Page 15 - Demo

NCISS History by Ed McClain15A reminder of the importance of having professional representation in Washington, D.C.I suspect most of you don't remember me, and that is to be expected. I am not a founding member, but I joined in NCISS's first year, when I was President of CALI, because it was obviously, a good idea. I applaud the efforts of you and all of the Board to increase membership.It is unfortunate that many investigators sit on their wallets and do not recognize the importance of being represented in our nation's Capitol. But I doubt that will ever change.To anyone who doesn't believe in the mission of NCISS, imagine this: Suppose there was a national law that required all employers to provide suspects written notice of an intended investigation of employee misconduct, before an investigation may be begun. Since employers are a primary source of business for investigators, you can imagine what effect such a law would have, when every labor lawyer in the country was forced to warn their clients about doing investigations.In fact, there was such a law, a part of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which was enacted before anyone opposed it. Then, after NCISS sought help from Congress, the law was changed. The same thing happened with GLB, Gramm Leach Bliley, before NCISS explained it was necessary to allow investigation of offenders.On one occasion, NCISS member Michael Duffy, arranged for NCISS to meet with James Leach, the Chairman of the Financial Services Committee to discuss the FCRA. Unfortunately, our Legislative Chairman was in California and Mr. Leach was in Davenport, Iowa. But our man flew to Chicago, rented a car, and drove to Davenport for a 45 minute meeting with Chairman Leach. Subsequently, thanks to NCISS's lobbyist, Larry Sabbath and Mr. Duffy, the NCISS Legislative Chair was allowed to testify before Congress four times, resulting in an amendment to the FCRA which stands today.I won't go into the work that is required to prepare written and verbal testimony before Congress, but it is considerable. Without the assistance of our lobbyist Larry Sabbath, preparing this testimony would have been impossible. A reminder of the importance of having professional representation in Washington, D.C.So, once again, thank you to all of the NCISS officers and Board members for keeping our profession represented in our nation's Capitol. You are doing a great job!Sincerely, Eddy McClainPast President and Legislative ChairYou can learn more about the history of NCISS and private investigation in Ed%u2019s new book %u2013 Beyond a Reasonable Doubt %u2013 True Stories of an L.A. Private Eye and his over 60 year career. (click image for details)