The Treasury Department's authority to preempt inconsistent state laws when concluding bilateral insurance trade agreements with foreign countries will be considerably watered down in final financial services reform legislation.
Before Congress and the administration turned their attention to health insurance reform, it was possible to believe insurers could escape rate regulation if they had the option of choosing federal insurance regulation over state regulation.
The House passed the wide-ranging Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009, drawing an immediate and generally favorable reaction from one insurance trade group and a lukewarm response from another.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has won significant changes to legislation creating a Federal Insurance Office, giving state regulators more say in its operations.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has won significant changes to legislation creating a Federal Insurance Office, giving state regulators more say in its operations.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has won significant changes to legislation creating a Federal Insurance Office, giving state regulators more say in its operations.
State regulators, legislators and even a consumer advocate group expressed alarm last week over efforts in Congress to usurp some insurance oversight power, warning that federal lawmakers are going too far in preempting local authority over the industry.
A proposal to allow the Treasury Department to enter into "international agreements" on solvency measures is drawing strong objections from state insurance regulators
Any legislation creating a Federal Insurance Office will include a strong role for the Treasury Department in negotiating international insurance agreements, the leadership of the House Financial Services Committee made clear.
The chairman of a key House Financial Services panel last night unveiled draft legislation creating a federal insurance regulatory office that tracks with minor omissions legislation submitted to Congress by the Obama administration.