Our mission is to empower public policymakers through a greater understanding of insurance and risk management.

Understanding the Forces Behind Auto and Home Insurance Costs: An Academic Exploration

Explore the forces impacting the personal lines market, the root cause of today’s affordability challenges, efforts underway to address these challenges, and what opportunities ahead may look like. Joining the Griffith Foundation’s Executive Director, Frank P. Tomasello, is Dr. Annette Hofmann of the University of Cincinnati, a leading academic voice in the risk and insurance ecosystem. In keeping with the mission of the Griffith Foundation, the discussion is purely instructional in nature and does not support a position on any issues.

ON-DEMAND DISCUSSIONS

Understanding Surplus Lines: A Primer for State Legislators

Understanding the surplus lines market is essential to understanding how insurance markets adapt to emerging and hard-to-place risks. In this on-demand discussion presented by The Institutes Griffith Foundation, leading academic, regulatory, and industry leaders explore the history, evolution, and critical role of surplus lines insurance as a release valve for the admitted market.

Moderated by Frank Paul Tomasello, Executive Director of The Institutes Griffith Foundation, this primer was developed specifically for state lawmakers seeking either an introduction to or a refresher on the surplus lines marketplace and its impact on insurance availability and innovation. 

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ON-DEMAND DISCUSSIONS

Insurance Insights: Senator Paul Utke

The most recent edition of Insurance Insights features discussion with Sen. Paul Utke, Minnesota State Senator and 2026 President of the National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL). During the conversation, Sen. Utke shares his perspective on insurance affordability and availability as key challenges facing policymakers, discusses the opportunities and concerns surrounding AI including innovation, consumer protection, and the role of state-based regulation, and offers insight into the value of collaboration through NCOIL in developing model legislation and addressing emerging insurance issues.

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  • "The Institutes Griffith Foundation provides insightful programming to all regulators who would like a nonpartisan, up-to-date perspective of the insurance industry. Griffith and its dedicated staff can benefit regulatory professionals, both new and seasoned. They bring important voices to the table to offer a meaningful conversation that leads to positive change for the industry."

    Jon Godfread, North Dakota Insurance Commissioner and NAIC President 2025

  • "The Institutes Griffith Foundation consistently provides NCOIL and its member legislators with a tremendous amount of non-partisan and non-advocative educational programming. Such programming is really invaluable for the legislators as it enhances their knowledge and understanding of important insurance issues which ends up contributing to better policy being developed in legislatures across the country. "

    William Melofchik, NCOIL Chief Executive Officer

  • "The Institutes Griffith Foundation's non-partisan and non-advocative educational programming is an invaluable resource for the Connecticut Department of Insurance and policymakers nationwide. Their objective seminars, featuring leading academics and industry experts, equip regulators with the knowledge to make informed policy decisions, ultimately benefiting and protecting consumers.” 

    Andrew N. Mais, Connecticut Insurance Department Commissioner, NAIC Most Recent Past President 

  • “NAIC’s CIPR values its collaborative relationship with The Institutes Griffith Foundation.  Our organizations jointly produce webinar programming that helps to bring lawmakers and regulators ‘back-to-basics’ by providing foundational knowledge on myriad risk and insurance topics. This non-partisan and non-advocative programming provides foundational knowledge to help inform important policy conversations.”  

    Jeff Czajkowski, Director of the NAIC’s CIPR

  • “NCOIL is proud of our decades long collaborative relationship with the Institutes Griffith Insurance Education Foundation, which focuses on providing lawmakers with additional, supplemental education to enhance their ability to make informed policy decisions. Griffith provides webinars, lunch-&-learns, and educational workshops to serve our members in the way most convenient to them.” 

    Tom Considine, Former CEO, NCOIL

  • “The Institutes Griffith Foundation is a tremendous resource for legislators as we navigate the changing waters of insurance law and regulation. I have been an insurance agent for over 30 years, but I still learn something new every time they host an event at our NCOIL meetings. During my tenure as a past President of NCOIL, I often heard from elected officials, who were unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the insurance environment, that Griffith’s programs helped create clarity and offered tools to navigate this ever-changing landscape.”

    Rep. Matt Lehman, Indiana House Majority Leader, Past President of NCOIL

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