Business

ASAE Asks Congress to Establish Pandemic Risk Insurance Program

In a written statement to the Senate Banking Committee, ASAE asked Congress to support the Pandemic Risk Insurance Act, which would create a system of shared public and private compensation for business-interruption losses resulting from future pandemics or public health emergencies.

ASAE submitted a written statement [PDF] for a Senate Banking Committee hearing on September 8, urging Congress to establish a public-private pandemic risk insurance program.

The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing was on “Current Issues in Insurance,” and the Pandemic Risk Insurance Act (PRIA) endorsed by ASAE and other members of the Business Continuity Coalition came up frequently in the discussion. Other topics touched on in the hearing included private equity companies’ involvement in the insurance market, the Insurance Capital Standard (ICS), cyber insurance, and flood insurance.

PRIA, introduced last year by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, would create a system of shared public and private compensation for business-interruption losses resulting from future pandemics or public health emergencies.

Associations—which were forced to cancel numerous in-person meetings, conferences, tradeshows, and other revenue-driving events during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic—are highly invested in securing a federally backstopped pandemic risk insurance program to mitigate losses should another pandemic occur.

“Associations, event venues, hospitality providers, and the millions of companies and employees they support need pandemic risk insurance to protect jobs and our community’s far-reaching economic impact,” ASAE said in its written statement. “Associations promote all industries and professions through myriad revenue-generating events, such as conventions, tradeshows, and business meetings.”

ASAE noted that communicable disease coverage for event cancellations was available in February 2020 but is “virtually nonexistent today.”

“As a result, associations and other employers have no recourse but to face untenable risk should another pandemic strike,” ASAE said.

(Nuthawut Somsuk/iStock/Getty Images)

Chris Vest, CAE

By Chris Vest, CAE

Chris Vest, CAE is vice president, corporate communications and public relations at ASAE. MORE

Got an article tip for us? Contact us and let us know!


Comments