Georgia Big ‘I’ to Offer Flood Insurance Continuing Education

Flood insurance education to meet National Flood Insurance Program requirements is being offered by the Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia as part of its ongoing continuing education offerings.

A IIAG spokesperson said its goal in providing such classes is to avoid duplicative education requirements for agents who sell flood insurance. Part of the National Flood Insurance Program’s reauthorization requirements are that agents participate in state continuing education programs.

“Thanks to the Big I and its involvement in developing the language for the Flood Insurance Reform Act, FEMA was required to work with all interested parties, including insurance companies and agents, as well as state insurance regulators to establish training and education requirements and work to make sure that agents are not burdened with inconsistent state and federal training and education requirements,” the IIAG spokesperson said.

“More importantly, Big I also had language included that directed FEMA to “work to implement the training requirements through the states which already have continuing education processes in place.”
Prior to the insertion of this language, the education provisions were extremely broad and would have given FEMA unlimited latitude to create any form of education it chose potentially leading to burdensome and unnecessary requirements, which could lead to fewer agents selling flood insurance.

IIAG will provide necessary flood insurance education as part of its ongoing continuing education offerings. Education bulletins announcing the flood education class schedules will soon be posted on IIAG’s online education calendar at www.iiag.org. IIAG recommends “killing two birds with one stone,” by taking an IIAG flood class: meet the NFIP education requirement and get three hours of CE credit toward continuing education requirements for the Georgia agent’s license.