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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Insurance Department is considering whether insurance agents need more training.
Currently, the state's insurance agents are required to complete 12 hours of education every other year if they sell life, health, property or casualty insurance. Most states require 24 hours for insurance agents, according to the Kansas Insurance Department.
The Wichita Eagle reports (http://bit.ly/1KYaXGO ) the department wants to complete a study of the question in the fall and present recommendations to the Legislature in January. The department started gathering state-by-state data on continuing education after the close of the legislative session.
The Legislature has considered five bills in the last four years to raise the minimum education standard but none became law.
Clark Shultz, director of government and public affairs for the department, says it has not taken a stance on the issue before but wants to reach a conclusion about whether the state's requirement is adequate before the next legislative session.
Shultz said when the issue came up in previous years, "it seemed as though there was no clear cut path."
Trina Ceballos, executive director for Kansas Association of Professional Insurance Agents, said she wants a 24-hour educational requirement to bring Kansas in line with other states. She said she fears federal regulation of insurance agents if states have large requirement disparities.
Ann Myhr, senior director of knowledge resources for The Institutes, an insurance education organization, agrees that education is important for agents but said federal involvement is not a pressing concern. She said some groups fear a switch to federal regulation, but said there's no imminent threat to state-run insurance right now.
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Information from: The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, http://www.kansas.com
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