Missouri Governor Mike Parson has recently signed several new bills into law, revising provisions for producer license renewals, and providing opportunities toward continuing education credits for insurance professionals.

The signed bills include Senate Bill 6, which includes a provision to change producer license renewal timeframes. In the past, Missouri insurance producers have had to renew their license every two years on the anniversary of the date of issuance, and now the expiration becomes the birthdate of the licensee. This change is an NAIC Uniformity Standard and is intended to help insurance producers to remember to renew their licenses and avoid late fees, according to Chlora Lindley-Myers, the director of the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance.

Another bill relates to continuing education alternatives. Missouri law requires 16 hours of continuing education every two years for insurance producers. A provision of the new law allows an insurance producer's membership in a local, regional, state, or national insurance association to count for up to four hours of continuing education hours. Lindley-Myers said this provision will assist producers in meeting continuing education requirements and encourage them to be active in insurance associations.