On April 23, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued its final rule changing the rules governing worker eligibility for overtime in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The FLSA requires most employers to pay their “non-exempt” hourly workers time and a half (150 percent of their hourly wage) for every hour of work over …
FIO Reform Bill Passes House Committee with PIA’s Full Support
On April 17, the House Financial Services Committee passed the Insurance Data Protection Act, which was introduced by Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI) with PIA’s strong support, by a vote of 28-22. This legislation will meaningfully reform the Federal Insurance Office (FIO), an unnecessary federal bureaucracy created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The …
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PIA-Backed Bill to Reinstate Crop Inflation Adjustment Introduced in House
A PIA top priority was introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives to reinstate an inflation adjustment for crop insurance agents, as well as to provide relief for specialty crops. The bipartisan Ensuring Access to Risk Management Act of 2024 was introduced by Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) with original cosponsors Reps. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) …
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Member Spotlight: Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA)
Kevin Kiley was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 to represent the 3rd congressional district of California. Prior to his election to the United States Congress, Rep. Kiley served in the California State Assembly, and in 2020 was named National Legislator of the Year by the Association of Independent Workers. Rep. Kiley earned …
NFIP Extended to September 30, 2024
On March 22, Congress again avoided a partial government shutdown after reaching a last-minute deal to fund the federal government through the remainder of the 2024 fiscal year. Included in the agreement, known as a “minibus”, was an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP will now be funded through September 30, …
PIA Action Alert: NFIP at Risk of Lapse
As the March 22 expiration date for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) quickly approaches, members of Congress need to hear from agents urging them to act to prevent a lapse of the NFIP. The history of NFIP extensions has been messy. In 2017, the NFIP’s last five-year reauthorization expired. Since then, the NFIP has been subject …
RMA Bulletin Halts Cancellations of Crop Insurance Agent/Agency Contracts
The Risk Management Agency (RMA), responsible for supervising the federal crop insurance program, has issued a Managers bulletin to Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs), instructing them to immediately stop any cancellation of agent/agency contracts. Recently, some AIPs have been scaling back their federal crop insurance operations in specific crops, insurance plans, and geographic regions. Steps to …
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PIA Opposes Two Damaging Federal Rules
PIA recently joined letters to oppose two harmful federal rules proposed by the Department of Labor (DOL). The first rule, titled “Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees,” would change overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and harm employers and employees alike. The second rule …
In PIA Victory, FIO Cancels Climate Data Collection Plan, Allowing NAIC to Lead Data Call
In a win for PIA, consumers, and supporters of the state insurance regulatory system, the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) announced that it was abandoning its unprecedented effort to collect data on climate-related risks from property and casualty insurance carriers on behalf of the federal government. Instead, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) will now …
NFIP Extended as Congress Avoids Partial Shutdown
Congress again avoided a partial government shutdown last week by passing a short-term spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), to fund the federal government. Last week's CR reauthorized all government programs, but, like its predecessor, it divided the budget in half along the same lines as it had previously, using two separate expiration …
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