Government Affairs

At last week’s Big “I” Legislative Conference, agents and brokers met with almost every U.S. Senate and House of Representatives office to discuss the association’s top legislative concerns.

At the Big “I” Legislative Conference Breakfast last week, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) addressed insurance-related legislative initiatives relevant to his home state and the country: crop, flood and terrorism insurance.

Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas), Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, is the 2015 Gerald Solomon-Big “I” Legislator of the Year.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) will address Big “I” membership on Thursday, April 14 at the Big “I” Legislative Conference breakfast.

Today, numerous changes will affect the NFIP, impacting many businesses, homeowners and independent agents and brokers that sell and service flood policies.

Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services reported H.R. 2901, the “Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act,” to the full House for consideration.

To continue its efforts to protect the Federal Crop Insurance Program, the Big “I” sent a letter asking congressional leaders to oppose any additional cuts to the program during the fiscal year 2017 appropriations process.

Earlier this week, President Obama released his budget for fiscal year 2017. This blueprint proposes changes to the “Cadillac” tax and sets the stage for additional cuts to the Federal Crop Insurance Program.

Big “I” Chairman Randy Lanoix was on Capitol Hill this week, where he met with members of Congress to advocate on behalf of the association and lay the groundwork for the 2016 Big “I” Legislative Conference.

Earlier this week, the Big “I” testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance at a hearing focused on efforts to reform and reauthorize the NFIP before its expiration.