Latest news with #HB439
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Louisiana lawmakers spar over attorney penalties in proposed insurance bill
BATON ROUGE, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Business owners and legislators testified before the Louisiana Legislature's Civil Law and Procedure Committee in support of several bills related to vehicle crash litigation. The bills introduced in committee covered many proposed changes to present law that would favor claimants and business owners in civil actions related to crash settlements and lawsuits in Louisiana. More Louisiana News Representative Troy Hebert shared a personal story about a minor crash involving his daughter and another driver. During testimony, Hebert said nearly a year after the accident, he was notified that the other driver had filed a lawsuit. He also shared that his insurer had advised him that the woman had received a personal injury settlement that year. Hebert's bill HB439 would put a 10% cap on contingency fees that can be charged by an attorney. The discourse between Hebert and many of the lawmakers became a little contentious as they discussed the portion of the proposed law that would subject attorneys to sanctions and disciplinary review. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NC House committee approves two more concealed weapon bills
(Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/NJ Monitor) The North Carolina House Judiciary 2 Committee voted Tuesday afternoon to advance two bills targeting the regulation of concealed weapons, moving them along to the House Rules Committee. House Bill 427, 'CCW Permit/No Records Provided,' pertains to the mental health of an applicant for a concealed handgun permit — the latest in a number of measures aiming to alter the regulation of guns and concealed carry. Its primary sponsors are Reps. Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Pamlico), Ben Moss (R-Moore, Richmond), Joseph Pike (R-Harnett), and Bill Ward (R-Camden, Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank). At the moment, North Carolina law requires the disclosure of records concerning the mental health or capacity of applicants for concealed handgun permits. This bill would modify the law to ask for a 'yes' or 'no' statement indicating whether the applicant has been diagnosed by a medical professional with a mental illness. In explaining the bill, Kidwell said the release of medical records for background checks when applying for a concealed weapon permit are meant to be used only to look at a person's mental capacity. Instead, he said, there have been situations across the state in which additional non-mental health information has been released — for example, if a person had had a vasectomy or if they've had their tonsils removed. 'What this seeks to do is to put it in a situation where only the mental health piece of it would be what's checked on to verify that somebody can legally get a concealed carry permit,' Kidwell said. The panel also approved a technical amendment from Rep. Charles Smith (D-Cumberland) to provide additional privacy to the applicant and medical personnel. The other piece of legislation, House Bill 439, 'Allow Concealed Carry of Knife,' does as its title suggests. Kidwell, Pike, and Ward serve as the bill's primary sponsors. Current law allows people to carry concealed pocketknives. Under HB 439, individuals above 18 years of age who are carrying identification and have not been convicted of a felony may carry a knife as described: a bowie knife, a dirk, a dagger, or a switchblade. 'I think most gentlemen and many women carry concealed blades, and this is just going to make it a situation where you're not going to be arrested for doing so,' Kidwell said. He accepted an amendment from Smith to add additional language prohibiting knives in places where concealed handguns may not be carried. 'I think this bill is putting knives on the same level as firearms,' Smith said. 'My hope is to make that really consistent and just have sort of corresponding language.' Rep. Deb Butler (D-New Hanover) said she approved of the amendment, since it attempts to create parity between a firearm and a knife.
CBS News
13-02-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Proposed bill aims to regulate driverless vehicles in Maryland
BALTIMORE -- Maryland lawmakers have introduced a proposed bill that would establish regulations for self-driving vehicles. Introduced on Jan. 16, HB439 would require a human to operate any vehicle over 10,000 pounds. If the bill is passed, automated vehicle manufacturers must report any incidents involving collision, traffic citations, assault, or harassment. The reports would include details on conditions, vehicle performance, and any interactions leading to incidents. Self-driving cars and safety concerns While some vehicles already have self-driving features, safety concerns have prevented the technology from being deemed ready for widespread use. In May 2024, automotive experts told CBS News MoneyWatch that self-driving cars still are not able to react in time to unexpected events presented on the road. In April 2024, the driver of an electric Ford SUV crashed into a 56-year-old Texas man driving a Honda CR-V after using Ford's blue cruise driver-assist system, according to a preliminary report released Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board. There have been multiple investigations into self-driving software systems, including General Motors' Cruise, and Tesla's autopilot software. In another incident in 2018, the backup Uber driver for a self-driving vehicle was charged with negligent homicide for streaming a television show and using her phone before Uber's Volvo XC90 struck and killed a pedestrian. Economic concerns The Maryland Teamsters union has spoken out in support of the bill, saying that it would protect jobs and help ensure safety. "HB 439 is about saving good jobs from greedy tech executives who only care about profits," Sean Cedenio, President of Teamsters Joint Council 62 said. "If our elected officials in Maryland want the support of Teamsters and the voting public at large, they should stand with us as we fight to protect the middle class." In 2023, protesters in California gathered to rally against self-driving cars after the public launch of Waymo, Google's robotaxi service, CBS News reported. Concerns of autonomous vehicles impacting jobs stretch as far back as 2015 when Uber's former CEO Travis Kalanick said Uber would eventually replace all of its drivers with self-driving vehicles. In September of last year, Uber announced a partnership with Google's Waymo service, along with plans to dispatch the company's robotaxis.
