June 24, 2016

Attorney General George Jepsen was formally elected president of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) at a ceremony held last evening during the organization's Summer Meeting, which was held this week in Burlington, Vt.

Attorney General Jepsen will serve as NAAG's president for one year; his term will end in June 2017. He succeeds South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley.

"I'm honored to have earned the support of my colleagues to serve as NAAG's next president," said Attorney General Jepsen. "Attorneys general very often come together on a bipartisan basis to uphold our state laws and to work cooperatively on issues of mutual concern, and NAAG is a strong and valuable resource that aids us in our work."

Attorney General Jepsen's Presidential Initiative, entitled "Evolving Challenges in the American Health Care Marketplace: Competition, Cost and Innovation in a Rapidly Changing Industry," will focus on the changing landscape of healthcare delivery in the United States, the impact these changes have competition and costs, and the challenges regulators face as health care evolves.

"In recent years, the state of Connecticut has seen rapid consolidation – both horizontal and vertical – in healthcare provision and has experienced the entry of national and for-profit groups into our healthcare market," Attorney General Jepsen said. "Across the country, we've seen the emergence of merger proposals involving health insurance carriers and increased costs for pharmaceuticals, both of which can affect consumers and states that are coping with tight budgets. Attorneys general have an important role to play in our evolving healthcare marketplace, and I'm interested in exploring these important issues with my colleagues through my Presidential Initiative."

NAAG was founded in 1907 to help attorneys general fulfill the responsibilities of their office and to assist in the delivery of high quality legal services to the states and territorial jurisdictions. NAAG's mission is "to facilitate interaction among Attorneys General as peers and to facilitate the enhanced performance of Attorneys General and their staffs."

The organization's members include the country's 56 state and territorial attorneys general.

For more information about the National Association of Attorneys General, please visit www.naag.org.

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