Pre-Session Legislative Update

 A message from the President

The 2014 Legislative Session will convene on Tuesday, March 4, 2014.  FAPIA Leadership has been working very hard to make sure we continue to have a voice in the capital on the issues of importance to the small business owners and insurance and legal professionals who comprise our membership.

Last week I spent several days in Tallahassee with our lobbyists, coalition members and several legislators discussing agendas for the upcoming session. I reported that a bill had been filed containing language which would further reduce the professional fees the government will allow us to charge for the valuable, professional services we provide as public adjusters.  

I sent you all an update on some of the adverse media stories that were recently released and FAPIA's response. Some of our stories were picked up by the Insurance Journal and a Washington, D.C. realtor website.  Locally, the negative news broke and was widely circulated on the airwaves and online when it got picked up by an Associated Press reporter.  I also forwarded a bill that aims to reduce our fees, again.  

Traditionally this has been a very stressful time of year for our association due to the multitude of bill drafts that are submitted impacting our industry and the policyholders we represent.  I can report that we have a very good handle on things in Tallahassee thanks to the professional representation provided by our lobbying team of David Ramba and Senator Steven Geller.  I would also like to thank the legislative committee, board members and officers who have also traveled to Tallahassee in the last few months to advance the cause of our industry.  

Special thanks to the following individuals who have also answered the important call to action issued:

Welcome to the 

2014 FAPIAWall of Fame

  

Is your name on the 2014 Wall of Fame?  If not,  now is the time to correct that.  

We all must play a role in the preservation of our industry.  

Get involved and do your part by participating with any of the following:

• Join the FAPIA AMBASSADORS Program, 

• Send us a policyholder testimonial we can use to post on the www.whoisyourpublicadjuster.com  website.  This site will be prominently featured in press releases and letters to the editor leading up to and during the legislative session. 

• ANSWER THE CALL TO ACTION - and donate a MINIMUM of $10.00 per month and get your name added to the FAPIA 2014 Wall of Fame today!  Help support Public Adjusters for the Insuring Public with a minimum of $10.00 per month. Funds will be used to help support candidates and legislators who understand the importance of protecting small businesses like ours and who support the right of policyholders to have access to professional claims handling expertise, at their discretion. 

Donate a minimum of $10.00 per month - one time $120.00  

To make your donation by check or for any other amount - please click here 

• If you haven't already done so - Please Join or renew your FAPIA membership today.  Learn more about the value of FAPIA and join the ranks of membership in the only state association for public adjusters in Florida.   FAPIA has been fighting for your right to put your specialized skills to work for policyholders since 1993.

If you are reading this email chances are you are a public adjuster, an apprentice,  a legal professional who works with public adjusters or you operate a company that provides products or services for public adjusters.  

This is your Call To Action - We really need each one of you to make this minimum $10.00 per month commitment today.   If you can commit to more, we ask that you do so.

I was in Tallahassee last week while all over the state, many of us were still reeling from the bad news reports about a handful of public adjusters.  

Those alleged criminals do not represent the hard working and ethical public adjusters I know. The public adjusters I know are educated, have years of experience and have one objective - to do right by their policyholder client.   The trio arrested last week don't represent me and they don't represent you.

I was reminded about something Florida CFO Jeff Atwater said as our keynote speaker at the FAPIA Annual Conference held in Tampa last August.  Atwater stated, "The work of public adjusting is defined by the noble work of helping somebody navigate a path they have no way of knowing how to navigate themselves, and don't believe they can."  Referring to the unfair bad press that our industry sometimes receives, Atwater said, "You have some bad actors, everybody has some bad actors... but it doesn't define the work of public adjusters."

We continue to monitor the news media as well as pending legislative activity.   If you read any media stories or have any news tips to report, please forward them to [email protected].   Thank you again for your support and confidence as we attempt to get through the long and often tedious process we know as the legislative session, without over burdensome regulation of our industry. 

Please note - only FAPIA members will receive regular updates and issues of e-FAPIA beginning February 15th.  Make sure you stay informed by joining or renewing your membership today.  It's never been easier with the EZ Pay program offering small monthly or quarterly recurring payment options.  Call us  at 866-235-6489 if you have any questions.  But,  join us, today.

Paul Handerhan

Warmest Regards,

Paul Handerhan

President