RIMS Public Policy and Advocacy 2023

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.

Mark Prysock is the RIMS General Counsel & VP of External Affairs. Lynn Haley Pilarski is the RIMS External Affairs Committee Chair and the Risk & Insurance Counsel for GM. In this episode, Mark and Lynn update us on the RIMS Legislative Summit 2023 to be held in Washington D.C. on October 25th and 26th. They explain why it is important for RIMS Advocacy Ambassadors to participate from every state in the U.S. They review the top RIMS legislative concerns and how you can become educated on these issues and discuss them knowledgeably with Congressional Staffers. They share their enthusiasm about this critical event and how it will benefit you to attend.

Listen in to learn about the legislative matters important to U.S. risk managers.

 

Key Takeaways:

[:01] About RIMScast.

[:35] About today’s episode, where we will discuss RIMS Advocacy and government affairs and the RIMS Legislative Summit 2023 with Lynn Haley Pilarsky and Mark Prysock.

[1:00] All about exciting, upcoming RIMS events! Registration is open for the RIMS Canada Conference 2023, which will be held September 11th–14th in Ottawa! Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for details.

[1:21] For those of you based in Canada, Justin wants to hear from you about a game show he will be hosting on September 13th. A link to a 15-question survey is in this episode’s notes. Justin needs your honest feedback, so he can say, “Survey says: …” Please check out the links in this episode’s notes!

[1:45] On September 14th, the Spencer Educational Foundation returns to New York City for its Annual Funding Their Future Gala. The event will be held at the Cipriani on 42nd Street. A link is on this episode’s notes. You can also visit SpencerEd.org.

[2:01] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held October 4th–6th in Vail, Colorado. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com for more information and to register.

[2:14] Head to the RIMS.org/Advocacy page to find information about The RIMS Legislative Summit, which is returning to Washington, D.C. on October 25th and 26th.

[2:27] We are very excited about the RIMS ERM Conference 2023, which will be held November 2nd and 3rd in Denver, Colorado! The theme is Elevate and Evolve. The Conference will be different than years past with some great changes; book your travel plans now! Visit the Events page of RIMS.org or the links in this episode’s notes.

[2:55] RIMS has several key items that need to be addressed by the U.S. Government to protect the interests of the risk profession. These topics include cybersecurity, terrorism, and floods.

[3:08] Here to discuss these critical topics are RIMS External Affairs Committee Chair, Lynn Haley Pilarksy and RIMS General Counsel and VP of External Affairs, Mark Prysock. We will discuss how these topics will play a huge role when RIMS returns to Capitol Hill during the RIMS Legislative Summit on October 25th and 26th.

[3:29] Lynn Haley Pilarksy and Mark Prysock, welcome back to RIMScast!

[4:15] Lynn Haley Pilarksy is Counsel, Risk Management Insurance for General Motors, and the LTM Sales Risk Manager. She is President of RIMS Detroit and the Chair of the RIMS Public Policy Committee. She’ll sleep after her renewals are done!

[4:57] Mark Prysock is the General Counsel and Vice President of Public Policy at RIMS. His responsibilities include staffing the Public Policy Committee, which oversees RIMS’ legislative efforts; also staffing the RISK PAC Trustees Committee.

[6:07] Mark believes we are heading toward a government funding crisis. If the government shuts down, the National Flood Insurance Program will temporarily not be funded. RIMS is a big supporter of the NFIP program, and it is hanging in the balance.

[8:57] Lynn agrees on the importance of the NFIP, given recent hurricanes. RISK PAC is well-received when they speak to Congress on the NFIP. Congress understands the importance of having the NFIP in place. It’s critical for people who live, work, and have property in flood zones. It’s a good conversation for RISK PAC to have in Congress.

[9:55] RISK PAC also always tries to talk about how NFIP coverages can be improved and enhanced and the legislation around them should be changed. Can we improve mapping? Some of the NFIP maps are from the 1960s. Topographies change over time so it’s important to have these systems updated so the risks are reflected accurately.

[10:40] Lynn says RISK PAC also talks to Congress about reinsurance and if the government can have some policies on expanding the role of reinsurance. Congress supports the NFIP but it’s tied to the government funding. RISK PAC is asking to get the NFIP reauthorized as part of the upcoming funding bill.

[11:26] Mark comments on the Republican strategy of presenting separate funding bills instead of an all-or-nothing omnibus bill. They want to look at programs individually and identify places where funding can be cut. There is a series of 12 House bills in process.

[13:06] Mark says data privacy is another 2023 RIMS priority. There are a lot of industries and association groups engaged in the issue of data privacy. RIMS plays an important role in the discussion of creating a national data privacy standard rather than state-specific standards which are problematic for companies in multiple jurisdictions.

[14:54] Lynn notes that the Pandemic Risk Insurance Act (PRIA)  was top-of-mind during the past two years. There is no broad legislative support for it now. RIMS still follows it and is part of a business coalition supporting it but is not presently advocating for it.

[15:54] These priorities will be mirrored at the RIMS Legislative Summit, which will be back on the Hill on October 25th and 26th, 2023. Mark and Lynn will both be there.

[16:15] Lynn’s favorite thing to talk about is RIMS member involvement in the RIMS Legislative Summit and legislative activism. The Legislative Summit is the best way for risk managers and others in the risk community to speak directly to members of Congress and their staffs about issues important to the risk profession.

[16:52] Lynn calls the Legislative Summit an incredible event. She invites anyone with an interest in advocacy to attend in October. In Lynn’s opinion, it is the most rewarding thing that you can do as a risk professional. She is very enthusiastic about it! You meet with staffers, and they are the eyes and ears of the members of Congress.

[18:28] RIMS plug time! Sponsor an episode of RIMScast! Contact us at pd@rims.org. For upcoming virtual workshops visit RIMS.org/virtualworkshops for the calendar. 

Fundamentals of Insurance is a two-day virtual workshop hosted by Elise Farnham, September 12th–13th.

[19:11] Managing Data for ERM is a three-module course that begins September 21st.

[19:18] Optimizing Risk Management with Artificial Intelligence will be led on September 28th by Pat Saporito. Recent RIMScast guest Chris Hansen will be leading Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability, and Employment Practices in the US on November 7th and 8th. Be sure to register for that course!
[19:50] Information about these sessions and others is on the RIMS Virtual Workshops page. Check it out and register!

[19:59] For anyone attending RIMS Canada on September 10th and 11th, we will host an in-person RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep In-Person Workshop in Ottawa, and it will be led by former RIMS President Chris Mandel. The next virtual CRMP workshop will be September 26th and 27th and it will be led by Joseph Milan.

[20:27] Visit RIMS.org/Certification for these and future workshops. A link is also in this episode’s show notes, as is a link to the full Virtual Workshop calendar.

[20:39] There is a new RIMS webinar called A Decade of Disconnect: Understanding Multi-Generational Mental Health in the Workplace. It is sponsored by Travelers and Constitution State Services on September 7th, 2023 at 12:00 noon Eastern.

[21:06] On September 12th, our friends at TÜV SÜD GRC are back with Seeing the Unseen: nVent's Proactive Approach to Fire Risk Detection With Infrared Imaging On September 26th, Gallagher returns to present A Road Less Challenged? An Outlook on the Management Liability Market at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

[21:28] Visit RIMS.org/Webinars to learn more about these webinars and to register! Links are on the show notes. Webinar registration is complimentary for RIMS members.

[21:55] The RIMS Legislative Summit is open to RIMS members who are based in, or who have operations in, the U.S. Lynn speaks about advocacy ambassadors from RIMS chapters and meetings for them. If your chapter doesn’t have an advocacy ambassador, is there a rising young member or student you can sponsor? It’s a learning opportunity.

[24:42] Mark is on the RIMS Legislative Summit agenda. He is going to help people feel comfortable when they go to the Hill to meet with members of Congress and their staff. Wednesday, October 25th is going to be RIMS Education Day, with panels such as key points of our legislative issues to lobby, and a mixed Congressional Staff panel.

[26:07] The U.S. Treasury has asked if they could send a panel from the Federal Insurance Office to talk about initiatives they’ve been working on. There will be a panel on the insurance industry perspective on what’s happening in D.C. right now.

[26:49] RIMS is now in the The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), on their Advocacy Council. They work to identify issues that impact the association community. The Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act would liberalize the use of 529 College Savings Funds for certification and credentialing programs.

[27:41] That use could be hugely beneficial to risk managers in particular. RIMS has a CRMP certification. If the 529 rules were liberalized, it would benefit RIMS members. Mary Kate Cunningham, the VP of Public Policy at ASAE, will speak about that legislation at the Summit.

[28:31] Wednesday evening there will be the reception and dinner, with Keynote Speaker John E. Sununu, a member of the Sununu clan in New Hampshire. John E. Sununu is a former member of the House of Representatives and a former Senator. His brother is the governor of New Hampshire. His father served in the Bush administration.

[29:50] Thursday is Lobby Day. All attendees will take talking points of key legislative issues to the Hill. They will meet with Congressional staff. It is better to meet with the right staffer than with a member, as the staff wants to hear from constituents affected by the legislation, and they have a better grasp on the legislation than the members do.

[31:33] Lynn tells about her first Education Day. The panels and the educational topics will get you ready for a day of lobbying Congress on legislative issues. You will understand what the issues are. You will have handouts to study for your session and leave behind to give the staffers. When you’re done, you will feel very empowered.

[33:09] Justin tells how great his first Summit experience was, in 2018.

[33:48] Mark says this Education Day will be taking place at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce building. It is a beautiful, iconic building.

[34:43] Lynn’s parting thought: Bring comfortable shoes! Be prepared to walk! This isn’t a place to wear new shoes!

[35:09] Mark’s parting thought: If you haven’t been to the Legislative Summit, and you’re not sure you’ll be comfortable in the role of a lobbyist for RIMS, I want to assure you that you are the person that the Congressional staffers want to talk to. They want to hear from constituents who are being directly impacted by the issues they’re discussing.

[35:58] The link to register is RIMS Legislative Summit and in the episode’s show notes. Remember to visit RIMS.org/Advocacy. Justin thanks Mark and Lynn for rejoining us here on RIMScast, to share their perspective.

[36:28] Special thanks again to Mark Prysock and Lynn Haley Pilarsky. Register for the RIMS Legislative Summit on October 25th and 26th in Washington D.C. The agenda is available now. Go to RIMS.org/Advocacy and there you can learn more about our advocacy efforts, including details on the RISK PAC.

[36:37] Go to the App Store on your phone and download the RIMS App. This is a special members-only benefit. Everybody loves the RIMS app!

[37:06] You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in our show notes. RIMScast has a global audience of risk professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let’s collaborate! Contact pd@rims.org for more information.

[37:48] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. The RIMS app is available only for RIMS members! You can find it in the App Store.

[38:12] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today’s risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more.

[38:28] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com and in print, and check out the blog at RiskManagementMonitor.com. Justin Smulison is Business Content Manager. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org.

[38:49] Justin thanks you for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!

 

Mentioned in this Episode:

NEW FOR MEMBERS! RIMS Mobile App

RIMS Legislative Summit – Oct 25 & 26, Washington, D.C.

RIMS Advocacy

RIMS Canada 2023 — Sept. 11–14 in Ottawa!

RIMS Canada 2023 — Game Show Survey! Participate today!

RIMS ERM Conference 2023 | Nov 2–3 in Denver, CO!

Nominate a practitioner or risk group for the ERM Award of Distinction!

Spencer Educational Foundation — Funding Their Future Gala — Sept. 14, 2023

RIMS Western Regional — Oct 4–6, Vail Colorado

RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP)

Dan Kugler Risk Manager on Campus Grant

RIMS Webinars:

A Decade of Disconnect: Understanding Multi-Generational Mental Health in the Workplace | Sponsored by Travelers | Sept. 7, 2023

Seeing the Unseen: nVent's Proactive Approach to Fire Risk Detection With Infrared Imaging | Sponsored by TÜV SÜD GRC | Sept. 12, 2023

A Road Less Challenged? An Outlook on the Management Liability Market | Sponsored by Gallagher | Sept. 26, 2023
RIMS.org/Webinars
Upcoming Virtual Workshops:

Fundamentals of Insurance | Sept 12–13

Optimizing Risk Management with AI | Sept. 28

Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability and Employment Practices in the US | Nov 7

See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops
Upcoming Virtual Workshops:

Fundamentals of Insurance | Sept 12–13

Optimizing Risk Management with AI | Sept. 28

Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability and Employment Practices in the US | Nov 7

See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops

RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep at RIMS Canada 2023
September 10–11, 2023
9:00 am–4:00 pm EDT
Ottawa, ON, Canada
All RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops
Related RIMScast Episodes:

Public Policy Goals with CIAB President Joel Wood (2023)

Keeping Up With RISKPAC (2022)

Sponsored RIMScast Episodes:

“Subrogation and the Competitive Advantage” | Sponsored by Fleet Response (New!)

“Cyberrisk Outlook 2023” | Sponsored by Alliant (New!)

“Chemical Industry: How To Succeed Amid Emerging Risks and a Challenging Market” | Sponsored by TÜV SÜD

“Insuring the Future of the Environment” | Sponsored by AXA XL

“Insights into the Gig Economy and its Contractors” | Sponsored by Zurich

“The Importance of Disaster Planning Relationships” | Sponsored by ServiceMaster

“Technology, Media and Telecom Solutions in 2023” | Sponsored by Allianz

“Analytics in Action” | Sponsored by Alliant

“Captive Market Outlook and Industry Insights” | Sponsored by AXA XL

“Using M&A Insurance: The How and Why” | Sponsored by Prudent Insurance Brokers Ltd.

“Zurich’s Construction Sustainability Outlook for 2023”

“Aon’s 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season Overview”

“ESG Through the Risk Lens” | Sponsored by Riskonnect

“A Look at the Cyber Insurance Market” | Sponsored by AXA XL

“How to Reduce Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Risks” | Sponsored by TÜV SÜD

“Managing Global Geopolitical Risk in 2022 and Beyond” | Sponsored by AXA XL

RIMS Publications, Content, and Links:

RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community!

RIMS Virtual Workshops

On-Demand Webinars

Risk Management Magazine

Risk Management Monitor

RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP)

RIMS-CRMP Stories — New interview featuring Roland Teo!

Spencer Educational Foundation

RIMS DEI Council

RIMS Path to the Boardroom

RIMS Events, Education, and Services:

RIMS Risk Maturity Model®

RIMS Events App Apple | Google Play

RIMS Buyers Guide

Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.

 

Want to Learn More?

Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org and listen on Apple Podcasts.

Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.

 

Join the Conversation!

Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

 

About our guest, Lynn Haley Pilarski

Lynn Haley Pilarski, Senior Manager, General Motors Corporate Risk Management & Insurance. Lynn joined General Motors in 1998. Currently, Lynn is the GM Global Contract Manager responsible for drafting insurance terms and conditions for all commercial contracts. Lynn also manages the placement and administration of management liability programs and associated claims activities. Prior to joining GM, Lynn practiced law in the area of insurance and product liability. Lynn received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Michigan State University and a Juris Doctorate from Michigan State University - Detroit College of Law. Lynn also holds an ARM and CPCU from the American Institute for Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters. Lynn is currently the President of RIMS Detroit and the Chair of the RIMS External Affairs Committee. Lynn is the 2021 recipient of the Richard W. Bland Memorial Award which recognizes a RIMS member’s commitment to the insurance industry’s legislative or regulatory interests. Lynn is a frequent speaker at Risk Management events.

 

About our guest, Mark Prysock

 

Mark Prysock has 15 years of experience serving as in-house counsel for professional associations in Washington, DC, and New York. His specialties are Corporate governance, employment matters, contract drafting, and negotiation.

 

Tweetables (For Social Media Use):

 

“The most significant political development in D.C. is the looming possibility of a government shutdown. … If that happens and a Continuing Resolution … is not passed, then … the National Flood Insurance Program will temporarily not be funded.” — Mark Prysock

 

“When we do go and speak to the Members of Congress and their staffers, generally [the National Flood Insurance Progam] is a well-received topic. People definitely understand the importance of having the NFIP in place.” — Lynn Haley Pilarski

 

“I think data privacy is an issue. … RIMS is really looking for sort of a place to play in that field or that issue. There are a lot of different industries and association groups that are engaged on data privacy.” — Mark Prysock

 

“After listening to the panel and spending the day in the educational topics, I was ready. The full day will prepare you so that you understand what the issues are. … You will feel very comfortable when you go..” — Lynn Haley Pilarski