[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 103 (Monday, June 25, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H7030-H7033]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NONADMITTED AND REINSURANCE REFORM ACT OF 2007
Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 1065) to streamline the regulation of nonadmitted
insurance and reinsurance, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1065
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the
``Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act of 2007''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
Sec. 2. Effective date.
TITLE I--NONADMITTED INSURANCE
Sec. 101. Reporting, payment, and allocation of premium taxes.
Sec. 102. Regulation of nonadmitted insurance by insured's home State.
Sec. 103. Participation in national producer database.
Sec. 104. Uniform standards for surplus lines eligibility.
Sec. 105. Streamlined application for commercial purchasers.
Sec. 106. GAO study of nonadmitted insurance market.
Sec. 107. Definitions.
TITLE II--REINSURANCE
Sec. 201. Regulation of credit for reinsurance and reinsurance
agreements.
Sec. 202. Regulation of reinsurer solvency.
Sec. 203. Definitions.
TITLE III--RULE OF CONSTRUCTION
Sec. 301. Rule of Construction.
SEC. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.
Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Act, this
Act shall take effect upon the expiration of the 12-month
period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
TITLE I--NONADMITTED INSURANCE
SEC. 101. REPORTING, PAYMENT, AND ALLOCATION OF PREMIUM
TAXES.
(a) Home State's Exclusive Authority.--No State other than
the home State of an insured may require any premium tax
payment for nonadmitted insurance.
(b) Allocation of Nonadmitted Premium Taxes.--
(1) In general.--The States may enter into a compact or
otherwise establish procedures to allocate among the States
the premium taxes paid to an insured's home State described
in subsection (a).
(2) Effective date.--Except as expressly otherwise provided
in such compact or other procedures, any such compact or
other procedures--
(A) if adopted on or before the expiration of the 330-day
period that begins on the date of the enactment of this Act,
shall apply to any premium taxes that, on or after such date
of enactment, are required to be paid to any State that is
subject to such compact or procedures; and
(B) if adopted after the expiration of such 330-day period,
shall apply to any premium taxes that, on or after January 1
of the first calendar year that begins after the expiration
of such 330-day period, are required to be paid to any State
that is subject to such compact or procedures.
(3) Report.--Upon the expiration of the 330-day period
referred to in paragraph (2), the NAIC may submit a report to
the Committee on Financial Services and Committee on the
Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate
identifying and describing any compact or other procedures
for allocation among the States of premium taxes that have
been adopted during such period by any States.
(4) Nationwide system.--The Congress intends that each
State adopt a nationwide or uniform procedure, such as an
interstate compact, that provides for the reporting, payment,
collection, and allocation of premium taxes for nonadmitted
insurance consistent with this section.
(c) Allocation Based on Tax Allocation Report.--To
facilitate the payment of premium taxes among the States, an
insured's
[[Page H7031]]
home State may require surplus lines brokers and insureds who
have independently procured insurance to annually file tax
allocation reports with the insured's home State detailing
the portion of the nonadmitted insurance policy premium or
premiums attributable to properties, risks or exposures
located in each State. The filing of a nonadmitted insurance
tax allocation report and the payment of tax may be made by a
person authorized by the insured to act as its agent.
SEC. 102. REGULATION OF NONADMITTED INSURANCE BY INSURED'S
HOME STATE.
(a) Home State Authority.--Except as otherwise provided in
this section, the placement of nonadmitted insurance shall be
subject to the statutory and regulatory requirements solely
of the insured's home State.
(b) Broker Licensing.--No State other than an insured's
home State may require a surplus lines broker to be licensed
in order to sell, solicit, or negotiate nonadmitted insurance
with respect to such insured.
(c) Enforcement Provision.--Any law, regulation, provision,
or action of any State that applies or purports to apply to
nonadmitted insurance sold to, solicited by, or negotiated
with an insured whose home State is another State shall be
preempted with respect to such application.
(d) Workers' Compensation Exception.--This section may not
be construed to preempt any State law, rule, or regulation
that restricts the placement of workers' compensation
insurance or excess insurance for self-funded workers'
compensation plans with a nonadmitted insurer.
SEC. 103. PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL PRODUCER DATABASE.
After the expiration of the 2-year period beginning on the
date of the enactment of this Act, a State may not collect
any fees relating to licensing of an individual or entity as
a surplus lines broker in the State unless the State has in
effect at such time laws or regulations that provide for
participation by the State in the national insurance producer
database of the NAIC, or any other equivalent uniform
national database, for the licensure of surplus lines brokers
and the renewal of such licenses.
SEC. 104. UNIFORM STANDARDS FOR SURPLUS LINES ELIGIBILITY.
A State may not--
(1) impose eligibility requirements on, or otherwise
establish eligibility criteria for, nonadmitted insurers
domiciled in a United States jurisdiction, except in
conformance with section 5A(2) and 5C(2)(a) of the Non-
Admitted Insurance Model Act; and
(2) prohibit a surplus lines broker from placing
nonadmitted insurance with, or procuring nonadmitted
insurance from, a nonadmitted insurer domiciled outside the
United States that is listed on the Quarterly Listing of
Alien Insurers maintained by the International Insurers
Department of the NAIC.
SEC. 105. STREAMLINED APPLICATION FOR COMMERCIAL PURCHASERS.
A surplus lines broker seeking to procure or place
nonadmitted insurance in a State for an exempt commercial
purchaser shall not be required to satisfy any State
requirement to make a due diligence search to determine
whether the full amount or type of insurance sought by such
exempt commercial purchaser can be obtained from admitted
insurers if--
(1) the broker procuring or placing the surplus lines
insurance has disclosed to the exempt commercial purchaser
that such insurance may or may not be available from the
admitted market that may provide greater protection with more
regulatory oversight; and
(2) the exempt commercial purchaser has subsequently
requested in writing the broker to procure or place such
insurance from a nonadmitted insurer.
SEC. 106. GAO STUDY OF NONADMITTED INSURANCE MARKET.
(a) In General.--The Comptroller General of the United
States shall conduct a study of the nonadmitted insurance
market to determine the effect of the enactment of this title
on the size and market share of the nonadmitted insurance
market for providing coverage typically provided by the
admitted insurance market.
(b) Contents.--The study shall determine and analyze--
(1) the change in the size and market share of the
nonadmitted insurance market and in the number of insurance
companies and insurance holding companies providing such
business in the 18-month period that begins upon the
effective date of this Act;
(2) the extent to which insurance coverage typically
provided by the admitted insurance market has shifted to the
nonadmitted insurance market;
(3) the consequences of any change in the size and market
share of the nonadmitted insurance market, including
differences in the price and availability of coverage
available in both the admitted and nonadmitted insurance
markets;
(4) the extent to which insurance companies and insurance
holding companies that provide both admitted and nonadmitted
insurance have experienced shifts in the volume of business
between admitted and nonadmitted insurance; and
(5) the extent to which there has been a change in the
number of individuals who have nonadmitted insurance
policies, the type of coverage provided under such policies,
and whether such coverage is available in the admitted
insurance market.
(c) Consultation With NAIC.--In conducting the study under
this section, the Comptroller General shall consult with the
NAIC.
(d) Report.--The Comptroller General shall complete the
study under this section and submit a report to the Committee
on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the
Senate regarding the findings of the study not later than 30
months after the effective date of this Act.
SEC. 107. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this title, the following definitions shall
apply:
(1) Admitted insurer.--The term ``admitted insurer'' means,
with respect to a State, an insurer licensed to engage in the
business of insurance in such State.
(2) Exempt commercial purchaser.--The term ``exempt
commercial purchaser'' means any person purchasing commercial
insurance that, at the time of placement, meets the following
requirements:
(A) The person employs or retains a qualified risk manager
to negotiate insurance coverage.
(B) The person has paid aggregate nationwide commercial
property and casualty insurance premiums in excess of
$100,000 in the immediately preceding 12 months.
(C)(i) The person meets at least one of the following
criteria:
(I) The person possesses a net worth in excess of
$20,000,000, as such amount is adjusted pursuant to clause
(ii).
(II) The person generates annual revenues in excess of
$50,000,000, as such amount is adjusted pursuant to clause
(ii).
(III) The person employs more than 500 full time or full
time equivalent employees per individual insured or is a
member of affiliated group employing more than 1,000
employees in the aggregate.
(IV) The person is a not-for-profit organization or public
entity generating annual budgeted expenditures of at least
$30,000,000, as such amount is adjusted pursuant to clause
(ii).
(V) The person is a municipality with a population in
excess of 50,000 persons.
(ii) Effective on the fifth January 1 occurring after the
date of the enactment of this Act and each fifth January 1
occurring thereafter, the amounts in subclauses (I), (II),
and (IV) of clause (i) shall be adjusted to reflect the
percentage change for such five-year period in the Consumer
Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Bureau
of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor.
(3) Home state.--The term ``home State'' means the State in
which an insured maintains its principal place of business
or, in the case of an individual, the individual's principal
residence.
(4) Independently procured insurance.--The term
``independently procured insurance'' means insurance procured
directly by an insured from a nonadmitted insurer.
(5) NAIC.--The term ``NAIC'' means the National Association
of Insurance Commissioners or any successor entity.
(6) Nonadmitted insurance.--The term ``nonadmitted
insurance'' means any property and casualty insurance
permitted to be placed directly or through a surplus lines
broker with a nonadmitted insurer eligible to accept such
insurance.
(7) Non-admitted insurance model act.--The term ``Non-
Admitted Insurance Model Act'' means the provisions of the
Non-Admitted Insurance Model Act, as adopted by the NAIC on
August 3, 1994, and amended on September 30, 1996, December
6, 1997, October 2, 1999, and June 8, 2002.
(8) Nonadmitted insurer.--The term ``nonadmitted insurer''
means, with respect to a State, an insurer not licensed to
engage in the business of insurance in such State.
(9) Qualified risk manager.--The term ``qualified risk
manager'' means, with respect to a policyholder of commercial
insurance, a person who meets all of the following
requirements:
(A) The person is an employee of, or third party consultant
retained by, the commercial policyholder.
(B) The person provides skilled services in loss
prevention, loss reduction, or risk and insurance coverage
analysis, and purchase of insurance.
(C) The person--
(i)(I) has a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited
college or university in risk management, business
administration, finance, economics, or any other field
determined by a State insurance commissioner or other State
regulatory official or entity to demonstrate minimum
competence in risk management; and
(II)(aa) has three years of experience in risk financing,
claims administration, loss prevention, risk and insurance
analysis, or purchasing commercial lines of insurance; or
(bb) has one of the following designations:
(AA) a designation as a Chartered Property and Casualty
Underwriter (in this subparagraph referred to as ``CPCU'')
issued by the American Institute for CPCU/Insurance Institute
of America;
(BB) a designation as an Associate in Risk Management (ARM)
issued by the American Institute for CPCU/Insurance Institute
of America;
(CC) a designation as Certified Risk Manager (CRM) issued
by the National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research;
(DD) a designation as a RIMS Fellow (RF) issued by the
Global Risk Management Institute; or
[[Page H7032]]
(EE) any other designation, certification, or license
determined by a State insurance commissioner or other State
insurance regulatory official or entity to demonstrate
minimum competency in risk management;
(ii)(I) has at least seven years of experience in risk
financing, claims administration, loss prevention, risk and
insurance coverage analysis, or purchasing commercial lines
of insurance; and
(II) has any one of the designations specified in subitems
(AA) through (EE) of clause (i)(II)(bb);
(iii) has at least 10 years of experience in risk
financing, claims administration, loss prevention, risk and
insurance coverage analysis, or purchasing commercial lines
of insurance; or
(iv) has a graduate degree from an accredited college or
university in risk management, business administration,
finance, economics, or any other field determined by a State
insurance commissioner or other State regulatory official or
entity to demonstrate minimum competence in risk management.
(10) Premium tax.--The term ``premium tax'' means, with
respect to surplus lines or independently procured insurance
coverage, any tax, fee, assessment, or other charge imposed
by a State on an insured based on any payment made as
consideration for an insurance contract for such insurance,
including premium deposits, assessments, registration fees,
and any other compensation given in consideration for a
contract of insurance.
(11) Surplus lines broker.--The term ``surplus lines
broker'' means an individual, firm, or corporation which is
licensed in a State to sell, solicit, or negotiate insurance
on properties, risks, or exposures located or to be performed
in a State with nonadmitted insurers.
(12) State.--The term ``State'' includes any State of the
United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin
Islands, and American Samoa.
TITLE II--REINSURANCE
SEC. 201. REGULATION OF CREDIT FOR REINSURANCE AND
REINSURANCE AGREEMENTS.
(a) Credit for Reinsurance.--If the State of domicile of a
ceding insurer is an NAIC-accredited State, or has financial
solvency requirements substantially similar to the
requirements necessary for NAIC accreditation, and recognizes
credit for reinsurance for the insurer's ceded risk, then no
other State may deny such credit for reinsurance.
(b) Additional Preemption of Extraterritorial Application
of State Law.--In addition to the application of subsection
(a), all laws, regulations, provisions, or other actions of a
State that is not the domiciliary State of the ceding
insurer, except those with respect to taxes and assessments
on insurance companies or insurance income, are preempted to
the extent that they--
(1) restrict or eliminate the rights of the ceding insurer
or the assuming insurer to resolve disputes pursuant to
contractual arbitration to the extent such contractual
provision is not inconsistent with the provisions of title 9,
United States Code;
(2) require that a certain State's law shall govern the
reinsurance contract, disputes arising from the reinsurance
contract, or requirements of the reinsurance contract;
(3) attempt to enforce a reinsurance contract on terms
different than those set forth in the reinsurance contract,
to the extent that the terms are not inconsistent with this
title; or
(4) otherwise apply the laws of the State to reinsurance
agreements of ceding insurers not domiciled in that State.
SEC. 202. REGULATION OF REINSURER SOLVENCY.
(a) Domiciliary State Regulation.--If the State of domicile
of a reinsurer is an NAIC-accredited State or has financial
solvency requirements substantially similar to the
requirements necessary for NAIC accreditation, such State
shall be solely responsible for regulating the financial
solvency of the reinsurer.
(b) Nondomiciliary States.--
(1) Limitation on financial information requirements.--If
the State of domicile of a reinsurer is an NAIC-accredited
State or has financial solvency requirements substantially
similar to the requirements necessary for NAIC accreditation,
no other State may require the reinsurer to provide any
additional financial information other than the information
the reinsurer is required to file with its domiciliary State.
(2) Receipt of information.--No provision of this section
shall be construed as preventing or prohibiting a State that
is not the State of domicile of a reinsurer from receiving a
copy of any financial statement filed with its domiciliary
State.
SEC. 203. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this title, the following definitions shall
apply:
(1) Ceding insurer.--The term ``ceding insurer'' means an
insurer that purchases reinsurance.
(2) Domiciliary state.--The terms ``State of domicile'' and
``domiciliary State'' means, with respect to an insurer or
reinsurer, the State in which the insurer or reinsurer is
incorporated or entered through, and licensed.
(3) Reinsurance.--The term ``reinsurance'' means the
assumption by an insurer of all or part of a risk undertaken
originally by another insurer.
(4) Reinsurer.--
(A) In general.--The term ``reinsurer'' means an insurer to
the extent that the insurer--
(i) is principally engaged in the business of reinsurance;
(ii) does not conduct significant amounts of direct
insurance as a percentage of its net premiums; and
(iii) is not engaged in an ongoing basis in the business of
soliciting direct insurance.
(B) Determination.--A determination of whether an insurer
is a reinsurer shall be made under the laws of the State of
domicile in accordance with this paragraph.
(5) State.--The term ``State'' includes any State of the
United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin
Islands, and American Samoa.
TITLE III--RULE OF CONSTRUCTION
SEC. 301. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this Act or amendments to this Act shall be
construed to modify, impair, or supersede the application of
the antitrust laws. Any implied or actual conflict between
this Act and any amendments to this Act and the antitrust
laws shall be resolved in favor of the operation of the
antitrust laws.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Kansas (Mr. Moore) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-
Waite) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kansas.
General Leave
Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Kansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I would like to thank, Mr. Speaker, Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite
for her help and leadership on H.R. 1065, the Nonadmitted and
Reinsurance Reform Act of 2007, as it has moved through the legislative
process both in this Congress and in the 109th Congress, when it passed
by 417-0. It has been a pleasure working with the gentlewoman and again
I appreciate your leadership on this issue.
I also would like to thank the Capital Markets Subcommittee Chair
Paul Kanjorski and Ranking Member Spencer Bachus of the committee for
their support of this measure, as well as Chairman Barney Frank for his
support in moving this legislation to the House floor.
I reintroduced this bill along with Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite
in February with strong bipartisan support and strong support from the
Financial Services Committee. As I previously mentioned, this
legislation is virtually identical to legislation that passed the House
unanimously by a vote of 417-0 in the 109th Congress. The bipartisan
support for this bill is a good example of how both sides can come
together to introduce and pass legislation that is not about partisan
politics, is not about Republicans or Democrats.
In short, H.R. 1065 would significantly improve the regulation of two
specific areas in the commercial insurance marketplace, namely, surplus
lines and reinsurance transactions.
Disparate and sometimes directly conflicting State laws in the
surplus lines market create unnecessary inefficiencies and make it
difficult, if not impossible in some cases, for producers and others to
comply with their legal duties.
Testifying in 2005 in front of the Capital Markets Subcommittee on
behalf of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the
Pennsylvania insurance commissioner acknowledged the need for reform of
surplus lines regulation, specifically with regard to the way premium
tax allocation is handled. According to Commissioner Diane Koken,
``Either Federal legislation or another alternative such as an
interstate compact may be needed at some point to resolving conflicting
State laws regulating multi-state transactions. The area where this
will most likely be necessary is surplus lines premium tax allocation.
Federal legislation might also be one option to consider to enable
multi-state property risks to access surplus lines coverage in their
home States under a single policy subject to a single set of
requirements.''
This legislation, Mr. Speaker, addresses the area of surplus lines
reform
[[Page H7033]]
that I just mentioned as well as necessary reforms in the area of
reinsurance. Specifically, this legislation would prohibit the
extraterritorial application of State laws and allow ceding insurers
and reinsurers to resolve disputes pursuant to contractual arbitration
clauses. This reform is long overdue and necessary to restore
regulatory certainty to the reinsurance market.
Finally, I would like to note that while many legislative attempts to
reform the insurance industry encounter some industry opposition, this
bill, Mr. Speaker, is supported by the insurers, the reinsurers and the
agents and brokers as well as by most of the State regulators.
I look forward to the passage of this legislation today.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. I thank the gentleman from Kansas
for his kind words.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1056, the Nonadmitted
and Reinsurance Reform Act that my colleague, Congressman Dennis Moore,
introduced. This bill is almost identical to the bill I introduced last
year and the one which he referred to that passed the House by 417-0.
For States like Florida and many others on the gulf coast where
commercial insurance has been difficult or impossible to come by, the
only recourse is to turn to the surplus lines or nonadmitted market.
Certainly streamlining the rules in this market is crucial to the
consumer and any State that is facing an insurance crisis.
Unfortunately, today, the regulation of the surplus lines market is
fragmented and cumbersome. Insurers and brokers who want to provide
insurance across State lines are subjected to a myriad of different
State tax and licensing requirements. Oftentimes these regulations will
conflict, making it impossible for one company to comply with all of
them.
This situation leaves policyholders underinsured and with even less
of a choice in providers. Moreover, most of the companies that purchase
insurance in the nonadmitted market do so frequently. These
sophisticated commercial entities are large corporations that employ
educated risk advisers with a thorough understanding of the market and
their risk exposure. Yet in most States, including my home State of
Florida, these companies are required to shop around in the admitted
market where they know they will be denied coverage, they know that
this has happened before and it will happen again, they know they can't
get it.
They have to do this before they are permitted to shop in the surplus
lines market. This practice is useless and cumbersome and it only adds
to the cost for the policyholder. H.R. 1056 solves this quagmire,
giving policyholders alternatives to restrictive markets.
The bill also acknowledges another program in the insurance industry,
this time on the reinsurance front. Over the years, some State
regulators have been taking it upon themselves to throw out arbitration
agreements between reinsurance providers and primary carriers. These
are contractual agreements decided upon by very sophisticated parties
on both sides of the transaction in order to settle disputes without
having to go to court. If these agreements are valid in one State, they
should be valid in all accredited States. Therefore, H.R. 1056
prohibits States from voiding established, contractual arbitration
agreements between reinsurers and primary companies.
Obtaining insurance already has its obstacles. Adding 49 other
States' speed bumps of inefficient State rules does not help. And with
reinsurance rates rising at crippling numbers, companies should be
encouraged to stay out of the courts and follow their own arbitration
agreements. Our bill provides commonsense solutions to the nonadmitted
and reinsurance market and it enjoys broad support. I thank Mr. Moore
for sponsoring this important insurance reform with me.
I urge the Members of the House to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) who is a member of the Financial Services
Committee as well as chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education.
Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congressman from Kansas for
yielding time to me. I rise in strong support of H.R. 1065, the
Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act of 2007. Congressman Moore from
Kansas has been a very effective member of the Financial Services
Committee and I commend him for his leadership on reinsurance
legislation. I thank the gentleman for sponsoring this much-needed
legislation and I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill.
This important bill will harmonize and in some cases reduce
regulation and taxation of this insurance by vesting the home State
where it is headquartered with the sole authority to regulate and
collect the taxes on a surplus lines transaction. Those taxes that will
be collected may be distributed according to a future interstate
compact. Absent such a compact, their distribution would be up to the
home State.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation will implement streamlined Federal
standards allowing a sophisticated commercial purchaser to access
surplus lines insurance. It will reduce uncertainty in this
marketplace. It will also help protect contractual agreements between
sophisticated parties entering into a reinsurance contract. For these
reasons and more, I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle
to support this important bill.
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I don't have any
additional speakers on this bill, but I wanted to take a moment to
indicate that it is such a pleasure to work with Mr. Moore, the
gentleman from Kansas. He always looks at things in a very bipartisan
manner and always with the end goal in mind of helping the consumer. I
certainly appreciate that. I know that the policyholders out there do.
I would certainly urge passage of this very important bill, H.R. 1056.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to return the
compliment to Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite, the gentlewoman from Florida, and
thank her very, very much for her hard work on this legislation and for
her leadership. She also works in a bipartisan manner in the times I
have seen her in our committee and on the House floor. I very much
appreciate it. We need more of that.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 1065.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________