WASHINGTON (March 25, 2010) – State and provincial securities regulators will convene in Washington, D.C. next month as Congress debates the most significant changes in the regulatory structure of financial services in decades.

The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) will host its annual Public Policy Conference on April 13 at the Washington Court Hotel, 525 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.

“The timing of this year’s meeting could not be better as all eyes are focused on how Washington policymakers are responding to the ongoing financial crisis facing Main Street investors,” said NASAA President and Texas Securities Commissioner Denise Voigt Crawford. “Our program showcases the key areas where Congress can focus as it moves forward toward our shared goal of protecting our nation’s investors and restoring their faith and confidence in financial regulators and markets.”

This year’s conference features a general session with two panel discussions: “Reining in Risk on Wall Street” and “What Regulatory Reform Means to Main Street Investors.”

The first panel brings together experts from industry and academia to address how the inability of the private sector to provide systemic safety, coupled with weak federal oversight, demonstrates that deregulation is no longer a presumptive policy prescription to achieve liquidity, stability and reliability in a well-functioning financial system.

During the second discussion, a panel of experts will examine both the House and Senate reform packages with an eye toward determining how investors will benefit from the legislation and what protections are still needed from the perspective of state securities regulators.

The conference also features a luncheon with a keynote speaker. On-site registration begins at 11 a.m. and the keynote luncheon follows at 12 p.m. The general session begins at 1:30 p.m. and is scheduled to conclude at 4:15 p.m. Click here for agenda and registration information.

NASAA is the oldest international organization devoted to investor protection. Its membership consists of the securities administrators in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada and Mexico.

For more information:
Bob Webster, Director of Communications
202-737-0900