Capital District

PIANY immediate past President John Tomassi, CPCU, and past President J. Carlos "Shawn" Viaña met with Jonathan Pirro, director of policy, for Sen. James N. Tedesco, R-49; and Alejandro Avellaneda, legislative aide, for Sen. Michelle Hinchey, D-46.

Through these smaller district meetings, PIANY's representatives had the opportunity to meet one-one-one with legislators and their staffs to discuss PIANY's 2022 legislative initiatives. PIANY works tirelessly on behalf of independent agents, their businesses and the consumers and businesses they serve for the passage of a comprehensive legislative agenda for 2022.

The 2022 legislative agenda included several important consumer issues including:

• allow carriers to waive photo verification;
• simplify the requirements of agents and brokers placing business in the state’s excess-line marketplace;
• repeal of the anti-arson application requirement in New York City;
• standardize the definition of windstorm;
• protect consumers from carrier “bait-and-switch” activities;
• authorizing the NYSIF to pay commissions to licensed brokers; and
• oppose statutory bad faith.