On the Hill

At press time, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to try to pass a two-week extension of the NFIP, which is currently scheduled to expire at midnight tomorrow, May 31.

Last week, members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions released draft legislation aimed at reducing health care costs.

The new Trump Administration proposal would increase the minimum salary level threshold for overtime-exempt employees from $23,660 per year, or $455 per week, to $35,308 per year, or $679 per week.

As a leading supporter of a modernized state-based system of insurance regulation, the Big “I” supports eliminating or significantly restricting the authority of the FIO.

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “Setting Every Community up for Retirement Enhancement Act,” a bill intended to encourage small businesses to provide retirement benefits for their workers.

Bipartisanship was the focus during this year’s Big “I” Legislative Conference Breakfast keynotes.

The U.S. Senate must act on H.R. 2578 to make sure the NFIP does not lapse at the end of the month.

At press time, the U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a package of health care bills that would restore $100 million in funding for Navigators.

Last week, Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Florida), the first Vietnamese American woman to serve in Congress, addressed the Young Agents & InsurPac State Chairpersons Legislative Luncheon during the 2019 Big “I” Legislative Conference.

The Big “I” presents the Legislator of the Year Award annually to a member of Congress who provides outstanding leadership on insurance issues.