No Surprise That Ransomware Insurance Premiums Are Increasing!

On December 31, 2021, New York Governor Kathy Hochul closed the year by signing into law the Comprehensive Insurance Disclosure Act (S7052) to impose sweeping changes to the rules embodied...

As artificial intelligence development accelerates and safety concerns mount, state insurance regulators are advancing comprehensive examination frameworks to govern AI use in the insurance industry. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners nears completion of its AI Risk Evaluation Supplement, which will establish standardized oversight procedures for insurers' AI governance practices across market conduct and financial examinations.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners intensified its regulatory focus on artificial intelligence governance, third-party data models, and cybersecurity oversight at its Summer 2026 meeting. Regulators are shifting from principles-based guidance to examination-ready supervisory tools, emphasizing that insurers remain accountable for the technologies and vendors they deploy. The meeting revealed how AI risk evaluation, vendor oversight frameworks, and privacy modernization efforts are convergin

Washington's Insurance Commissioner has announced significant amendments to insurance claims handling regulations that will reshape how insurers investigate and process claims in the state. The changes, effective October 2026, introduce new requirements for mitigation approvals, investigation standards, and claimant communications that could substantially impact insurer operations and liability exposure. These regulatory updates come in response to a surge in consumer complaints and litigation, establishing

A federal court ruled that CNA must provide coverage for Guidehouse's $7.6 million False Claims Act settlement related to cybersecurity failures in New York's Emergency Rental Assistance Program portal. The decision addresses critical questions about when insurers can deny coverage for FCA settlements under professional liability policies, particularly regarding exclusions for fines, penalties, and deliberate acts.

A data breach exposes thousands of customer records. An employee falls for a phishing email and wires $200,000 to a fraudulent account. A vendor’s compromised software infects your network.

Montana state insurance regulators recently raised a red flag about the increasing availability of self-insured limited partner health plans. As consumers seek relief from the skyrocketing costs of major medical insurance plans, limited partner health plans are rising in popularity, with Montana reporting that at least 12 companies now offer them in the state.

The Massachusetts Appeals Court examined whether an insurer's two-year delay in paying disability benefits constituted a violation of state consumer protection and insurance laws. Despite medical evidence describing the plaintiff's feet as paralyzed and functionally useless, the insurer repeatedly denied claims under a policy provision for total loss of use of both feet, arguing the plaintiff could still walk with assistive devices.

A federal court in Ohio has ruled that an occupational disease exclusion in a commercial general liability policy bars coverage for PFAS-related personal injury claims brought by firefighters against a manufacturer of firefighting equipment. This landmark decision could significantly impact how insurers respond to PFAS product liability claims and may extend beyond occupational disease exclusions to other policy provisions using similarly broad language.

A Florida appellate court found that an unaccrued and premature third-party bad-faith claim filed before a settlement or verdict against the insured is in direct violation of the nonjoinder statute ...

Governor Greg Abbott has ordered the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to immediately halt all environmental permits for data center projects, expanding a statewide regulatory freeze that now encompasses power, water, and environmental approvals. This directive establishes strict operational mandates requiring data centers to fully fund infrastructure costs, report all resource consumption...

The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) intensified its sanctions enforcement in September 2026, with sweeping actions targeting Iran's aviation and financial sectors, new Cuba sanctions regulations, and a comprehensive overhaul of its enforcement architecture. How will these expanded restrictions and the new presumption of denial for Iran-related licenses reshape compliance strategies for multinational companies and financial institutions?

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two new AI in employment bills that will go into effect as of January 1, 2027. These bills will limit and regulate the use of artificial intelligence decision making in the employer-employee relationship.

California Governor Newsom signed seven data center bills into law on September 21, 2026, establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework that takes effect January 1, 2027. These bills create new tariff regimes administered by the California Public Utilities Commission, impose extensive reporting requirements on data center operators, and establish water disclosure mandates and CEQA treatment protocols.

As U.S. utilities commit record capital to grid expansion, equipment procurement has emerged as a critical constraint. Lead times for transformers now stretch beyond two years, while material scarcity, inflation, and labor shortages compound delays across conductor, switchgear, and substation components.

Proposed IRS regulations would significantly simplify dependent care assistance program (DCAP) nondiscrimination testing by excluding employees who receive no benefits from the 55% average benefits test. This participant-only approach should reduce testing failures and the need for employers to cap highly compensated employees’ elections.

Texas has launched a sweeping investigation into hundreds of data center developments that failed to comply with mandatory water use surveys, marking the latest escalation in a seven-week regulatory crackdown. The state's actions have frozen permits, paused interconnection studies, and exposed projects to criminal and civil enforcement, all while the industry faces mounting scrutiny over its rapidly growing demands on electricity and water infrastructure. With multiple state agencies now coordinating enforc

Oilfield service firms responding to the Dallas Fed Energy Survey for the third quarter of 2026 reported substantially broader increases in input costs than in the prices they received. The input-cost index was 60.4, compared with a prices-received index of 16.3. Each index represents the percentage of respondents reporting an increase minus the percentage reporting a decrease.

California employers face new decisions about compensation arrangements following Governor Newsom's signing of Assembly Bill 1697, which postpones restrictions on employment-related repayment obligations and expands statutory exceptions. The legislation raises practical questions about whether changes already made to sign-on bonuses, retention agreements, and other compensation structures should remain in place or be reconsidered under the amended law.

Diesel prices have shattered records, hitting $6.529 per gallon nationally while distillate inventories plunge below five-year lows and are expected to remain there through most of 2027. With crack spreads exceeding $106 per barrel and global supply disruptions intensifying, fleet operators and oilfield services companies face mounting fuel costs that many existing contracts weren't designed to handle.