| June 5, 2008 Another Governor Joins in call for National Catastrophe Plan Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius this week announced her support for a national catastrophe plan at the Summer 2008 Annual Meeting of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) in San Francesco, California.
'I endorse and support a national catastrophe insurance system. We need a comprehensive approach – and we need it immediately, Sebelius told insurance regulators from across the nation. 'I think that it is essential that we not wait for a major catastrophe to strike again in this country, only to realize that we’re not well prepared or well suited to deal with it,' Sebelius added. Governor Sebelius’ endorsement of a national catastrophe program is important because the first-term Democrat from Kansas is a former state insurance commissioner and previously served as president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Legislation to create state and national catastrophe programs is under active consideration in coastal states from Massachusetts to Texas and in several Midwestern states where the threat of earthquakes is a growing concern.
'Governor Sebelius’ endorsement of a national catastrophe plan adds one more important voice to the chorus of state and federal policy makers who recognize that American families need to be better prepared and protected,' said Brad Brewster, director of legislation and policy for ProtectingAmerica.org.
'Her recognition that this is an urgent issue, and one that must be addressed before the next catastrophe strikes adds a powerful voice to the cause for immediate action,' he added.
Legislation creating a national catastrophe fund passed the US House of Representatives in November by a sweeping bipartisan margin. The US Senate included a provision calling for a study of the benefits of a national catastrophe fund in the bill it passed to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program. Reconciliation of the differences between the House and Senate approaches is expected in the coming weeks. About ProtectingAmerica.org ProtectingAmerica.org was formed in 2005 and is a non-profit organization consisting of emergency management officials, first responders, disaster relief experts, insurers and others. Its members include the American Red Cross, more than 300 other organizations and businesses and more than 15,000 individuals from across the nation.
ProtectingAmerica.org is chaired by James Lee Witt, former director of the Federal Emergency management Agency and by Admiral James M. Loy, former deputy secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security and former commandant of the US Coast Guard.
At the core of ProtectingAmerica.org’s mission is the establishment of a comprehensive, integrated national catastrophe management solution that will better prepare and protect American families, communities, consumers and the American economy from catastrophe. Among its efforts to support this mission, ProtectingAmerica.org is working to increase public awareness and consumer education; advocate for better coordination with local, state and federal mitigation and recovery efforts, and strengthen emergency response and financial mechanisms to rebuild after a major catastrophe. | 
