​(DeWitt, New York, June 24, 2014) — The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York today praised state lawmakers for including a role for insurance producers in a new task force on natural disasters. The New York State Assembly and Senate approved a measure creating the task force last week.

The legislation (Assembly Bill No. 1093-C, Senate Bill No. 4235-B) would create a 23-member task force charged with examining:

• How insurance companies doing business in New York respond to disasters
• How state agencies, such as the Departments of Financial Services and Homeland Security and Emergency Services can assist in that response; and
• Whether individual policyholders and communities have adequate insurance.

The bill requires the superintendants of financial services and homeland security and emergency services to be members. The governor will appoint the remaining 21 members – five of them on his own recommendation and the rest upon the recommendations of the leadership of both chambers of the legislature. The members must include representatives of:

• Insurance companies; 
• Local officials who are emergency responders; 
• Insurance claim adjusters; 
• Non-profit disaster relief organizations; 
• Consumer advocacy groups; and
• Independent insurance agents

Early versions of the legislation excluded independent insurance agents from the task force. At IIABNY’s urging, the bill’s sponsors amended it to ensure that one member will be an independent insurance agent. IIABNY worked closely with the sponsors to get this provision into the bill. Assemblyman James Skoufis (D-Woodbury) and Senator George Latimer (D-Rye) sponsored the bill in their respective chambers, along with several co-sponsors.

IIABNY Chair of the Board James D. Sutton, CPCU, AAI, CIC said, “Independent insurance agents were on the front lines during and after Superstorm Sandy in 2012. They have first-hand experience with the effects of natural disasters. Assemblyman Skoufis, Senator Latimer, and all their co-sponsors and colleagues should be commended for ensuring that independent agents will be represented on this task force. I thank them for their efforts and look forward to the results of the task force’s work.”

The bill will now go to Gov. Andrew Cuomo for his approval.