Agents meet with lawmakers at first PIACT/PIACT-YIP Day on the Hill

PIACT and PIACT-YIP hosted its first Day on the Hill at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, on March 20, 2018. Throughout the day, PIACT- and PIACT-YIP-member agents met with Connecticut General Assembly representatives and their staff to discuss important insurance issues for the state.

This included presenting the 2018 PIACT/PIACT-YIP Legislator of the Year to Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-98. Scanlon received this year’s Legislator of the Year award because he co-sponsored a bill last year which became law, Public Act 17-140. This legislation was a top-priority legislative issue for PIACT, which regulates transportation network companies and taxis. The original bill was amended when PIACT and other organizations cautioned that the lack of definitions in the bill created insurance coverage gaps. The amended bill, which later became law, included a tiered-rating system that closed these gaps.  

Attendees of this year’s Day on the Hill also met with Senate Republican President Pro-Tempore Len Fasano (R-34) and Senate Majority Leader Matt Ritter’s (D-1), Chief Advisor and Legal Counsel Richard Baltimore and Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs Franklin Perry.

High on the agenda for PIACT and PIACT-YIP were issues that would assist the state’s independent insurance agents, as well as protections for Connecticut’s insurance-buying public. The top discussion item was a proposal that allows the Connecticut Insurance Department to grant at least six continuing-education credits to active, participating agent members of an insurance trade association. The proposal recently received a joint favorable report from the Insurance and Real Estate Committee and is currently heading to the Senate for further consideration.  Throughout the day, members were able to discuss these issues with legislators and voice their support for pending legislation.

PIACT and PIACT-YIP would like to thank our member volunteers who were able to take time to meet with the legislators this year. We look forward to another successful event next year.