transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft to carry at least $1 million in primary liability insurance. The coverage applies when a driver has accepted a ride or delivery request and is traveling to pick up, transporting a passenger, or completing a delivery. The law works with O.C.G.A. § 33-1-24, effective Jan. 1, 2026, to clarify coverage during each stage of a rideshare trip.
- Pritzker signs bills allowing state to review insurance rate hikes
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation Tuesday giving the Illinois Department of Insurance authority to review and approve rate changes for homeowners and auto policies. The laws, effective July 1, 2027, bar excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory rates and prohibit shifting out-of-state losses onto Illinois consumers. Homeowners rate hikes above 10% require 60 days' notice; auto hikes above 10% require 30 days.
- First Banking. Now Insurance. Congress Expands Its Cannabis Finance Agenda. - IgniteIt | Cannabis Market Insights & News Platform
Sens. Kevin Cramer and Ruben Gallego introduced the CLAIM Act to create a federal safe harbor for insurers, brokers and agents covering cannabis businesses operating legally under state law. The bill would bar adverse federal action based solely on cannabis-related coverage and direct the GAO to study barriers facing minority- and women-owned cannabis businesses. It is the fourth straight Congress to see a similar proposal.
- NH Insurance Department Enacts Five Priority Bills
The New Hampshire Insurance Department said all five of its legislative requests became law in the 2026 session. The measures cover self-funded plan claims data access, health care cost transparency, insurance assessment credits, technical corrections to insurance law, and a home damage mitigation and resiliency program.…
- House Committees Advance Prior Authorization Bill
The House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees advanced the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, H.R. 3514, on July 23, 2026. The bill would make permanent CMS prior authorization rules for Medicare Advantage plans and add transparency, electronic standardization and accountability measures. It also expands prior authorization transparency requirements for group, individual and self-funded health plans.
- 2026 Rhode Island Legislative Update
Rhode Island enacted several insurance changes in 2026, including a new 180-day notice rule for producer compensation changes. The state also passed a 60-day notice requirement for homeowners and dwelling policy non-renewals, a mandatory optional underinsured motorist property damage coverage, and a total-loss threshold raised to 85%. Lawmakers also created a 16-member study commission on condominium laws and insurance issues.
- Bipartisan Senators File Bill to Shield Cannabis Insurers from Federal Penalties
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators filed the Cannabis Insurance Protection Act on July 22, 2026 to shield insurers and other financial institutions from federal penalties for serving state-legal cannabis businesses. The bill would bar federal regulators from punishing insurers that cover licensed cannabis operators and would apply to general liability, property, workers’ compensation and related commercial products.…
- A new bill would allow insurers to track your driving habits
California Assemblymember Tina McKinnor introduced the Consumer Driving Data Protection Act, a state bill allowing auto insurers to track speed, braking, and phone use via telematics for drivers who opt in, promising lower premiums for safer habits. Privacy and consumer advocates warn the proposal forces motorists to choose between data protection and affordable coverage, challenging Proposition 103 rules relying on tickets and crashes.…