BIG I LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE RECAP
KAIA DELEGATION HELPS ADVOCATE FOR OUR INDUSTRY
KAIA volunteer leaders and staff attended the Big “ I ” Legislative Conference in Washington , D . C . the last week of April to educate members of the Kansas congressional delegation on issues important to our members . Attendees included the following :
• Bob Fee - Big “ I ” Immediate Past Chair
• Brock Elliott - Big “ I ” Young Agents Chair and KAIA Director At Large
• Doug Smart - Big “ I ” Crop Task Force
• Lucas Raleigh - KAIA President
• Kevin O ’ Brien - KAIA President-Elect
• Cindy Hower - KAIA National Director
• Haley Marsicek - Young Agents of Kansas – Vice Chair
• Jordan Crow - Young Agents of Kansas – Secretary
• Robert Richey - Richey Health Benefits
• KAIA Staff - Dave Hulcher , Beth Smoller , and Dan Murray
THE TOP ISSUES ON THE AGENDA
Protection of the Federal Crop Insurance Program : Critical to Kansas , the current Farm Bill expires on
September 30 , 2023 . A stable and effective Federal Crop Insurance Program is critical to our members and their communities . We oppose any cuts to crop insurance and continue to shine the light of agents doing more and more for the same compensation .
Opposition to FTC Non-Compete Proposal : The FTC has proposed a national prohibition on the use of most non-compete agreements . This is concerning because the sweeping proposal would preempt laws in nearly every state and the FTC is asserting it has the power to issue rules regulating competition . Our members don ’ t want to restrain employees from working in the industry , but they do need to protect their businesses and the investments they make in growing the agency .
Small Business Taxes & Risk Mitigation Through Tax Credits : The 20 % small business deduction passed as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act is scheduled to expire at the end of 2025 . With so many members structured as pass-through entities we asked for support to make these tax cuts permanent so members can continue to invest in expanding their business to better serve their communities . We also asked for support of legislation that would provide targeted tax credits for the proactive strengthening of homes and buildings against damages caused by natural disasters .
Federal Data Privacy Standards : The passage of Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act ( GLBA ) in 1999 established
28 KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER