WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 2 - The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America's (IIABA's) 27th Annual National Legislative Conference, the insurance industry’s largest and most effective legislative gathering, will be held April 2-4 at The Capital Hilton in downtown Washington, D.C.

The event will bring hundreds of independent insurance agents and brokers to the nation’s capital during the critical early months of the much-anticipated 108th Congress. Lawmakers will be debating numerous issues shaping the future of the independent agency system and the insurance industry as a whole, including insurance regulatory modernization, tort reform and privacy issues.

Highlights of the National Legislative Conference will include an in-depth issues briefing session; the annual IIABA Congressional Reception; appearances by numerous high-profile political speakers discussing important insurance and national issues confronting lawmakers and agents in Washington, D.C.; and hundreds of meetings on Capitol Hill between IIABA agents and brokers and their elected representatives.

Past National Legislative Conference speakers include the previous three presidents—Bill Clinton, George Bush and Ronald Reagan—and the last three Speakers of the House—current Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), and former Speakers Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and Tom Foley (D-Wash.). This year’s National Legislative Conference speakers will be announced as confirmations are received.

Copies of the National Legislative Conference registration and hotel reservation forms are now available.

Founded in 1896, IIABA is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance—property, casualty, life and health—as well as employee benefit plans and retirement products. Web address:  www.independentagent.com.

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