BIG I LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE RECAP by Beth Smoller, KAIA
The independent agency channel has always been rooted in relationships, advocacy, and grassroots involved and those values were on full display at the 2026 Big“ I Legislative Conference in Washington, D. C.
KAIA was proud to participate in this year’ s conference alongside independent agents from across the nation to advocate for issues impacting our members, clients, and communities. Our team brought valuable, insightful perspectives to the conversations taking place on Capitol Hill, including expertise in wildfire mitigation, health care, and crop insurance.
The annual conference provided independent agents the opportunity to meet directly with members of Congress and their staff to discuss legislative priorities important to the insurance industry and the consumers we serve. While national issues often dominate media and the headlines, these face-to-face conversations are designed to remind lawmakers how federal legislation directly affects Kansas businesses, farms, families, and local economies.
This year’ s advocacy efforts focused on several key priorities identified by the Big“ I”, including legal reform, disaster mitigation, flood insurance modernization, terrorism risk insurance, and crop insurance.
Crop insurance was perhaps the timeliest topic discussed as the farm bill was scheduled to be worked and voted on the week after the legislative conference. Our team, led by Bryan Schmitz, SBS Insurance and member of the crop insurance task force, emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong safety net for agricultural producers. As hoped for, Congress passed the Farm Bill the week after the conference, and it included critical crop insurance provisions supported by the insurance industry. The timing served as a powerful reminder that our advocacy efforts truly
12 KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER