HMS Legal Blog

News and commentary on various legal issues.

Categories

Insurance (6)

Timely Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Fund Claim Essential

Category: Insurance
Posted On Friday, 10 February 2012
Under Pennsylvania’s Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act, owners, operators and installers of underground storage tanks who incur liability for clea...
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New law expands Insurance Department authority to review health insurance rates

Category: Insurance
Posted On Monday, 23 January 2012
Small group plan health insurance rate increases of more than 10% must be filed and approved by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department under a new law ...
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Pa. Insurance Department encourages insurance producers to help all flood victims

Category: Insurance
Posted On Wednesday, 28 September 2011
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department has delivered a clear message to all licensed insurance producers: you are expected to provide guidance to flood...
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Pennsylvania officials confronting tough issues in health insurance

Category: Insurance
Posted On Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Few current social or political topics stir the emotions quite as much as health care reform.  Whether you believe that the Patient Protection and Aff...
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Medical professional liability insurance limits will remain unchanged in Pennsylvania

Category: Insurance
Posted On Tuesday, 02 August 2011
Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Mike Consedine today made public his determination that the coverage limits required by law for medical profession...
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Local Government (2)

Act 13’s Local Zoning Provisions Put On Hold

Posted On Monday, 16 April 2012
Commonwealth Court Grants Preliminary Injunction Halting Zoning Limits in Act 13
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Solicitors’ Invoices and Right-to-Know Act Requests

Posted On Tuesday, 18 January 2011
On January 6, 2011, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court confirmed that municipalities may redact portions of their solicitors’  bills to eliminate dis...
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Utilities, Energy & Telecommunications (38)

Migration Riders for Electricity?

Posted On Tuesday, 08 May 2012
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission will now decide whether migration riders will be permitted for electricity customers, at the same time it i...
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PUC Extends Fuel Cost Recovery Surcharge For Household Goods Carriers

Posted On Wednesday, 18 April 2012
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (“PUC”) recently extended the Fuel Cost Recovery Surcharge for household goods carriers for an additional y...
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PUC ALJ Limits Ability of Potential Competitors To Protest NGDC Service Territory Application

Posted On Tuesday, 10 April 2012
Does a natural gas company that is not currently authorized to provide service in a  territory, but with  future plans to file for such authorization,...
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Pennsylvania Gets the Cracker

Posted On Monday, 26 March 2012
Shell Oil Co. chooses Pennsylvania as home for its new natural gas processing facility.
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PUC Proposes Structure for Transitional Electricity Market

Posted On Monday, 05 March 2012
The PUC yesterday took a big first step toward creating an electricity market where most customers are served by competitive suppliers, and not by uti...
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Appeals (10)

Shorter Briefs, Fewer Waiver Traps

Category: Appeals
Posted On Friday, 27 April 2012
Under two new proposals to amend Pennsylvania’s Rules of Appellate Procedure lawyers will be writing shorter briefs with less risk of waiver.
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PRESS RELEASE

Category: Appeals
Posted On Monday, 29 August 2011
KEVIN J. McKEON APPOINTED TO PA. APPELLATE COURT  PROCEDURAL RULES COMMITTEE
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Citing Unreported Opinions: Worth the Trouble?

Category: Appeals
Posted On Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Effective in 2011 unreported opinions of Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court may be cited as persuasive authority, though not as binding precedent....
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Is Order Granting New Trial in Statutory Appeal Appealable?

Category: Appeals
Posted On Friday, 04 February 2011
Orders granting new trials in civil and certain criminal proceedings are immediately appealable pursuant to Pa. R.A.P. 311 (a)(6), but is an order gra...
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Is the Order Final? That’s the Appellate Court’s Call

Category: Appeals
Posted On Friday, 04 February 2011
Although trial courts and agencies often take a position on whether an order they have entered is final for purposes of appeal, it is essential for co...
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Government Regulation & Licensing (9)

Vehicle-Tank Meter Installation Deadline Extended

Posted On Thursday, 19 January 2012
On January 3, 2012, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) issued a Special Bulletin extending the deadline for persons who own fuel oil del...
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Commonwealth Court OKs Nonmonetary Contract Claims Against Commonwealth in Casino Central Computer RFP Dispute

Posted On Friday, 02 December 2011
In a case arising from the award of the contract for the Gaming Board/Department of Revenue’s Central Computer Control System that monitors transactio...
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PUC Proposes to Amend Competitive Safeguard Regulations

Posted On Tuesday, 30 August 2011
In light of ongoing concerns that incumbent utilities could share customer information, link regulated services with non-competitive services, and e...
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No “Unintentional” Violation of Ethics Act Possible

Posted On Friday, 01 July 2011
Interpreting the “conflict of interest” provisions of Pennsylvania’s Ethics Act, the Supreme Court has ruled that “to violate the conflict of interest...
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Former Insurance Department Counsel joins firm

Posted On Tuesday, 03 May 2011
Hawke McKeon and Sniscak LLP, is pleased to announce the expansion of its insurance regulatory practice, with Christopher J. Knight joining the firm ...
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Environmental (4)

PUC to Hold Electric Summer Reliability Forum

Category: Environmental
Posted On Thursday, 17 May 2012
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) will hold a Summer Reliability Forum at 1:30 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012.  The Forum will be held in...
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EPA Finalizes 2012 Renewable Fuel Standards

Category: Environmental
Posted On Tuesday, 10 January 2012
EPA has posted its bio diesel standards for 2012.  As part of the EPA’s mandate to march the U.S. toward energy independence, the EPA establishes the ...
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TMDL Draws Lawsuit from Farmers

Category: Environmental
Posted On Friday, 14 January 2011
On December 29, 2010, EPA issued a first-of-its-kind TMDL for the Chesapeake Bay.  The TMDL, which stands for “Total Maximum Daily Load,” establishes ...
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