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Board designates Denise Smith as potential NCARA delegate; staff warns of state travel freeze
Summary
The Washington State Collection Agency Board on March 20 nominated Denise Smith to represent the board at the 2025 NCARA meeting if state travel is authorized; staff cautioned a current state travel freeze may prevent approval.
Board staff and members discussed travel to the 2025 North American Collection Agency Regulatory Association (NCARA) annual meeting and designated a board representative should state travel be approved.
Staff said a state budget and travel freeze implemented under Gov. Jay Inslee and continued under Gov. Jay Inslee's successor has halted approvals for nonessential state travel; staff advised that any board-designated attendee might not receive travel authorization. The board agreed to designate a representative on the understanding that approval could still be denied by state travel authorities.
Justin Murphy reported on the recent NCARA meeting he attended and highlighted cybersecurity audits as a major topic for regulators. Murphy said the regulator-only portion of the conference spent roughly 70% of a day on conducting cybersecurity audits and what regulators should look for; states discussed potential incorporation of cybersecurity components into licensing exams. Murphy also said there were FTC updates, panels on data privacy and AI, and discussions about distinguishing first-party and third-party collection business lines for licensing exam design.
The board moved to nominate Denise Smith as the board’s representative to NCARA if travel is approved. Murphy made the nomination; Mark Case seconded; the board approved the nomination by voice vote. Staff said it will share conference dates when available and will keep Denise Smith updated about the state travel freeze and whether approval is possible.
No roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript; staff warned that travel approvals are outside the board's control and dependent on state budget decisions.
