Last week, the White House announced three more nominations to the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers (NARAB) board.

John M. Huff is the director of the Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration, and is the 2016 president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Lori Wing-Heier is the director of the Division of Insurance of the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development for the state of Alaska. Robert Suglia is senior vice president and general counsel at Amica Mutual Insurance Co. in Rhode Island.

The three most recent nominations join seven other individuals nominated earlier this year, including Big “I” leader Angela Ripley.

The first 10 nominations are now pending before the U.S. Senate, which must confirm the nominees before they begin service on the NARAB board. The Big “I” urges the Senate to confirm these NARAB nominees—and remaining nominees—prior to the conclusion of the 114th Congress at the end of the year. If the Senate does not act before then, the nominations must be resubmitted by the next Administration.

The Big “I” looks forward to the board beginning its work to help streamline the agent licensing process. The 13-member board of directors will ultimately consist of eight state insurance regulators and five private-sector representatives. In managing the nonprofit, nongovernmental entity, the board must operate transparently and will not be part of any federal agency.

NARAB will provide agents and agencies with a vehicle for obtaining the authority necessary to operate on a multistate, nonresident basis. It is designed to establish true licensing reciprocity and create a one-stop compliance vehicle for nonresident licenses. 

Wyatt Stewart is Big “I” senior director of federal government affairs.