On March 22, Congress again avoided a partial government shutdown after reaching a last-minute deal to fund the federal government through the remainder of the 2024 fiscal year. Included in the agreement, known as a “minibus”, was an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP will now be funded through September 30, …
Month: March 2024
PIA Action Alert: NFIP at Risk of Lapse
As the March 22 expiration date for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) quickly approaches, members of Congress need to hear from agents urging them to act to prevent a lapse of the NFIP. The history of NFIP extensions has been messy. In 2017, the NFIP’s last five-year reauthorization expired. Since then, the NFIP has been subject …
RMA Bulletin Halts Cancellations of Crop Insurance Agent/Agency Contracts
The Risk Management Agency (RMA), responsible for supervising the federal crop insurance program, has issued a Managers bulletin to Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs), instructing them to immediately stop any cancellation of agent/agency contracts. Recently, some AIPs have been scaling back their federal crop insurance operations in specific crops, insurance plans, and geographic regions. Steps to …
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PIA Opposes Two Damaging Federal Rules
PIA recently joined letters to oppose two harmful federal rules proposed by the Department of Labor (DOL). The first rule, titled “Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees,” would change overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and harm employers and employees alike. The second rule …
In PIA Victory, FIO Cancels Climate Data Collection Plan, Allowing NAIC to Lead Data Call
In a win for PIA, consumers, and supporters of the state insurance regulatory system, the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) announced that it was abandoning its unprecedented effort to collect data on climate-related risks from property and casualty insurance carriers on behalf of the federal government. Instead, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) will now …
NFIP Extended as Congress Avoids Partial Shutdown
Congress again avoided a partial government shutdown last week by passing a short-term spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), to fund the federal government. Last week's CR reauthorized all government programs, but, like its predecessor, it divided the budget in half along the same lines as it had previously, using two separate expiration …
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PIA Action Alert: Support 529 Plan Expansion
PIA supports the bipartisan Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act (H.R.1477/S.722), sponsored by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA). This bill would help American workers access the training and credentials necessary to pursue fulfilling careers, including a career as an independent insurance agent. The Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act would …
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