On March 4, 2026, the Florida Senate approved Senate Bill 1028 (SB 1028), introduced by Senator Joe Gruters, which would establish both an admitted and a surplus lines clearinghouse for Citizens Property Insurance commercial policies. SB 1028, and its companion House Bill 943, were introduced on December 30, 2025, and have quickly made their way through both houses of the legislature. The Florida Legislature created Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (Citizens), a nonprofit windstorm and general property insurer of last resort, in 2002.[1]Read More Florida Clears the Way for Commercial Surplus Lines Placements
Insurance
Fifth Circuit Holds TCPA Does Not Require Prior Express Written Consent for Telemarketing Calls
By Brian Hays & Virginia Bell Flynn on
Posted in Insurance
In Bradford v. Sovereign Pest Control of Texas, Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held that the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) does not require “prior express written consent” for telemarketing calls that use artificial or pre-recorded voice messages. Instead, the court concluded that the TCPA requires only “prior express consent,” which may be provided orally or in writing.Read More Fifth Circuit Holds TCPA Does Not Require Prior Express Written Consent for Telemarketing Calls
Notable Professional Liability Insurance Decisions of 2025
Over the past year, federal and state courts across the U.S. have continued to reshape the landscape of professional liability insurance. From high-stakes coverage battles to nuanced interpretations of policy language, 2025 delivered a breadth of notable decisions addressing a wide variety of coverage issues that every insurer, broker, risk manager, and coverage practitioner needs to understand. In this report, we focus on topics we believe will remain important in the professional liability insurance field and hope you find the following selection of cases both informative and helpful.Read More Notable Professional Liability Insurance Decisions of 2025
Bill to Limit Classification of Insurers as ‘Systemically Important’ Receives Bipartisan Approval by the House
By William Barnard on
On February 9, 2026, the House of Representatives, in a bipartisan vote, approved H.R. 3682. This bill would place additional guardrails on the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) in designating insurance companies as systemically important financial institutions (SIFI). The FSOC was established in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, to identify risks to financial stability, promote market discipline, and respond to emerging threats to financial stability. A key authority of the FSOC is its ability to designate nonbank financial institutions as SIFIs.Read More Bill to Limit Classification of Insurers as ‘Systemically Important’ Receives Bipartisan Approval by the House
Amanda Crawford was appointed as the new Commissioner of Insurance for the Texas Department of Insurance
Amanda Crawford was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott in January 2026 to serve as the new commissioner of insurance for the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), officially stepping into the role on February 3. She succeeds Cassie Brown, who retired after leading TDI for four years.Read More Amanda Crawford was appointed as the new Commissioner of Insurance for the Texas Department of Insurance
Now Available: Surplus Lines Update Portal – Weekly Subscription
By John Emmanuel & Zachary Lerner on
Posted in Insurance, Reinsurance
We’re pleased to announce the launch of our Weekly Surplus Lines Update Portal, a comprehensive subscription service designed to help surplus lines carriers and brokers stay ahead of regulatory developments across all 50 states and U.S. territories. Navigating the surplus lines marketplace requires constant vigilance, and this portal delivers…
Read More Now Available: Surplus Lines Update Portal – Weekly SubscriptionNinth Circuit Holds that Texts Are “Calls” Under the TCPA But Embedded Videos Are Not Recorded Messages
By Brian Hays & Stefanie Jackman on
Posted in Insurance, Reinsurance
On January 13, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision in Howard v. Republican National Committee (RNC) offering two important interpretations of the applicability of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) to certain text message communications:Read More Ninth Circuit Holds that Texts Are “Calls” Under the TCPA But Embedded Videos Are Not Recorded Messages
Texas Will Have a New Insurance Commissioner
By Jon Gillum on
Current Texas Insurance Commissioner Cassie Brown announced this week that she will be retiring on February 2. Brown has led the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) for the past four years, and her tenure with TDI has spanned many more. Before serving as commissioner, Brown was the commissioner of TDI’s…
Read More Texas Will Have a New Insurance CommissionerConnecticut Insurance Commissioner to Retire
Posted on
Insurance Commissioner Andrew Mais will retire as of November 28, 2025. Mais was appointed as Connecticut insurance commissioner in February 2019. Governor Ned Lamont will formally nominate Josh Hershman to replace Mais in February when the Legislature is back in session. Hershman will serve as interim insurance commissioner beginning December…
Read More Connecticut Insurance Commissioner to RetireNew York Legislators Investigate Residential Property Insurance
What Happened
In a press release published August 25, New York Senators James Skoufis, Jamaal Bailey, and Brian Kavanagh announced a joint investigation into residential property insurance. The purpose of the investigation is “to identify the causes of reported increases in premiums and other obstacles to insuring new and existing single- and multi-family homes, including those occupied by homeowners and renters, and to identify legislation and policy changes that New York State should implement.”Read More New York Legislators Investigate Residential Property Insurance