On April 3, 2012, Governor Tom Corbett signed House Bill 424 into law as Act 21 of 2012, amending the act of December 20, 1983 (P.L.260, No.72) referred to as the Public Adjuster Licensing Law.  This new law represents the first significant Pennsylvania legislation in more than 28 years covering Public Adjusters and provides for new definitions, removes other definitions, updates licensing requirements, specifies continuing education requirements, provides for penalties, etc.
 
The American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters ("AAPIA"), through the leadership of its President/CEO Gene G. Veno, along with other stakeholders, concerned associations and representatives, was instrumental in affecting this important legislation for the public adjusting industry, by AAPIA offering testimony before the state legislative committees and working closely to assist the legislative leaders and staffs on this positive reform measure.
 
AAPIA has provided for our members a complete analysis of Act 21 -2012.  The analysis can be found here (login required).

There are many important changes that will take effect on September 30th, 2012 and this memo is to alert you to the changes so you can continue to maintain your professional public adjuster license in The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  Please note that we can only send a general recap of the new licensing law but members of AAPIA can login to the member's only section and obtain the full and complete analysis of ACT 21-2012.

AAPIA worked hard for the public adjuster industry to insure all of your rights and privileges would be included in this new law.  We at AAPIA believe that our efforts resulted in favorable legislation that now becomes the new law on September 30, 2012.

Please see Mr. Gene G. Veno at the Governor's Bill Signing in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 
Thank you for your continued support of The American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters.

Best in life always,
 
Gene G. Veno
President & CEO
AAPIA   

• Eliminates the solicitor license so there is no longer a public adjuster solicitor.
• Creates a business entity application form approved by DOI used by a business entity to apply for a public adjuster license.

• Requires fingerprinting of licensure applicants for DOI to receive national criminal history records information from a division of the FBI.

• Raises the maximum civil penalty from $1,000 to $5,000 for each violation of the act.
• Increases criminal penalties for some willful violations (i.e., fraud, misleading conduct, material misrepresentation of terms/effect of an insurance contract, misappropriation or conversion, etc.) of the act. 

Effective Date:

• The act takes effect in 180 days, or on September 30, 2012.

To read more, please see our Complete Analysis.