News
AP: President Trump signs funding bill, ending shutdown
AP News has reported that President Trump has signed a bill to fund the government until Jan. 30, 2026, on the evening of Nov. 12, 2025. The shutdown was initiated in part over the majority of Democrat senators demanding the extension of expanded Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of 2025. The shutdown majorly impacted many facets of American life, including air travel and the disbursement of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds. The National Flood Insurance Program also lapsed due to the shutdown, and PIA Northeast New & Media provided guidance for what insurance agents should do in this scenario.
Holiday havoc: Thanksgiving insurance risks for your clients
Thanksgiving can be stressful: you have traffic, dealing with the logistics of getting the whole family together, a ton of guests if you’re hosting and all the prep work that goes into cooking a big feast. The holiday has no shortage of headaches, but the last thing you need is an insurance-related incident. Think food poisoning, cooking fires, car accidents and more. While it is unpleasant to think about now, dedicate some time before Turkey Day to head off some of these common threats, and talk with your clients to discuss their coverage options before the big day.
N.Y.: Online insurance verification bill signed into law
Gov. Hochul officially signed S.5331-A/A.4404-A into law—bring New York state into a new era of real-time insurance verification for motor vehicles. S.5331-A/A.4404-A establishes a statewide online insurance verification system that allows the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, law enforcement and other authorized officials to instantly confirm whether a vehicle is insured properly. This replaces New York state’s outdated batch-update system, which often led to insured drivers being mistakenly flagged as uninsured due to data lags. PIANY enthusiastically supported this legislation from the start, advocating for its passage to reduce administrative burdens and protect insured drivers from unnecessary penalties.
N.Y.: Warnings issued for incoming lake effect snow
Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York state urged caution ahead of lake effect snow set to impact portions of Western New York on Nov. 9, 2025. Winter weather advisories were issued for Sunday night into Monday morning, with three to six inches of snow forecasted for Chautauqua County and three to five inches possible in Niagara and Orleans counties and localized higher amounts possible. As winter gets closer, remember that PIA Northeast will keep its members updated on any winter storms that may affect the Northeast through its PIA Storm Info Central. The tool kit has numerous resources that you and your clients can use to prepare this winter.
N.Y.: PIWA names officers and directors; Burch president
The Professional Insurance Wholesalers Association elected its officers and directors for the 2025-26 administrative year on Nov. 4, 2025. The news officers and directors for 2025-26 are as follows: Kyle Burch, of W.H. Greene & Associates Inc., in East Aurora, N.Y., was elected president; Peter Burrous, of Johnson & Johnson in Charleston, S.C., will serve as vice president; Dennis Lee, CPCU, of Munich RE, New York, N.Y., will serve as treasurer; and Paige Troy, AINS, AIS, of Johnson & Johnson in Charleston, S.C., will serve as secretary. Newly elected to serve on the board for a two-year term are: Jonathan Schwartz, AIC, AMIM, ARe, ARM, CPCU, CIRS, RPLU, WCP®, of Bridge Specialty Group, New York, N.Y.; and Joseph Farella, CPCU, CRIS, AU, ASLI, of AmWins Insurance Brokerage, Ramsey, N.J.
Advocacy
PIA Northeast affiliates unite to challenge unfair Medicare compensation practices
PIA Northeast’s affiliates—PIANY, PIANJ, PIACT, PIANH and PIAVT—sent formal letters to their respective state insurance departments on Oct. 31, 2025, raising alarm over troubling carrier practices in the Medicare insurance space. This was prompted by reports of carriers slashing or eliminating commissions mid-year, often without warning. Each state association urged regulators to investigate, issue guidance and require transparency in carrier compensation policies moving forward. PIANH already has received a response from the New Hampshire Insurance Department: the NHID published a bulletin affirming that the conduct—if verified—may indeed violate New Hampshire Law.
N.J.: Protecting insurance producer independence
PIANJ has been sounding the alarm about a proposed regulation that could upend the independent insurance agency system. A new piece of legislation, S-4839, if passed, will address this issue. It states that if licensed insurance producers would operate under a written agreement identifying them as an independent contractor, then they would be one—no additional tests or criteria would be required. The bill also would apply to other regulated professionals—such as broker-dealers and investment advisers—but for New Jersey’s insurance community, its impact would be especially critical.
N.J.: Second e-bike bill introduced
A second bill addressing e-bike safety in New Jersey has been introduced. The bill, S-4834, if passed, would eliminate e-bike distinctions and redefine all pedal bikes with electric motors as “motorized bicycles.” That means whether a bike is pedal-assisted or throttle-powered, it would be subject to the same requirements as mopeds. If passed, S-4834 would require riders to register their motorized bicycles with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, carry liability insurance, obey all applicable traffic laws, and hold either a basic driver’s license (if 17 or older) or a motorized bicycle license (if 15 or older).
Technical
Custody over orphaned insurance policies
When someone dies, they just don’t leave behind their possessions: they also leave behind their insurance policies. Who gets custody of the auto and homeowners policy when the policyholder dies? Does anyone continue to be insured from that point on? To answer these questions, PIA Northeast members can access The orphan policy in the PIA QuickSource library.
Noticing rising insurance premiums? You aren’t alone
No, it isn’t your imagination: insurance premiums are rising across multiple sectors, including auto insurance. You may already have clients who are asking you questions about these sudden increases. To help address their concerns and provide some context, PIA Northeast members can access Do I have any control over my auto insurance premiums? and Agent talking points: Is your premium is increasing? Here’s why in the PIA QuickSource library.
N.Y.: WC code rules 59 and 60 educational pamphlet
The New York Compensation and Insurance Rating Board has released an educational pamphlet describing New York State Code Rules 59 and 60 programs and related data validation efforts.
Educating insurance agents
Quality education. PIA Northeast offers CE-approved designation programs. Find out more, and see the upcoming schedules, for the CIC, CISR, CPIA, CRM, CPRM and TRA designations.
The latest trends in commercial property insurance
Tackle the latest trends in commercial property insurance and learn innovative ways to maximize coverages in 2024-2025 CIC CP | Commercial Property Institute Webinar. This course will run from Nov. 19-20, 2025. The instructors for this course are Kathleen A. Fraley, CIC, CPIW; Christine Marciano, CIC, ITP, CLCS; and Catherine L. Trischan, CPCU, CIC, CRM, AU, AAI, CRIS, ARM, MLIS, TRIP. It has been approved for continuing-education credits in Connecticut (16 PC), New Jersey (16 GEN) and New York (115 BR, C3, PA, PC).
Register now
Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025: NH Symposium: Friendsgiving—Sponsorship opportunities
Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025: NY-YIP Buffalo Bills Tailgate
Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025: NJYIP Holiday Reception
Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025: IPALI x NY-YIP Holiday Party
Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026: CTYIP Holiday Social
Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026: NY-YIP MetroRAP Welcome Reception
Save the date
Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026: PIANY MetroRAP—Interested in sponsoring, exhibiting or advertising?
