2021 Advocacy Priorities

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2021 Issues of Focus


The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) represents independent insurance agencies and their employeeagents in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. PIA members operate cutting-edge agencies and treat their customers like neighbors, providing personal support and services. PIA Advocacy on COVID-19 Issues In early 2020, the global pandemic that changed American life likewise prompted PIA to adapt our advocacy to meet the brand-new challenges facing professional independent insurance agents. PIA has been deeply engaged in legislative relief efforts to assist small businesses during the economic crisis caused by the spread of COVID-19. Specifically, in April 2020, PIA laid out a three-step legislative plan, the implementation of which we have been promoting ever since: Improving the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) by obtaining a streamlined loan forgiveness process for borrowers with smaller loans, and allowing more time for businesses to apply for support. Advocating for the creation of a COVID-19 Recovery Fund to further assist businesses struggling due to shutdowns mandated around the country at the height of the pandemic. Legislation to create such a fund was introduced in the last Congress, and elements of our plan have been included in other proposals being developed to assist the business community. Creating a system to protect businesses from potential losses associated with any future pandemic. In addition, PIA has helped block efforts to retroactively rewrite contracts with business interruption (BI) provisions to force their applicability in the current crisis, which would wreak havoc on the insurance industry and cause unnecessary uncertainty for parties to a wide array of privately negotiated commercial contracts. PIA will continue to build on this strategy to ensure businesses are supported during this unprecedented time, whether by ensuring adequate funding for the PPP, providing businesses with the time and details they need to apply for PPP relief, or in helping to develop other proposals to help businesses and employees get back to work. PIA also remains highly engaged on proposals to protect businesses and employees from the negative effects of a future pandemic. Out of necessity, the 2021 PIA Advocacy Day Issues of Focus emphasize non-COVID issues because of the importance and the pressing need to address other issues that affect PIA independent agents.


PIA Advocacy Day Issues of Focus The PIA government relations staff has reviewed past policy positions and current Congressional priorities, and, in consultation with PIA members across the country, we have developed these 2021 Issues of Focus. While the items below are our top priorities, PIA is always working to promote the interests of the independent agent, wherever those interests take us.

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Reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)

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Create Cannabis Safe Harbor for Agents

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Make Tax Relief for Passthrough Entities (S Corporations) Permanent

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Defend the State Insurance Regulatory System

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Protect Crop Insurance

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Additional Issues of Importance

PIA supports a long-term reauthorization of the NFIP that recognizes the key role agents play in delivering the program to consumers.

PIA supports legislation to protect independent agents, brokers, and insurers against federal criminal prosecution and civil liability for those who engage in the business of insurance with cannabis-related enterprises in states that have legalized cannabis.

PIA supports making the tax deductions currently available to some independent insurance agencies that organize as passthrough entities permanent.

PIA supports a modern, state-based insurance regulatory system and opposes federal laws and regulations that threaten it. As such, PIA supports the repeal of the Federal Insurance Office (FIO).

PIA opposes cuts to crop insurance in the appropriations process and supports the vital role that independent agents play in the delivery of crop insurance.

PIA is busy with countless issues in 2021 and beyond, including insurance data security; defending the employment classification of independent agents; and the implementation of the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers (NARAB).


Reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program PIA supports a long-term reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that recognizes the key role agents play in delivering the program to consumers.

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Reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program The NFIP was created in 1968 to provide property owners in the U.S. with flood insurance coverage for their homes. At the time, the private insurance market treated flood as an uninsurable risk, and, as a result, flood insurance products sold through the private market were cost-prohibitive or unavailable. In the decades since its inception, the NFIP has largely remained the only means by which people could purchase insurance products to protect their financial interests from the risk of losses posed by floods. PIA supports the reauthorization of the NFIP, as the program continues to provide critical support to those whose properties are at risk of and affected by floods, along with coverage that the private market remains largely unable to supply.

The Role of the Independent Agent Independent insurance agents generally serve as the first point of contact for a potential consumer inquiring about a flood policy. Agents are essential to ensuring that property owners make educated choices about the purchase of flood insurance policies for their homes and businesses. Assisting a consumer in purchasing an NFIP policy is a difficult process requiring specialized knowledge, and the purchasing process is very different from that of a standard homeowners’ or auto policy. Agents must remain up to date on ever-changing laws and regulations governing flood insurance coverage requirements, as well as the evolution of applicable floodplain maps and relevant community participation.

Reauthorization The NFIP’s most recent five-year reauthorization expired on September 30, 2017. Leading up to that deadline, the 115th Congress was unable to agree on reforms to the program. As a result, the NFIP briefly lapsed three times. Since the 2017 deadline, the NFIP has been subject to a total of 16 extensions of varying lengths, none longer than the one-year extension currently in effect. The program is now set to expire on September 30, 2021. This year, the reauthorization process is further complicated by the fact that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which oversees the NFIP, is scheduled to deploy new premium rates on October 1, 2021—the day after the NFIP will expire if it is not reauthorized. Risk Rating 2.0 will recalculate premiums based on a new method of property risk assessment known as Risk Rating 2.0.

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Reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program

PIA supported two 2019 bills that unanimously passed the House Financial Services Committee in the 116th Congress that would have reauthorized and reformed the NFIP: the National Flood Insurance Reauthorization Act, sponsored by Rep. Maxine Waters (DCA), and the NFIP Administrative Reform Act, sponsored by Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY). Together, these bills constituted a strong bipartisan legislative package that should be the starting point for efforts to reauthorize the program in the 117th Congress. PIA advocates for inclusion of the following provisions in any reform and reauthorization bill; many of these provisions were included in the 2019 legislative package: Maintenance of the Write-Your-Own (WYO) reimbursement rate at its current level of 29.9 percent Continuous coverage protections for policyholders who leave the NFIP to purchase a private flood policy and later return to the program Allowance for policyholders to purchase additional increased cost of compliance (ICC) coverage and use it for pre-disaster mitigation Increased funds for mapping and reform of maps for accuracy Continuation of the gradual implementation of actuarially sound rates and restoration of grandfathering provisions, as included in the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act (HFIAA) of 2014 Consumer-friendly provisions for appealing mapping decisions Improvements to the claims process Creation of a Federal Flood Insurance Advisory Committee with insurance agent representatives Notably omitted from the package was a cut to the WYO reimbursement rate, which is the vehicle by which insurance agents are compensated for selling NFIP policies. Carriers pay agent commissions out of their WYO reimbursement rate proceeds; any cut to the WYO rate would force carriers to pass the loss on to agents by reducing their commissions. In the new Congress, PIA will remain vigilant in opposing any attempt to cut the WYO reimbursement rate during the NFIP reauthorization process.

As the reauthorization process continues, PIA will continue to work with Congress to ensure that agents’ voices are heard and their invaluable work acknowledged.

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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL INSURANCE AGENTS

Flood Insurance Legislative Position

HOW YOU CAN HELP AGENTS DELIVER FLOOD INSURANCE TO CONSUMERS SUPPORT a long-term reauthorization of the NFIP that: Recognizes the key role that independent agents play in delivering the program to consumers. Reaffirms the gradual implementation of risk-based rates. Maintains the grandfathering of rates so that properties can be transferred between owners without coverage disruption or surprise. Increases investments in mapping and mitigation. Includes the essential continuous coverage provision that will allow policyholders to move between the private market and the NFIP without penalty.

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OPPOSE attempts to cut or cap agent commissions in NFIP reauthorization. Insurance agents play a crucial role in explaining this complex program and meeting their clients’ needs during the initial sales phase, the renewal period, and in the aftermath of a loss. Cutting independent agent commissions will lead to an exodus by this vital sales force, which will lead to a decrease in the number of flood policies at a time when increasing the take-up rate for flood insurance should be a universal priority. PIA opposes any legislation reimbursement rate.

that

cuts

the

Write-Your-Own

For more information on this issue contact Gentile, Vice President, Government Relations jonge@pianet.org | 703-518-1365

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(WYO)


Create Cannabis Safe Harbor for Agents PIA supports legislation to protect independent agents, brokers, and insurers against federal criminal prosecution and civil liability for those who engage in the business of insurance with cannabis-related enterprises in states that have legalized cannabis.

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Create Cannabis Safe Harbor for Agents

Nearly every state has legalized the use of marijuana to some degree. Unfortunately, the insurance industry is potentially exposed to civil and criminal liability arising from the differences between the legal status of cannabis in federal and state law. To do their jobs effectively, insurance agents need protection from prosecution in the form of a comprehensive federal safe harbor for agents, brokers, and insurers that engage in the business of insurance with cannabis-related enterprises in states that have legalized cannabis.

PIA respects state insurance laws and seeks to protect independent agents from federal criminal prosecution for engaging in legitimate business activities.

To address this issue, in 2019, PIA helped develop the Clarifying Law Around Insurance of Marijuana (CLAIM) Act, which was reintroduced in the 117th Congress by Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) and Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ). The CLAIM Act provides protections for the insurance industry to conduct business with cannabis-related entities in states in which those entities are legal. In September 2019, key parts of the CLAIM Act were merged with another bill, the Secure And Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which was meant to similarly shield bankers from legal jeopardy for their role in providing financial and banking services to cannabisrelated businesses. The essential provisions of the CLAIM Act were folded into the SAFE Banking Act, which passed the House in September 2019 but stalled in the Senate. In 2021, the SAFE Banking Act was reintroduced by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D- CO) and sponsored by Reps. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Steve Stivers (R-OH), and Warren Davidson (R-OH), and Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Steve Daines (R-MT). As introduced, the SAFE Banking Act includes several key insurance pieces of the CLAIM Act. The bill will prevent federal criminal prosecution of and civil liability for agents, brokers, and insurers when engaging in the business of insurance in states that have legalized cannabis in some form. PIA is making the passage of the SAFE Banking Act one of our top priorities this Congress.

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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL INSURANCE AGENTS

Cannabis Safe Harbor Legislative Position HOW YOU CAN HELP PROTECT AGENTS

Support the SAFE Banking Act (H.R. 1996/S. 910), which provides a cannabis safe harbor for independent insurance agents. Nearly every state has legalized the use of marijuana to some degree. The insurance industry is potentially exposed to civil and criminal liability arising from the differences between the legal status of cannabis in federal and state law. To effectively do their jobs, insurance agents need protection from prosecution in the form of a comprehensive federal safe harbor for agents, brokers, and insurers that do business with cannabis-related enterprises in states that have legalized cannabis. Regardless of the final legislative vehicle, legal protection for insurance agents should be incorporated into any cannabis safe harbor bill.

For more information on this issue contact Jon Gentile, Vice President, Government Relations 10 | 2021 PIA Advocacy Day jonge@pianet.org | 703-518-1365


Make Tax Relief for Passthrough Entities (S Corporations) Permanent PIA supports making the tax deductions currently available to some independent insurance agencies that organize as passthrough entities permanent.

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Make Tax Relief For Passthrough Entities (S Corporations) Permanent

PIA played a key role in confirming that tax deductions for passthrough entities, which were included in the December 2017 tax reform package (P.L. 115-141), were made available to qualifying insurance agencies. The provision offered much-needed tax relief for owners of agencies that are organized as passthrough corporations by making available up to a 20 percent tax deduction for qualifying entities. The 2017 tax reform package created a deduction for households with income from passthrough businesses—including many independent insurance agencies—that are not subject to the corporate income tax. The passthrough deduction allows individuals to exclude up to 20 percent of their passthrough business income from federal income tax. The deduction is subject to several complex conditions, based on the qualification of the passthrough business according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the business owner’s taxable income for the year in question, and whether the business owner intends to file individually or jointly. Unlike the C-corporation tax cuts also included in the 2017 package, the passthrough deduction was not made permanent in the tax law. As a result, PIA members with qualified passthroughs will no longer have access to the deduction after on December 31, 2025, unless Congress acts.

Make Tax Relief for Passthroughs Permanent This tax benefit for passthrough entities has eased the pressure of running a small business, particularly over the last year, and has allowed insurance agency owners to invest in their agencies and improve their businesses. For these reasons, PIA has begun to lay the groundwork to make the tax deduction permanent. We strongly support the Main Street Tax Certainty Act of 2021 (H.R. 1381/S. 480), sponsored by Representatives Jason Smith (R-MO) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and Senator Steve Daines (R-MT), a bill to make the 20 percent passthrough deduction permanent.

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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL INSURANCE AGENTS

Tax Relief Legislative Position

HOW YOU CAN HELP ENSURE TAX RELIEF FOR OWNERS OF SMALL BUSINESSES

SUPPORT the Main Street Tax Certainty Act (H.R. 1381/S. 480), which would make the tax deduction for eligible small businesses permanent. Passthrough businesses are businesses whose income “passes through” to their owner’s income tax returns and is taxed as if it were individual income tax. Passthrough businesses, which include many independent insurance agencies, make up most U.S. businesses, according to the Tax Foundation. After facing incalculable pandemic-induced economic challenges, small businesses must be able to rely on this tax deduction beyond 2025. Small businessowners need to plan years in advance, so it is vital to the well-being of individual small businesses and the overall economic recovery that this benefit be made permanent as soon as possible. Independent insurance agency owners are critical contributors to communities throughout the U.S., and they support their local economy. They need these deductions to be permanent so they can continue to invest in their businesses as they struggle to survive and recover from the current economic downturn.

For more information on this issue contact Gentile, Vice President, Government Relations jonge@pianet.org | 703-518-1365

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Defend the State Insurance Regulatory System PIA supports a modern, state-based insurance regulatory system and opposes federal laws and regulations that threaten it. As such, PIA supports the repeal of the Federal Insurance Office (FIO).

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Defend the State Insurance Regulatory System

PIA supports our state system of insurance regulation, which has successfully protected consumers and created a competitive and diverse U.S. insurance market that has thrived for over 150 years. The insurance industry has in place a supervisory system that allows the individual states, rather than a federal bureaucracy, to regulate it, which helps ensure fairness for policyholders and businesses. This system has prevented major financial disasters; in fact, a report issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in June 2013 found the state-based system of insurance regulation helped to mitigate the negative effect the 2008 financial crisis had on the insurance industry.

Repeal the Federal Insurance Office In 2010, advocates of federal insurance regulation created the FIO as part of the DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (commonly referred to as Dodd-Frank). PIA opposed the creation of the FIO from the outset. The very existence of the FIO threatens the primacy of state-based insurance regulation. Many of FIO’s duties are examples of federal overreach and duplication of entities that already existed in our state-based insurance regulatory system. Additionally, like most federal offices, since its creation, its power has increased. In its decade of existence, the FIO has sought federal regulation of mortgage insurance; inclusion in international supervisory colleges; and uniform national standards for state guaranty associations. In addition, it seeks to administer the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers (NARAB). Every one of these acts is well outside the FIO’s mandate. In November 2016, PIA became the first national insurance association to publicly call for the repeal of the FIO. Since then, PIA has been working with members of Congress to develop legislation to repeal it. To that end, we are pleased to support S. 524, the Federal Insurance Office Abolishment Act, sponsored by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Mike Braun (R-IN).

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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL INSURANCE AGENTS

Insurance Regulation Legislative Position HOW YOU CAN HELP DEFEND STATE INSURANCE REGULATION SUPPORT legislation to repeal the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) (S. 524). PIA supports the Federal Insurance Office Abolishment Act, introduced by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY); and Mike Braun (R-IN). The existence of the FIO presents an ongoing threat to the system of state insurance regulation. This bill will remove this existential threat and ensure that the states remain the primary regulators of insurance. This legislation would allow the Department of Treasury to conduct the duties currently handled by the FIO, including management of the terrorism risk insurance program, and participation in international covered agreement insurance negotiations. The only change would be the absence of a bureaucratic, redundant federal office. SUPPORT the introduction of legislation in the House to repeal the Federal Insurance Office (FIO). If you support the state regulation of insurance, there is no better way to show it than to introduce this legislation in the House.

For more information on this issue contact Jon Gentile, Vice President, Government Relations jonge@pianet.org | 703-518-1365


Protect Crop Insurance PIA opposes cuts to crop insurance in the appropriations process and supports the vital role that independent agents play in the delivery of crop insurance.

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Protect Crop Insurance The federal crop insurance program is a highly technical program that relies on the expertise of independent insurance agents. Crop insurance provides our nation’s farmers with the ability to manage their risk and provide a safe, strong, and dependable food supply. Under the federal crop insurance program, private-sector insurance carriers must offer insurance to growers who are eligible for coverage and would like to purchase it. Additionally, crop insurers do not have control over premium setting. Farmers’ rates are calculated by the United States Department of Agriculture and do not change like other lines of insurance. In 2020, 1.1 million polices were sold protecting more than 130 different crops covering almost 400 million acres, with an insured value of more than $113 billion. The agricultural economy has experienced extraordinary volatility lately, and the tumult has taken its toll on farmers throughout the country. The agriculture sector was confronting this difficult economic reality even before COVID-19 further ravaged it and other businesses. Farm debt has increased nearly 60 percent over the last decade, and it now stands at over $400 billion.

Opposing Crop Insurance Cuts Despite the critical role crop insurance plays in protecting farmers from economic disaster and supporting the rural economy, administrations from both parties have tried to cut funding to the crop insurance program using the budget and appropriations process in recent years. Last year, the FY21 budget request recommended an eight percent cut to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and crop insurance specifically would have been cut by $25 billion over the next decade. In 2015, a budget package included a $3 billion cut to the program, but PIA and its allies successfully pushed for a measure to reverse the cuts. PIA and its allies have time and time again protected the crop insurance program from such cuts. Cuts to the program will compromise the affordability and availability of crop insurance for farmers, seriously undermining the strength of the farm safety net during a time of real struggle around the country, particularly for farmers and rural America. Now is not the time to slash the federal crop insurance program, on which so many farmers and ranchers rely to stay afloat. PIA has been working with a coalition of organizations that represent every part of the supply chain to oppose attempts to cut the federal crop insurance program.

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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL INSURANCE AGENTS

Crop Insurance Legislative Position HOW YOU CAN HELP DEFEND CROP INSURANCE

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OPPOSE cuts to the federal crop insurance program. With almost 400 million acres and 130 different crops protected, crop insurance is a sound investment that helps ensure the production of a stable food, fiber, feed, and fuel supply. Everyone in the supply chain, from farmers, lenders, and manufacturers to insurance and reinsurance providers and agents, agrees that crop insurance is the centerpiece of agricultural risk management and should be protected. Crop insurance allows producers to customize their policies to their individual farm and financial needs, and policies are based on fundamental market principles, which means producers in higher risk areas and those with higher value crops pay higher insurance premiums. Cuts to crop insurance will force farmers to depend on ad hoc disaster relief. Crop insurance provides certainty to farmers and their lenders that ad hoc disaster assistance cannot provide because, by definition, ad hoc assistance is never a certainty and can fluctuate wildly from year to year. Crop insurance is the timeliest component of the farm safety net, and crop insurance payments are typically made immediately after a loss is incurred. During a time of unprecedented volatility for U.S. farmers and in sectors across the economy, now is not the time to cut crop insurance.

For more information on this issue contact Jon Gentile, Vice President, Government Relations jonge@pianet.org | 703-518-1365


Additional Issues of Importance PIA is always advocating for independent agents on a wide array of issues. While those listed here are not highlighted as top priorities for this year’s Advocacy Day, PIA continues to regularly discuss these issues with policymakers. A few of our many additional key issues are listed below.

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Data Security

Additional Issues of Importance

PIA supports the protection of sensitive consumer data using a harm trigger and other methods that are flexible, risk-based, and practical for small businesses. This year, PIA is continuing to engage with state legislatures as they consider—and some pass—versions of the Insurance Data Security Model Law, which was passed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) in October 2017, after years of participation by PIA, other members of the insurance industry, and consumer representatives. The NAIC’s Insurance Data Security Model Law requires insurance agencies and other members of the industry to take specific steps to prevent cybersecurity breaches and outlines requirements that insurance entities, including independent agencies, must take after a breach. PIA is specifically concerned about agents’ obligations as they pertain to the activities and potential liabilities of third-party service providers, the very short timeframe in which to provide notification to the relevant commissioner of a “Cybersecurity Event,” and the number of consumers affected by a Cybersecurity Event to trigger notification to the applicable commissioner, among other issues. PIA will be pursuing the addition of some specific amendments at the state level, depending on the language each state legislature includes in its bill. Thus far, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Mississippi, Delaware, Alabama, Indiana, Louisiana, and Virginia have passed similar laws based on the NAIC model. New York also has a similar regulation, on which the NAIC model was largely based. PIA is continuing its outreach to state affiliates, insurance departments, and legislative bodies to prepare them for future legislative sessions that may include the consideration of the NAIC model or something similar. PIA is also engaged with Congress on this issue. In the 115th Congress, PIA opposed legislation, the Consumer Information Notification Requirement Act (not introduced in the 116th or 117th Congresses), because it would have imposed improper burdens, written for and intended to apply to banks, on independent insurance agencies, many of which are small businesses serving individual insurance consumers and whose operation cannot be scaled to function as a bank might. That bill also would have encroached upon the state insurance regulatory system. If federal legislation is to be considered, it should set a few broad parameters and allow states to fill in the details as appropriate. The very fact that this legislation sought to impose bank standards on independent insurance agencies demonstrates that Congress should not legislate on the details of this issue, which is one of many better left to states.

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Additional Issues of Importance

National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers (NARAB) The 2015 law that reauthorized the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA), the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, also contained a provision reauthorizing the creation of the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers (NARAB). NARAB would be an independent, non-governmental, nonprofit membership organization through which non-resident producer licensing requirements could be adopted and applied on a multi-state basis (PL 114-1, 129 Stat. 3). Once established, NARAB would facilitate agent and broker licensing reciprocity among states without creating a new federal insurance bureaucracy. NARAB’s implementation requires the identification and Senate confirmation of 13 board members to be named by the White House. Without the creation of its board, NARAB cannot begin operating. In 2021, the implementation of NARAB will again be a priority for PIA.

Supporting Changes to the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) Requirement PIA will continue to support consumer access to qualified health insurance agents and brokers. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) created the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) requirement, which is designed to limit the percentage of premium dollars that a health insurance company can spend on administrative costs. The MLR requirement was intended to ensure that carriers spend a minimal percentage of their premium on providing healthcare to covered individuals. However, in the MLR formula, agent and broker commissions were improperly classified as administrative costs. This misclassification limits consumer access to the essential resources agents and brokers provide and negatively affects both independent insurance agents and consumers, who increasingly lack access to qualified health insurance experts to advise them on their plans. PIA helped develop legislation to address this issue, the Access to Independent Health Insurance Advisors Act (not yet introduced in the 117th Congress). This bill makes clear that producer compensation was not meant to be part of the MLR calculation set forth in the ACA.

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Additional Issues of Importance

Employment Classification of Agents In March 2021, the U.S. House passed H.R. 842, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. The legislation is intended to reform current labor law in a variety of areas. The bill’s most significant provision would amend the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 152(3)) by expanding the definition of “independent contractor” by replacing the existing definition with an “ABC” test to define an “employee.” Independent insurance agents are not employees of insurance companies; rather, most independent agents contract with carriers to sell their products to consumers. Forcing agents to be classified as employees would undermine the existing relationships between agents and carriers, and it would disrupt the 150-year-old framework of state-based insurance regulation. PIA is working with allies in industry to oppose this legislation in the U.S. Senate. If necessary, we will seek the addition of a carveout for independent agents exempting them from the PRO Act’s definition of “employee,” so that they may continue to operate without unwarranted interference from the federal government.

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National

Association of Professional

Insurance Agents 419 North Lee Street Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Telephone: (703) 836-9340 Fax: (703) 836-1279

Government Relations Staff Contacts: Jon Gentile, Vice President, Government Relations Jonge@pianet.org Lauren Pachman, Counsel & Director of Regulatory Affairs Laurenpa@pianet.org Marc Martinez, Coordinator, Government Relations Marcma@pianet.org


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