PIANY Hires New Lobbyist, Sets Agenda

By Daniel Hays

NU Online News Service, Dec. 21, 1:08 p.m. EST?The Professional Insurance Agents of New York State Inc. has retained a powerful lobbying firm to push its agenda at the state capitol.[@@]

PIANY said it has hired Albany, N.Y.-based Patricia Lynch Associates. Ms Lynch is a former spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan.

The PIANY said in 2005 it hopes to push through changes that will improve the chances of passage for a bill that requires that loss and premium histories be provided to policyholders at the same time they are given termination notices.

A spokesman for the group said this should help consumers in searching for new insurance coverage.

PIANY said it also will pursue raising the threshold amount for property damage accident surcharges. The group said it will seek more clarity in the definition of timely premium payments by bank-administered escrow accounts.

The PIANY said it also plans to "ratchet up pressure" to have the New York FAIR plan operation, called the New York Property Insurance Underwriting Association, made permanent.

NYPIUA is a pool that provides coverage for homeowners and businesses which have difficulty securing coverage. Enabling legislation for NYPIUA has frequently been allowed to expire, held hostage while the Republican-led Senate and Democrat-controlled Assembly bicker over insurance legislation and other items.

PIANY said it will be working for auto insurance reforms, labor law changes and workers' compensation reforms.

In the area of comp reform, the group said that it wants to avoid any scenario where rate decisions, benefit changes, or both, cause comp costs to exceed revenues, which increases the growth of the State Insurance Fund.

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PIANY Hires New Lobbyist, Sets Agenda

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