| FROM THE COMMISSIONER |
Working with KAIA
Official rollout of the Education Initiative
K
AIA agents working with automobile policy clients who will be renewing their insurance in 2017 are reminded that liability coverage has changed.
The motor vehicle liability insurance minimum coverage for property damage on all Kansas policies is now $ 25,000. The previous minimum was $ 10,000.
House Bill 2446, passed by the Kansas Legislature during the 2016 session and signed into law by the governor, increased the coverage of loss. The law becomes effective on Jan. 1, 2017.
The new legislation is part of a continual review of our insurance laws. We want to make sure that insurance regulation is relevant to current situations.
Prior to the increase in the loss coverage, Kansas was in the lower range of states for required coverage. The law now gives more protection to vehicle insurance policyholders who are liable for property damage following an accident.
We appreciate your publicizing this information to your vehicle policyholders. It’ s just another way that we can all help communicate the complex world of insurance to those who purchase it.
Another session of the Kansas Legislature is just around the corner. The Kansas Insurance Department has been reviewing suggestions for insurance legislation, not only for our own possible introduction but for those bills to be introduced by organizations such as KAIA. We appreciate your input as agents on issues that affect you and your clients. If you have concerns or suggestions, please contact Clark Shultz, Deputy Commissioner,( 785)-296- 7803.
Education Initiative Update: The new insurance education initiative, coordinated through several Kansas colleges and universities, had an official rollout Oct. 5, and the startup progress is encouraging.
KEN SELZER Kansas Insurance Commissioner
For the fall semester 2016, approximately 80 students at the participating schools are enrolled in insurance-related core courses that advance them toward an Insurance Certificate. College graduates who complete the 12 hours of insurance-related coursework will hit the ground running as viable and knowledgeable candidates for jobs in the Kansas insurance industry.
Fort Hays State University, Washburn University, the University of Kansas-Edwards campus, and Johnson County Community College are current schools now offering the certificate program. Kansas State University and Pittsburg State University are expected to join the list in 2017.
We hope you will talk up the program to college students and their families that are your clients. You can learn more about the program by going online to www. ksinsurancecertificate. org.
License applications, renewals update: As of Nov. 17, KID was responsible for licensing 125,422 agents--23,161 resident agents and 102,261 non-resident agents. Each one of those agents goes through a licensing application or renewal process that includes background checks on each agent. That’ s a lot of information our licensing staff has to sift through. In order for that process to go smoothly, we encourage all new applicants and renewal agents to carefully complete and accurately answer all the questions to avoid any delay in the processing. If you have new applicants in your agency, please encourage them to follow the procedure so we expedite their applications.
We also encourage them to take advantage of the continuing education classes that KAIA offers. We appreciate KAIA’ s efforts in providing the courses to their members. It is a win-win situation for all of us connected to the insurance industry in Kansas.
| November- December 2016 | KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER
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