NCOIL VP To NAIC: Let's Discuss Open Meetings

An official of a state legislators' group, who has vocally opposed closed-door sessions by the nation's insurance regulators' organization, is renewing his effort to establish dialogue between the two bodies.

State Representative Brian Kennedy, D-Hopkinson, R.I., the vice president of the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL), made his request in a letter Tuesday to Walter Bell, Alabama insurance commissioner and president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Kansas City, Mo.

In the letter, Rep. Kennedy noted that as a follow-up to a July 12 telephone conversation prior to the National Conference of Insurance Legislators' summer meeting, he was emphasizing his belief that "it is important to have open and free dialogue between state legislators and our state insurance commissioners and supervisors as we attempt to work cooperatively to maintain a state-based insurance regulatory system in the United States." Mr. Kennedy is NCOIL's vice president and president-elect.

The letter made two proposals:

o The NAIC should consider repealing a policy statement on open meetings drafted in late 2002-early 2003, which permits closed sessions for "legislative strategy."

o Establish an NAIC dialogue with state legislators to be convened during NAIC quarterly meetings.

In his letter, Rep. Kennedy states: "I think it is important to bring transparency to these meetings and shed some sunshine on the NAIC's manner of conducting business."

The NAIC is reviewing the letter, according to NAIC spokesman Scott Holeman.

Last month at the NCOIL summer meeting a measure was adopted "opposing certain executive sessions of public policy officials."

The resolution urged the NAIC "to conduct all meetings, to the extent appropriate, in open session," and also "encourages state legislatures to amend their state open meetings laws...to address specific concerns regarding state officials attending out-of-state meetings of national organizations."

Some legislators have already said they plan to introduce legislation along those lines, and Rep. Kennedy suggested state lawmakers could pressure the NAIC by refusing to supply data the organization now obtains free of charge from states.