Insurance Commissioner Sullivan to Step Down
Texas Commissioner of Insurance Kent Sullivan has announced that he intends to resign from his position as chief regulator of the industry beginning in September. Sullivan notified Governor Greg Abbott of his decision this week.
Sullivan is expected to return to the practice of law following a three-year stint as head of the Texas Department of Insurance. He has more than 35 years of legal experience in both the private and public sectors. In addition to having practiced with several private firms, Sullivan has served as a Texas Court of Appeals justice, a state district court judge, and first assistant attorney general for the Texas Office of the Attorney General.
Sullivan’s decision will not upset the regulatory hierarchy at the Division of Workers’ Compensation, where Cassie Brown is expected to remain in her post as Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation. Although DWC has primary regulatory authority over workers’ comp system stakeholders, TDI does have some responsibilities in that regard. TDI is responsible for overseeing the Healthcare Network (HCN) program as well as policy and endorsement issues. TDI also regulates agent and adjuster licensing.
TDI regulates the second-largest insurance market in the nation and the seventh-largest in the world. The agency’s modernization push has led to faster service in complaint resolution and agent licensing, an increase in online licensing applications, and a major organizational restructuring.
Governor Abbott asked me to lead this agency shortly after Hurricane Harvey ravaged the Texas coast, and I was happy to help out in a challenging time,” Sullivan said. “TDI staff are sincerely committed to protecting consumers, and I’m proud of the work we’ve done to help them do their jobs more effectively.
The agency has reduced its reliance on paper, streamlined rule development, and increased automation, training, and technical support in its call center operations. It made a seamless transition to remote work in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it just implemented an artificial intelligence project that holds the promise of transforming state policy reviews.
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