Descend on D.C. for NLC

This month, more than 1,500 independent agents and brokers will attend the first-ever combined Big “I” National Legislative Conference & Convention, taking place in Washington, D.C. Here, as in years past, Big “I” members will have the opportunity to hear from some of the nation’s movers and shakers.

Elected leaders also will have the opportunity to hear from Big “I” members, who will visit nearly every representative and senator to spread the word on the top issues facing our industry.

This event will be, as always, the industry’s best-attended, most effective legislative meeting, convention and trade show. It will run April 26 through 28 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel and the Washington Convention Center.

Highlights include an in-depth issues briefing session; the annual Big “I” congressional reception on

Capitol Hill; appearances by numerous high-profile speakers discussing important insurance and national issues confronting lawmakers as well as agents and brokers in Washington, D.C.; hundreds of meetings on Capitol Hill between Big “I” agents and brokers and lawmakers; and the industry’s largest trade show.

The conference provides an excellent opportunity for agents and brokers to discuss important issues with their Congressional representatives. Top issues this year include insurance regulatory reform, flood insurance reform, natural disaster legislation, tax reform, legal reform and crop insurance (see sidebar).

You should take advantage of this great opportunity. Congressional offices are always inundated by letters, e-mails and phone calls, and each office places a different amount of importance on each method. But personal visits from constituents are more rare than other means of communication and, as such, they stand out.

It is no exaggeration to say that our members’ visits make a difference. I am a former Capitol Hill staffer, and I have a number of friends who work for members of Congress. They often ask me for dates of the Big “I” event because they know they will be receiving independent agents and brokers in their offices that week.

Also, the sheer number of Big “I” members in the halls of Congress displays our strength and prevalence. At a past event, one member of Congress told Big “I” CEO Bob Rusbuldt, “Your people are everywhere!” And the House Financial Services Committee’s ranking member, Barney Frank (D-Mass.), told an audience of agents and brokers that their efforts had made them one of the most influential grassroots groups on financial services issues in Washington, D.C.

It’s not too late. You can still register for the event. Go to www.independentagent.com and select the “Events and Conferences” link. You also can download copies of the event registration and hotel reservation forms online.

We hope to see you there!

Cliston Brown (cliston.brown@iiaba.net) is Big “I” director of public affairs/media relations.

Make Your Voice Heard on Capitol Hill

Among the top issues Big “I” members will bring to their elected officials in Washington:

Insurance Regulatory Reform: With the introduction of an optional federal charter bill in the Senate, we need to impress upon Congress that the industry needs regulatory reform, but not federal regulation, which would deprive consumers of state regulators’ advantages: proximity, innovation and responsiveness. We support a middle-ground approach, using federal tools to build on the states’ inherent strengths, not dismantle them.

Flood Insurance Reform: The Big “I” has proposed a 22-point flood modernization agenda, including the addition of optional business interruption coverage on commercial policies, increases in the maximum coverage limits and the inclusion of additional living expenses coverage for residential policies.

Natural Disaster Legislation: The association is pushing for comprehensive legislation to meet the challenges faced by insurers and consumers in the wake of natural disasters, many of which have the potential for losses equivalent to or exceeding catastrophic terrorist attacks. Agents in many states need markets, and this issue is about prudent risk management, insurance availability and affordability for consumers and markets for agents.

Tax Reform: The Big “I” supports making President Bush’s tax cuts permanent, as well as estate tax relief (set to expire in 2011) and a shorter depreciation schedule for intangible assets acquired when purchasing an agency.

Legal Reform: The association is working hard for a legislative solution that removes asbestos cases from the court system and supports reasonable limits on frivolous lawsuits and forum shopping.

Crop Insurance Reform: The Big “I” continues to work to ward off the dangers posed by Premium Reduction Plans and to gain renewal of a data-mining initiative that reiterates the value of independent agents.