Around the PIA Western Alliance States – Week of March 9, 2026

Idaho — Use of Revised Accounting Practices and Procedures Manual and Valuation Manual of the NAIC:

This Bulletin provides guidance regarding the version of the NAIC’s Accounting Practices and Procedures Manual to be used by authorized insurers when preparing 2026 quarterly and annual financial statements filed with the Idaho Department of Insurance and the NAIC, pursuant to Idaho Code §§ 41-210(4), 41-335, and 41-336.

Additionally, this Bulletin provides guidance for minimum reserve requirements regarding the version of the NAIC’s Valuation Manual to be used by authorized insurers providing life insurance, accident and health (A&H) insurance, annuity contracts, and deposit-type contracts when calculating reserve amounts to be reported to the Idaho Department of Insurance and the NAIC, pursuant to Idaho Code § 41-612.

Unless otherwise prescribed or permitted, the March 2026 version of the NAIC’s Accounting Practices and Procedures Manual, which applies to the 2026 quarterly and annual financial statements, has been adopted by the Director.

Unless otherwise prescribed or permitted, the January 1, 2026, edition of the NAIC’s Valuation Manual, which applies to the 2026 quarterly and annual financial statements, has been adopted by the Director.

Pursuant to Idaho Code §§ 41-6305(1) and 41-6403(1), the NAIC’s Financial Analysis Handbook, 2025 Annual and 2026 Quarterly Edition, has been adopted by the Director.

This Bulletin is not new law but is an agency interpretation of existing law, except as authorized by law or as incorporated into a contract. Requests for additional information or other inquiries regarding this Bulletin can be directed to the Company Activities Bureau Chief/Chief Examiner, Eric Fletcher at 208-334-4230 or Eric.Fletcher@doi.idaho.gov.

Nevada — Workers’ Compensation Costs: The Nevada Division of Insurance has approved a 21.6% hike in lost costs increases. The adjustment is necessary because the cost of claims frequency has gone flat and the severity of claims has risen.

The National Council on Compensation Insurance’s (NCCI) chief actuary Donna Glenn said, “Nevada’s experience is unique, shaped by a combination of elevated large losses, flattening claim frequency, rising claim severity, and a payroll limitation that adds pressure on loss ratios during periods of strong wage growth.”

Source link: Business Insurance — https://bit.ly/4b3Ppz0

Oregon — Legislature Update from PIA Oregon Lobbyist United Strategies and Consulting: The Professional Insurance Agents of Oregon is a state-wide professional membership trade association. Our services are focused on the independent property and casualty agency that includes legislative advocacy and government affairs.

You are receiving this communication to update you on legislative activity in the state of Oregon. 

Your participation — whether through testimony, outreach, or financial support — plays a critical role in protecting and advancing the interests of independent agents across the state. We’re committed to advocating on your behalf, but we can’t do it alone.

We want to hear from you. Your experiences, concerns, and insights help shape our strategy and strengthen our impact.

The 2026 Legislative Session, defined by an ambitious policy agenda, a compressed timeline, and heightened political tensions, officially adjourned sine die at 4:18 pm on March 6, 2026.

Throughout the 33-day session, key discussions centered around transportation referral processes, responses to federal immigration and customs enforcement actions, federal tax code disconnect, and broader conversations about agency budget reductions as the state grappled with fiscal pressures. These issues required extensive negotiation and, at times, contributed to procedural slowdowns as leadership and caucuses worked through policy differences.

Operating under the constraints of Oregon’s short legislative session, lawmakers moved quickly to advance bills through committee hearings, work sessions, and floor votes. Deadlines arrived rapidly, resulting in long floor sessions and a fast-paced environment as legislators worked to move priorities forward before adjournment. As is often the case in a campaign year, the session also featured a notable increase in remonstrances and extended floor speeches, with members using floor time to articulate policy positions and speak directly to issues likely to resonate with constituents back home.

Despite the pressure of the timeline and occasional partisan friction, the legislature ultimately moved a significant number of measures forward while continuing to debate complex fiscal and policy questions.

Looking ahead, many of the session’s largest policy conversations are likely to carry forward into future legislative discussions. We will provide a final detailed summary of key legislation and outcomes March 20.

Oregon — National Consumer Protection Week is March 1-7: In observation of National Consumer Protection Week, the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) is partnering with local and national agencies to empower consumers to avoid, report, and recover from fraud.

“Financial fraud is an increasingly pervasive problem here in Oregon and across the country,” said TK Keen, Oregon insurance commissioner and DFR administrator. “Scammers are inundating Oregon consumers with romance, affinity, and investment scams and false claims that they owe money.”

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Oregonians lost over $133 million to fraud in 2025. National Consumer Protection Week is an annual initiative sponsored by the FTC bringing together federal, state, and local agencies, along with private and nonprofit partners, to provide resources and educational tools to help investors avoid scams and protect their financial well-being. DFR is coordinating, along with AARP, several Fraud Fighter events in April on the following dates:

·       April 11 in Springfield at the Riverbend Hospital

·       April 17 in Medford at Rogue Community College

·       April 28 in Portland at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)

Each of those events will begin at 8:30 a.m. with check-in, followed by a 9 a.m. to noon town hall with presentations, question and answer time, and panel discussions.

This week’s campaign is to remind people to slow down and verify information before acting. Fraud does not always look dramatic or complicated. It often looks ordinary – a text from a delivery company, a call from someone claiming to be your bank, a message from a grandchild in trouble. The common theme is urgency – to take immediate action.

Common fraud tactics

While schemes change over time, many rely on the same basic strategies:

·       Imposter scams: A caller claims to represent a bank, government agency, law enforcement office, or utility company. They may demand payment or ask for account information.

·       Account alerts and phishing texts: Messages warn of “suspicious activity” and direct you to click a link. The goal is to capture your login credentials or personal identification information.

·       Investment fraud: Promises of high or guaranteed returns, especially involving cryptocurrency or new trading platforms. Fraudsters often build trust before asking for money. These may even include fake investment platforms that disappear once the scammers have your money.

·       Romance scams: Someone builds a relationship online, then requests financial help for an emergency, travel costs, or investment opportunity.

·       Payment redirection: A message says you owe money and must pay with gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. Legitimate businesses and government agencies do not demand payment this way.

What to do before you respond

Fraud prevention does not require special tools. It requires a pause. Make time to verify who is contacting you, what the “emergency” is and where the money is going.

If you receive an unexpected call, text, or email:

·       Don’t click links or open attachments.

·       Don’t share account numbers, Social Security numbers, or one-time passcodes.

·       Hang up and contact the company directly using a verified phone number from its official website or your account statement.

·       Take time to think. Fraud often depends on urgency.

If someone asks you to move money quickly, buy gift cards, send cryptocurrency, or keep the request secret, recognize these as warning signs of potential fraud.

Protecting your financial accounts

Basic steps can help reduce risk:

·       Use strong, unique passphrases for financial accounts.

·       Enable multi-factor authentication when available.

·       Review bank and credit card statements regularly.

·       Check your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. (You can do this weekly!)

·       Place a free fraud alert or credit freeze if you suspect identity theft.

These actions will not eliminate all risk, but they make it harder for someone to misuse your information.

Investment and licensing checks

Before sending money for an investment or working with a financial services provider, verify that the person or company is properly licensed or registered in Oregon. Make certain that the investment platform you’re being asked to use is real. You can also call one of DFR’s consumer advocates at 888-877-4894 (toll-free) or email dfr.financialeserviceshelp@dcbs.oregon.gov.

A practical approach to prevention

Fraud prevention is not about being suspicious of everything. It is about building habits: Pause. Verify. Do not send money under pressure. National Consumer Protection Week is a reminder that consumer protection is a shared responsibility. Regulators like DFI enforce licensing laws and investigate complaints. Financial institutions monitor accounts. At the end of the day, however, individuals make the final decision to send money or share information.

A brief pause can interrupt a scam. That pause can protect not only your finances, but also your time and peace of mind.

Washington — PIA Washington Legislature Update: With most policy work done, the Legislature heads into the last week of session focused on budgets and taxes. Friday was the opposite-house floor cutoff, and most of the remaining bills reported below received floor action. If amended in the opposite house, the bills must return to their chamber of origin for concurrence, dispute, or conference committee to iron out differences. If passed in the form they came over, the bills head straight to the Governor for approval. Now that less than a week remains in the session, all remaining action will focus on budgets and taxes, with the House Finance Committee having met Saturday morning to consider several tax proposals assumed in the House and Senate operating budget proposals, including legislation to increase the tobacco tax, repeal the data center tax exemption, and repeal the tax preference for drug wholesalers. The committee ultimately advanced the bills related to the data center and drug wholesaler tax preferences but did not take action on the tobacco tax proposal. It is unclear how inaction on the tobacco tax bill could impact the budget negotiations.  The Senate Ways & Means Committee is meeting Monday and Tuesday. From there, it will be long days on the floor culminating in sine die adjournment on Thursday, March 12th.

Below are selected highlights from the past week, and a look at what’s to come in the final week. Additional bills being tracked, including those with upcoming action, are detailed in the attached bill report.

Taxes

    Income Tax: SB 6346 – the 9.9% “Millionaire’s Tax” – having cleared the Finance Committee the previous Friday, sat on the House floor all week while votes were counted and negotiations with Governor Ferguson took place. On Friday morning, a new striking amendment was released, with the Governor’s stated support, and the bill is rumored to be set for a floor vote on Monday. The striking amendment mostly re-allocates spending from the anticipated revenue to more of Governor Ferguson’s priorities, such as free meals for all K-12 students, an expanded Working Families Tax Credit and small business B&O relief, and the like. Notably, the proposal contains the Senate’s repeal of last year’s expanded sales tax on services, apart from advertising, and moves up that repeal to 2029. A related provision provides relief to non-profits, including trade associations, currently subject to sales tax on presentations and educational programming, and makes that repeal effective July 1 of this year. A coalition of business organizations primarily representing small business continues to strongly oppose the measure, citing insufficient protection of pass-through income. It is not confirmed that enough moderate House Democrats, wary of the proposal, have dropped their concerns or opposition, and internal vote-counting and whipping is transpiring through the weekend.   

    Local Government Taxing Authority:  HB 2442, expanding the use of local property tax revenues, authorizing a new 0.01 percent sales tax increase to fund child and family services, and expanding the authorized use of sales tax revenue by counties and cities, passed the Senate on Thursday on a tight 27-22 vote with bipartisan opposition. Given amendments by the Ways & Means Committee, it heads back to the House for concurrence or dispute.

    B&O Insurance Tax Exemption Removal: HB 2487, overturning the Envolve case by expanding the B&O tax to cover more activities of insurance companies currently subject to the premium tax, passed the House late Friday on a 51-44 vote after 29 floor amendments were disposed of. In the end, the bill was amended with a new striking amendment clarifying the exemption for annuity considerations, new intent language about avoiding double taxation, and some relief for insurers subject to the Advanced Computing Surcharge, as well as the ability to pay retroactive taxes on a payment plan. The bill heads to the Senate where it is set for public hearing in the Ways & Means Committee on Monday and a committee vote Tuesday.

    New Premium Tax Surcharge on Insurers: HB 2745, surcharging the insurance premium tax for one year from 2 percent to 2.75 percent to fund premium subsidies on the state healthcare exchange, was initially set for public hearing in the House Finance Committee this past Monday, but after an avalanche of opposition built over the previous weekend, it was pulled from hearing. This week, it momentarily showed up on the Senate Ways & Means hearing calendar for this coming Monday, but was pulled, citing an error. It appears dead for the session, but the desire for subsidy revenue remains very much alive. 

Sales Tax on Services

    SB 5814 Follow Up: SB 6113, the Department of Revenue’s “technical fix” bill, passed the House 92-4 on Friday, and heads back to the Senate for concurrence or dispute. This bill and its House companion at earlier stages of the process included some relief for associations subject to the sales tax for live online and in-person presentations, however, the latest House amendment removes these provisions. Rather, as noted above, they are being addressed in the income tax bill.   

Labor and Employment

    HB 2471, the NLRB “trigger” bill creating state-level labor relations regulation in the event federal law no longer pre-empts state law or the National Labor Relations Board declines or loses jurisdiction over labor disputes, passed the Senate on a 31-18 vote Wednesday, and has been delivered to the Governor for signature.

    HB 1155, banning non-compete agreements and limiting non-solicitation agreements, was voted off the Senate floor Thursday on a 30-19 vote. An amendment was adopted softening the non-solicitation restrictions, so the bill heads back to the House for concurrence or dispute. 

    HB 2105, the Attorney General’s Immigrant Worker Protection Act, requiring notice to current and former employees of a federal I-9 work eligibility audit, passed the Senate Thursday on a 27-21 vote. An amendment adopted in the Ways & Means Committee changed the 72-hour notice requirement to 5 business days and somewhat softened the penalties for non-compliance. It heads back to the House for concurrence or dispute.

Payroll-Tax-Funded Programs and Workers’ Compensation

    SB 5847, narrowing the Labor & Industries medical provider network and imposing penalties for employers found to have directed medical care, passed the House on Friday with a 67-28 vote, with floor amendments adopted requiring a trip back through the Senate for concurrence or dispute. The amendments addressed tangential issues elsewhere in the bill, and the Senate is likely to concur.

    SB 6136, requiring additional transparency in industrial insurance rate-setting, passed the House unanimously on Wednesday and heads to the Governor for signature.

    SB 5292, modifying the statutory basis for setting Paid Family & Medical Leave premium rates in favor of actuarial determination, passed the House Friday on a 95-1 vote, and heads to the Governor for signature.

Insurance

    SB 6248, adopting the NAIC model travel insurance regulation, passed the House Wednesday unanimously, and heads to the Governor for signature. 

    HB 2428, requiring proof of delivery for life insurance lapse notices, also passed the House unanimously on Wednesday and has been delivered to the Governor for signature.

Lobbying Services by Brewer Public Affairs, Christine Brewer.

Washington — Premium change transparency proposed rule posted: We have released the proposed rule language on R2024-07. The original premium change transparency rules were adopted in 2023 in Chapter 284-30A WAC. These adopted rules outlined administrative regulations to achieve transparency for policyholders receiving premium increases from insurers at renewal on insurance policies like residential property and private passenger auto. The Insurance Commissioner is proposing rules to create a new phase two with additional insurer requirements and to delay the implementation date of the original phase two, proposed as the new phase three, until 2029.

We scheduled a public hearing on the rule:

When: April 16, 2026, 9:00 a.m.

Where: Virtual Zoom Meeting

Comments on the proposed rule language are due by 11:59 p.m. on April 17, 2026. Please send comments to rulescoordinator@oic.wa.gov.

For more information, including the proposed rule language (CR-102), please visit the rule's webpage.

Washington — OIC releases proposed rule on Plan Year 2027 health carrier rate development components (premium alignment): We are releasing a proposed rule (CR-102) for our rulemaking regarding health carrier rate development components for plan years beginning in 2027. The policy contained in this proposed rule is sometimes referred to as “premium alignment” or “standardized silver loading.” 

In 2025, OIC adopted emergency rules on this issue (R 2025-01, R 2025-07, R 2025-15). Those emergency rules gave carriers guidance for Plan Year 2026 health carrier rate development components, including the development of a uniform cost-sharing reduction factor. 

This proposed rule addresses health carrier rate development components for plan years beginning in 2027.

We are requesting comments on this proposed rule by 11:59 pm Pacific Time on April 8, 2026. Please send comments to rulescoordinator@oic.wa.gov.

For more information, including the proposed rule (CR-102) text, please visit the rule webpage.

Washington — On Campus: Sen. Victoria Hunt and the assignment of benefits bill: On this episode of the OIC Answers podcast’s On Campus miniseries, Washington state Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer welcomes on Senator Victoria Hunt to discuss Senate Bill 6178.

Listen to On Campus with Sen. Victoria Hunt

The bill, requested Commissioner Kuderer and sponsored by Senator Hunt, increases protections for insurance consumers by banning post-loss assignment of benefits agreements (AOB). It passed the Senate unanimously but was not brought to the floor for a vote in the House.

An AOB allows a third party, like a contractor, to receive insurance payments directly from the consumer’s insurance company but also assume the rights of the policyholder — like negotiating with the insurance company.

These agreements are presented as a convenience for policyholders, but the practice has been abused in other states after natural disasters. When a consumer signs the agreement, their right to negotiate with the insurance company shifts to the repair professional and they lose control over their claim. This can lead to delays in the repair work as these disagreements are resolved, as well as inflated claim costs, unnecessary litigation, and higher premiums.

LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM — https://bit.ly/4rXLOZb