The leader of a major property-casualty insurance tradeorganization urged a group of state lawmakers yesterday to getbehind legislation now pending in Congress that would preemptelements of state insurance regulation.

Ernst Csiszar, president and chief executive officer of theProperty Casualty Insurers Association of America, told a meetingof the American Legislative Exchange Council in Washington that"the regulatory system is going to break, and we need to fix itbefore it does."

Speaking at ALEC's states and nation policy summit, the formerNational Association of Insurance Commissioners president said thatstate policymakers should seriously consider the benefits of theState Modernization and Regulatory Transparency Act, which couldcome before Congress next year.