To view in your web browser or for a printable version: http://www.pia.org/COMM/email/weekly/20190313CT/weekly.html

PIACT Annual
Convention flourishes

PIACT took over Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket last week for the association’s Annual Convention. Agents and brokers from all over the state enjoyed continuing education, trade show, networking and a newly added opening reception, which was a huge success. A full wrap-up of the event will be on the PIACT website, and  in the May issue of the PIA magazine.

PIACT names officers and directors for 2019-20

PIACT elected officers and directors during the association’s Annual Business Meeting on March 7 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket. The new officers who will lead PIACT in 2019-20 are: Mark R. Connelly, CIC, as president; Gerard Prast, CPIA, as president-elect; Nathan Shippee as vice president; Shannon Rabbett, CIC, as vice president; Bud O’Neil, CPIA, as treasurer;and J. Kyle Dougherty, CIC, as secretary. More … The following individuals were re-elected to serve for a three-year term on the PIACT board of directors: Marissa Barbera; Mark R. Connelly, CIC; Loretta Lesko, CIC; William F. Malloy Jr., CIC; Kevin P. McKiernan, CIC, CPIA; and Shannon Rabbett, CIC. More …

PIAdvocacy

Storm Info Central

DocIT, Drivers History provides violation activity at a fraction of the cost

PIACT education schedule

Add your staff to the PIA publications recipient list

PIA National Newsline

PIACT-YIP elects officers and directors

PIACT-YIP officers and directors were elected during the association’s Annual Convention on March 7, held at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket. The new officers for PIACT-YIP are: Kathleen Bailey, CPIA, ACSR, CLCS, as president; Anthony DeSalva, vice president-elect; Ryan Kelly, as vice president; Justin Sloan, as treasurer; Ryan Keating, as secretary. Elected to serve on the CTYIP board of directors are: Crystal Cathcart; Kathleen Bailey, ACSR, CLCS; Brad Barcusky; Scott Burns; Anthony DeSalva; Michelle Hinckley; Ryan Keating; Nick Khamarji; John Mastroianni; Jacklyn Meeker; Frank Pingelski; Justin Sloan; James Kannengeiser; Ryan Kelly; Brian Glasser; Matt Lynn; and Robyn Ricciardone.

Rabbett named Committee Chair of the Year

Shannon Rabbett, CIC, of Windsor, Conn., received PIACT’s Committee Chair of the Year award during the association’s Annual Convention. The award honors the PIACT volunteer who best demonstrates dedication and effort in chairing one of PIACT’s committees. Rabbett received this honor for her work as convention chairperson of the Association Programs Committee. Rabbett is principal of Rabbett Insurance Agency in Windsor, Conn. An active member of PIACT, Rabbett served as treasurer of the association for 2018-19, and is a past president of PIACT-YIP. She also is chairperson of the PIACT Budget & Finance Committee. In 2013 and 2015, she received the CTYIP Young Insurance Professional of the Year award.

PIACT discusses
data security with
CID commissioner

Recently, PIACT met with Connecticut Insurance Department Commissioner Andrew Mais and his staff to discuss data security and S.B.903. The bill would require all licensed insurance producers with 10 or more employees to develop an information security program designed to protect any personal information (e.g., Social Security numbers, credit-card numbers and addresses). While PIACT supports taking measured steps to protect personal information, the association urged the department to consider the cost of compliance for small businesses. PIACT submitted testimony to the Connecticut Insurance and Real Estate Committee and advocated raising the exclusion contained in the legislation from 10 to 20 employees, or creating a phased-in compliance deadline for small businesses. PIACT was represented by PIA Director of Government & Industry Affairs Bradford J. Lachut, Esq., and PIACT’s lobbyists Jim O’ Brien, Esq., and James Wolfe, Esq. PIACT will continue to work with the CID on this issue.

U.S. DOL proposal would increase the overtime salary threshold

The U.S. Department of Labor announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would make more than a million more American workers eligible for overtime. Under the proposal, the standard salary level would increase from $455 to $679 per week (equivalent to $35,308 per year).Under the current law, employees with a salary below $455 per week ($23,660 annually) must be paid overtime if they work more than 40 hours per week. Workers making at least this salary level may be eligible for overtime based on their job duties. This salary level was set in 2004. This new proposal would update the salary threshold using current wage data, projected to Jan. 1, 2020. For more information on the FLSA, see QS90833 in the PIACT QuickSource library.

Stop Work order issued
to 24 nail salons

The Connecticut Department of Labor announced that it issued 24 Stop Work orders this week after visiting 39 nail salons in eight towns throughout the state to ensure businesses were in compliance with Connecticut wage laws. According to the agency’s Division of Wage and Workplace Standards, nail salons in six towns were issued Stop Work orders for violations that included no workers’ compensation coverage, cash payments without maintaining required payroll records and misclassifying employees as independent contractors.

Question of the Week:
St. Patrick’s Day

PIACT would like to know: What is your favorite St. Patrick’s Day activity?

Eating corned beef and cabbage.

Wearing green.

The Shamrock Shake.

All of the above.

Ask PIA:
Named-storm deductibles

Q. I have sold policies that contain named-storm deductibles to my clients. If a news station gives a storm a name, what does this mean for my clients? Are they at risk of being hit with a deductible they were not expecting? A. PIACT Director of Government & Industry Affairs Bradford J. Lachut, Esq., answers this question in the video to the right. As a PIA member, you have access to the entire Ask PIA library of frequently asked questions and expert answers by PIA’s technical staff.

Get violation activity
at a fraction of the
cost of an MVR

DocIT^TM, a web-based pre-screening tool from Drivers History, is available in Connecticut. This innovative service—available only to PIA members—connects to local court records, giving you 24/7 access to real-time violation data for as low as 75 cents per transaction. DocIT will help you lower MVR expenses, pre-qualify applicants, improve loss ratios, grow your business and place your clients with the right carrier on the first try. Only order expensive MVRs once when the policy has been sold. Use at point of quote, use in new business underwriting, policy renewal evaluation and more.

PIACT education: E&O, managing trust accounts and more

Looking for quality education classes or PIA’s New Employee Orientation series? Think PIA first. PIACT offers a wide range of education sessions on salient topics, including the following open courses: Understanding & Usage of the NY Construction Certificate of Liability Insurance Addendum–ACORD 855 N.Y. (Thursday, March 21, PIA Webinar, CTCE: N/A); The Next Generation of E&O ^{^FF^UM} (Tuesday, March 26, PIA Webinar, CTCE: 3PC); How to Manage Trust Accounts (Friday, April 5, from 8:15-9:15 a.m. and 12-1 p.m., PIA Webinar, CTCE: 1 PC); Certificates of Insurance and Additional Insureds: Dealing with the Challenges (Tuesday, April 9, PIA Webinar, CTCE: 3 PC); 2019 CIC Commercial Property Institute (April 10-11, Wyndham, Southbury, CTCE: 16 PC); and E&O Loss Prevention and Ethics–There is a Connection^{^FF^UM} (Friday, April 12, PIA Webinar, CTCE: 3 LRE). ^{^FF^UM—}This course has been approved for E&O loss-prevention credit by Utica Mutual and Fireman’s Fund. Call the PIA E&O Department for details. For more offerings, see the complete education schedule.

Register now: PIACT-YIP networking event at BAR

Join PIACT-YIP for an informal gathering at BAR New Haven following its board meeting, Thursday, May 2, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. There will be pizza, beer, tons of networking and fun! Register now.

Workers’ compensation endorsements

The Workers Compensation and Employers Liability Insurance (WC 00 00 00A) policy filed by the National Council on Compensation Insurance has three coverage parts in most jurisdictions: part one pays benefits required of the policyholder by the workers’ compensation law in the state(s) listed; part two pays for the policyholder’s legal liability attributed to an employee’s injury by accident or disease; and, part three provides limited coverage for employees injured in states other than those listed in part one. Each of these coverage parts has inherent complexities that are unique to this line of insurance. PIACT offers a resource kit to provide clarity and an understanding of the three workers’ compensation policy endorsements. To obtain a copy of the resource kit, access QS90880 in the PIACT QuickSource library.

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message. You have received this email because you are a valued member or affiliate of PIA and because we believe this information will be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive ANY email communication from PIA click here.