Trade Associations
Here's a look at documents from national and international trade associations
Featured Stories
TMA Secures Increased Accountability Between Physicians and Payers
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 30 -- The Tennessee Medical Association issued the following news on April 29, 2026:
* * *
TMA Secures Increased Accountability Between Physicians and Payers
By Jonathan Kirkland
The 114th Tennessee General Assembly adjourned with the Tennessee Medical Association (TMA) obtaining a win for physicians and the practice of medicine in Tennessee.
SB1753/HB1770, signed by Governor Bill Lee on April 14, strengthens accountability between payers and physicians by ensuring that all physicians in Tennessee, including insurance company medical directors, are held to the same
... Show Full Article
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 30 -- The Tennessee Medical Association issued the following news on April 29, 2026:
* * *
TMA Secures Increased Accountability Between Physicians and Payers
By Jonathan Kirkland
The 114th Tennessee General Assembly adjourned with the Tennessee Medical Association (TMA) obtaining a win for physicians and the practice of medicine in Tennessee.
SB1753/HB1770, signed by Governor Bill Lee on April 14, strengthens accountability between payers and physicians by ensuring that all physicians in Tennessee, including insurance company medical directors, are held to the samestandard of care when making medical necessity determinations. In addition, this law will ensure that any physician who is making medical necessity determinations on patient care must have a Tennessee license.
Past complaints to State departments regarding medical necessity determinations have posed significant challenges for physicians. This law now addresses those concerns by establishing a more direct and accountable relationship between physicians and payers, grounded in clearly defined standards for medical necessity decision-making.
"The General Assembly's enactment of SB1753/HB1770 effectively places medical necessity/appropriateness determinations into the legal definition of practicing medicine," says Yarnell Beatty, TMA's Vice President and General Counsel. "This makes it clear that those decisions are back into the domain of Tennessee-licensed physicians and constrains payer or corporate actors from making independent clinical judgments."
This groundbreaking new law, the first in the country, gives enhanced oversight to physicians regarding the practice of medicine and increased accountability to insurance companies, especially if they practice medicine without a license. The Board of Medical Examiners and Board of Osteopathic Examination will interpret the laws, rules, and regulations to determine the appropriate standards of practice. The Boards will be responsible for the investigation of alleged violations among both payers and providers.
"Non-licensed individuals cannot independently make determinations about what is clinically appropriate if those decisions require judgment," says Beatty. "If they do, they could face charges of practicing medicine without a license. Tennessee physicians making such determinations for health insurance plans must meet the same clinical judgment standard expected in patient care--i.e., decisions should be defensible as reasonable medical judgment based on the patient's condition, records, and accepted standards or face unprofessional conduct charges from the medical boards."
TMA's physician leaders and government affairs team spent countless hours working this bill and assuring the amendments desired would level the medical necessity playing field. The bill as amended took effect immediately upon the signature of the Governor. This is a major milestone for healthcare in Tennessee, and TMA will continue to back similar legislation that removes unnecessary barriers from the practice of medicine.
Achieving legislative wins cannot happen without the support of organized medicine. TMA encourages all members to engage in some capacity in the legislative process. Make a difference in this election year by making a donation to TMA's Political Action Committee (TMA PAC). Your contribution helps elect pro-medicine candidates so TMA can continue to fight for you.
* * *
The passage of TMA's Medical Necessity bill could not have happened without members' financial support and engagement. Learn more at tnmed.org/legislative.
* * *
Original text here: https://members.tnmed.org/news/Details/tma-secures-increased-accountability-between-physicians-and-payers-328287
[Category: Medical]
SEMI Reports Worldwide Silicon Wafer Shipments Increase 13% Year-on-Year in Q1 2026
MILPITAS, California, April 30 -- SEMI, an association serving the manufacturing supply chain for the electronics industry, posted the following news release on April 29, 2026:
* * *
SEMI Reports Worldwide Silicon Wafer Shipments Increase 13% Year-on-Year in Q1 2026
AI-driven Demand and Signs of Broad-based Recovery Boost Global Silicon Wafer Shipments, Despite Mixed Market Conditions
*
The SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported today, in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry, that worldwide silicon wafer shipments increased 13.1% year-on-year to 3,275 million square
... Show Full Article
MILPITAS, California, April 30 -- SEMI, an association serving the manufacturing supply chain for the electronics industry, posted the following news release on April 29, 2026:
* * *
SEMI Reports Worldwide Silicon Wafer Shipments Increase 13% Year-on-Year in Q1 2026
AI-driven Demand and Signs of Broad-based Recovery Boost Global Silicon Wafer Shipments, Despite Mixed Market Conditions
*
The SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported today, in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry, that worldwide silicon wafer shipments increased 13.1% year-on-year to 3,275 million squareinches (MSI) from the 2,896 MSI recorded during the same quarter of 2025. Sequentially, shipments declined 4.7% quarter-over-quarter from the 3,437 MSI recorded during the fourth quarter of 2025 in line with typical seasonality.
"Silicon wafer demand related to AI data centers continues to be strong, including advanced logic and memory, and also now extending to power management devices," said Ginji Yada, Chairman of SEMI SMG and Managing Executive Officer, General Manager, Sales and Marketing Division at SUMCO Corporation. "Overall, silicon wafer demand has improved, but the recovery is not uniform. Many device companies have noted improvements in the industrial semiconductor segment, and this is creating a more broad-based recovery as wafer inventory is absorbed. Weaker smartphone and PC shipments in the first quarter of this year may show the impact of tighter supply of memory due to AI high bandwidth memory (HBM) allocation decisions."
Silicon wafers are the fundamental building material for the majority of semiconductors, which are vital components of all electronic devices. The highly engineered thin disks are produced in diameters of up to 300 mm and serve as the substrate material on which most semiconductors are fabricated.
The SMG is a sub-committee of the SEMI Electronic Materials Group (EMG) and is open to SEMI members involved in manufacturing polycrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon or silicon wafers (e.g., as cut, polished, epitaxial). The SMG facilitates collective efforts on issues related to the silicon industry, including the development of statistics about the silicon industry.
For more information, visit SEMI Worldwide Silicon Wafer Shipment Statistics.
* * *
About SEMI
SEMI(R) is the global industry association connecting over 4,000 companies and 1.5 million professionals worldwide across the semiconductor and electronics design and manufacturing supply chain. We accelerate member collaboration on solutions to top industry challenges through Advocacy, Workforce Development, Sustainability, Supply Chain Management and other programs. Our SEMICON(R) expositions and events, technology communities, standards and market intelligence help advance our members' business growth and innovations in design, devices, equipment, materials, services and software, enabling smarter, faster, more secure electronics. Visit www.semi.org, contact a regional office, and connect with SEMI on LinkedIn and X to learn more.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.semi.org/en/semi-press-release/semi-reports-worldwide-silicon-wafer-shipments-increase-13-percent-year-on-year-in-q1-2026
[Category: Electronic Products]
Report Highlights Clean Energy Investment Trends Amid Policy Uncertainty
WASHINGTON, April 30 (TNSrpt) -- The American Council on Renewable Energy issued the following news release:
* * *
New Report Highlights Clean Energy Investment Trends Amid Policy Uncertainty
A new report on the energy investment landscape shows the clean energy market surged in 2025, and investment in clean energy projects is likely to reach a record high in 2026. Continued policy uncertainty and other factors could diminish investor interest in clean energy projects after this year.
The report, Clean Energy Investment Trends, was prepared for ACORE by S&P Global Energy's consulting arm CERA
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 30 (TNSrpt) -- The American Council on Renewable Energy issued the following news release:
* * *
New Report Highlights Clean Energy Investment Trends Amid Policy Uncertainty
A new report on the energy investment landscape shows the clean energy market surged in 2025, and investment in clean energy projects is likely to reach a record high in 2026. Continued policy uncertainty and other factors could diminish investor interest in clean energy projects after this year.
The report, Clean Energy Investment Trends, was prepared for ACORE by S&P Global Energy's consulting arm CERAConsulting. Other key takeaways from the report include:
* Investment in renewable projects in 2026 could surpass 2025 investment as developers race to meet demand growth and claim expiring wind and solar tax credits.
* M&A surged in 2025--especially in natural gas-fired generation--as AI raced to secure power sources. Q1 2025 M&A exceeded total M&A activity in 2024.
* Canadian and European firms drove investment in and acquisitions of U.S. renewable capacity.
* Emissions-free power featured in many large transactions in 2025, and private equity has been actively acquiring clean power sources, including nuclear.
"The clean energy market is primed to deliver the energy security, affordability, and reliability that American energy consumers expect and deserve," said ACORE President and CEO Ray Long. "Developers are building projects and financial firms are investing despite current policy uncertainty, but if we don't deliver stable tax, trade, and permitting policy, it could chill investor interest, jeopardize domestic industry growth, and threaten our energy independence."
"Investments in US renewable electricity projects continued to increase in 2025 as power-demand expectations accelerate," said Hill Vaden, Executive Director at S&P Global Energy, of the report findings. "Capital markets remain broadly supportive of clean energy projects in 2026 as developers rush to beat start-of-work deadlines; existing platforms embrace consolidation opportunities; and clean-firm innovators seek public market listings."
ACORE is sharing the full report with its members.
"This report is a continuation of the work that has made ACORE the leading clean energy think tank over the past 25 years," Long said. "It will inform our members and the public about clean energy and the policies and market forces shaping the sector."
ACORE will publish a follow-on report at its annual Finance Forum in May based on its annual investment surveys, showing how capital providers and developers view the U.S. clean energy investment landscape in the near and mid term.
* * *
About ACORE:
ACORE is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that operates at the intersection of affordability, reliability, and clean energy deployment. Our work is focused on stabilizing energy prices, strengthening the electric grid, and driving investment in cost-effective technologies to ensure that clean energy delivers for people, businesses, and the U.S. economy.
ACORE's membership includes clean energy investors, developers, energy buyers, power generators, manufacturers, and energy providers. In 2024, nearly 80% of the booming utility-scale domestic clean energy growth was financed, developed, owned, equipped, or contracted by ACORE members.
* * *
REPORT: https://acore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SPGE_CERAConsulting_ACORE_2025InvestmentTrends_ESFinal.pdf
* * *
Original text: https://acore.org/news/press-release-new-report-highlights-clean-energy-investment-trends-amid-policy-uncertainty/
[Category: Energy]
ISDA Margin Survey Shows Leading Derivatives Firms Collected Record $1.6 Trillion of Margin in 2025
NEW YORK, April 30 -- The International Swaps and Derivatives Association issued the following news release:
* * *
ISDA Margin Survey Shows Leading Derivatives Firms Collected Record $1.6 Trillion of Margin in 2025
ISDA has published its latest annual margin survey, which shows that initial margin (IM) and variation margin (VM) collected by the leading derivatives market participants for their non-cleared derivatives exposures increased by 9.3% to a record $1.6 trillion at the end of 2025.
The survey - which was published during ISDA's Annual General Meeting in Boston - shows that respondents
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, April 30 -- The International Swaps and Derivatives Association issued the following news release:
* * *
ISDA Margin Survey Shows Leading Derivatives Firms Collected Record $1.6 Trillion of Margin in 2025
ISDA has published its latest annual margin survey, which shows that initial margin (IM) and variation margin (VM) collected by the leading derivatives market participants for their non-cleared derivatives exposures increased by 9.3% to a record $1.6 trillion at the end of 2025.
The survey - which was published during ISDA's Annual General Meeting in Boston - shows that respondentscollected $524.7 billion of IM at the end of 2025, up by 21.7% versus $431.2 billion the year before. Total VM collected grew by 4% to $1,038.8 billion from $998.7 billion.
The survey shows market participants are diversifying the scope of assets they use as collateral for non-cleared derivatives exposures. While cash continues to be most commonly used to meet VM requirements, its share of total VM received dropped to 67.6% in 2025 from 80% in 2020. Over that period, the share of government securities climbed to 20.2% from 12.7% and other securities grew to 12.3% from 7.4%. For IM, the share of government securities fell to 52.6% in 2025 from 66.5% in 2018, with US Treasury securities comprising the largest share, while other securities rose to 37.2% from 12.7%.
The survey also found that $423.5 billion of required IM was posted by all market participants to major central counterparties for their cleared interest rate derivatives and credit default swap transactions at the end of 2025, up by 8.7% compared to the end of 2024.
"More collateral than ever before is being held to cover cleared and non-cleared derivatives exposures. As the volume of collateral continues to grow, the securities financing transaction (SFT) market has become a critical tool for market participants to quickly generate high-quality liquid assets to meet their derivatives margin calls. To ensure the continued availability of this lifeline in all market conditions, ISDA has proposed a series of targeted adjustments to improve the calibration and risk sensitivity of the regulatory framework for SFTs. This includes an effective cross-product netting methodology to recognize the risk offsets in a portfolio of derivatives and SFTs under the Basel III standardized approach for counterparty credit risk," said Scott O'Malia, ISDA's Chief Executive.
* * *
REPORT: https://www.isda.org/a/YqtiE/Safe-Efficient-Markets-for-SFTs.pdf
* * *
Original text: https://www.isda.org/2026/04/29/isda-margin-survey-shows-leading-derivatives-firms-collected-record-1-6-trillion-of-margin-in-2025/
[Category: Financial Services]
Five Student Teams Move to CSBS Community Bank Case Study Competition Finals
WASHINGTON, April 30 -- The Conference of State Bank Supervisors issued the following news release:
* * *
Five Student Teams Move to CSBS Community Bank Case Study Competition Finals
Five student teams have secured their spots in the finals of the 2026 CSBS Community Bank Case Study Competition, advancing from a second round of 15 teams.
The five teams are:
* Illinois State University
* Iowa State University
* Tennessee Technological University
* University of Northern Iowa
* University of Texas at El Paso
Thirty-five student teams representing 27 colleges and universities entered this
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 30 -- The Conference of State Bank Supervisors issued the following news release:
* * *
Five Student Teams Move to CSBS Community Bank Case Study Competition Finals
Five student teams have secured their spots in the finals of the 2026 CSBS Community Bank Case Study Competition, advancing from a second round of 15 teams.
The five teams are:
* Illinois State University
* Iowa State University
* Tennessee Technological University
* University of Northern Iowa
* University of Texas at El Paso
Thirty-five student teams representing 27 colleges and universities entered thisyear's competition, which invites undergraduate students from across the country in all fields of study as an opportunity to gain firsthand experience in the community banking industry. The teams partnered with local community banks to examine their approach to interest rate risk, lending decisions, and response to inflation since 2020. Teams also analyzed how banks manage and maintain adequate capital through various strategies.
The winning teams and CSBS Emerging Scholars will be announced on May 13 at the State-Federal Supervisory Forum in Seattle at 5 p.m. EDT. The announcement will be livestreamed on YouTube (https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Flive%2F4R2LMzatuD0%3Fsi%3Dhy-gUNo9MWaJZ8A4&data=05%7C02%7Caofarrell%40csbs.org%7Cafbefc52d75d4140cc4f08dea5554c01%7C15bbbd45801e4e97b5b8bebef99178d3%7C0%7C0%7C639129982984866072%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=GqMiy5LFdK4SiHu7%2FRctKDwIqAX9SvECBsH3MAMjbtE%3D&reserved=0), and a recording will be available on the same YouTube page following the event.
In addition to being invited to present at the annual Community Banking Research Conference, each student member and faculty advisor of the first-place winning team will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Their work will be published in the annual CSBS Journal of Community Bank Studies. Teams that place second and third will also receive scholarships and have their work published in the journal.
* * *
The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) is the national organization of financial regulators from all 50 states, American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. State regulators supervise roughly three-quarters of all U.S. banks and a variety of non-depository financial services. CSBS, on behalf of state regulators, also operates the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System to license and register non-depository financial service providers in the mortgage, money services businesses, consumer finance, and debt industries.
* * *
REPORT: https://www.csbs.org/sites/default/files/CSBS_CaseStudy_2025_9.19.25_FINAL.pdf
* * *
Original text: https://www.csbs.org/newsroom/five-student-teams-move-csbs-community-bank-case-study-competition-finals
[Category: Financial Services]
Better Markets, AARP Foundation, and Pension Rights Center Call on the Supreme Court to Protect America's Retirement Savers
WASHINGTON, April 30 -- AARP issued the following news release:
* * *
Better Markets, AARP Foundation, and Pension Rights Center Call on the Supreme Court to Protect America's Retirement Savers
AARP, AARP Foundation, Better Markets, and the Pension Rights Center filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court of the United States in Anderson v. Intel Corp. Investment Policy Committee, a closely watched Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) case that could shape how workers challenge imprudent investment decisions in 401(k) plans.
At the heart of Anderson v. Intel Corp. Investment Policy
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 30 -- AARP issued the following news release:
* * *
Better Markets, AARP Foundation, and Pension Rights Center Call on the Supreme Court to Protect America's Retirement Savers
AARP, AARP Foundation, Better Markets, and the Pension Rights Center filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court of the United States in Anderson v. Intel Corp. Investment Policy Committee, a closely watched Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) case that could shape how workers challenge imprudent investment decisions in 401(k) plans.
At the heart of Anderson v. Intel Corp. Investment PolicyCommittee is the Supreme Court's opportunity to strengthen protections for 401(k) savers by allowing them to hold plan fiduciaries accountable for imprudent, risky investment decisions. This comes at a critical time as workers rely increasingly on careful plan stewardship to meet retirement needs.
Plaintiffs say administrators poured unprecedented amounts of plan assets into private equity and hedge funds despite high fees and risk, and failed to reduce those allocations during a decade of sharp underperformance.
The Ninth Circuit dismissed the case, finding that plaintiffs failed to identify a near-identical "meaningful benchmark" to show underperformance. The brief (https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25-498/405443/20260427163217290_25-498_Brief.pdf) acknowledges that some comparison may be necessary, but argues the court's standard is unfair and unworkable, especially given the lack of any real precedent for Intel's unusually high allocations of these investments in its 401(k) plans.
This joint brief urges the Supreme Court to reverse the Ninth Circuit's decision, warning that the ruling would shield the most novel and imprudent decisions and weaken ERISA's core purpose and private enforcement mechanism intended to protect workers' pensions.
"This is a critical case at a critical time for America's retirement savers," said Dominick Freda, Legal Director, Better Markets. "American workers overwhelmingly rely on 401(k) plans to provide for retirement. The workers in this case allege that their plan administrators made imprudent decisions with their savings by investing heavily in private equity and hedge funds knowing full well how risky and expensive those high allocations were and then failed to reverse course when the plans predictably underperformed. We are confident that the Supreme Court will find those allegations to be sufficient to make out a plausible ERISA claim so that workers can protect themselves from administrators rolling the dice with their retirements."
"The Ninth Circuit's decision stacks the deck against workers," said William Alvarado Rivera, Senior Vice President of Litigation, AARP Foundation. "Requiring a nearly identical benchmark sets an unreal bar, shields reckless behavior, and puts hard earned retirement savings--especially for older workers--at real risk. ERISA was meant to protect workers, not trap them in technical hurdles."
"Protecting and promoting retirement security of American workers, retirees, and their families means preserving the key protections provided by ERISA," said Karen Friedman, Executive Director of the Pension Rights Center. "American workers who entrust their hard-earned savings to their plan fiduciaries should be able to question whether their savings are being managed prudently, as ERISA requires."
* * *
About AARP Foundation
AARP Foundation is the nation's leading organization serving the 39 million older adults living in poverty or one life event away from slipping into it. Our mission is to strengthen financial resilience for and with older adults by empowering individuals and improving systems. We do this by creating pathways to quality employment, removing barriers to benefits, and promoting equitable access to essential goods and services. To learn more, visit aarpfoundation.org or follow @AARPFoundation on social media.
* * *
About Better Markets
Better Markets is a non-profit, non-partisan, and independent organization founded in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to promote the public interest in the financial markets, support the financial reform of Wall Street and make our financial system work for all Americans again. Better Markets works with allies--including many in finance--to promote pro-market, pro-business and pro-growth policies that help build a stronger, safer financial system that protects and promotes Americans' jobs, savings, retirements and more. To learn more, visit www.bettermarkets.org.
* * *
About the Pension Rights Center
The Pension Rights Center is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan consumer organization that protects and promotes the retirement security of workers, retirees and their families. For five decades, the Center has helped individuals receive and retain the retirement benefits they have earned, educated them about their rights, and worked to improve the nation's retirement programs. The Center is committed to ensuring that every American has adequate income in retirement. To learn more, visit pensionrights.org.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.aarp.org/press/releases/2026-04-29-aarp-foundation-calls-on-supreme-court-to-protect-americas-retirement-savers/
[Category: Sociological]
American Securities Association Announces Trump Account Matching Contribution for Employees' Children
WASHINGTON, April 30 -- The American Securities Association issued the following news on April 29, 2026:
* * *
ASA Announces Trump Account Matching Contribution for Employees' Children
The American Securities Association (ASA) today announced it will match the U.S. government's one-time $1,000 contribution to Trump Accounts for children of eligible employees, mirroring the pilot program created under President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
"Trump Accounts give the next generation of young Americans a vested interest in the American economy and the ability to benefit from free-market capitalism,"
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 30 -- The American Securities Association issued the following news on April 29, 2026:
* * *
ASA Announces Trump Account Matching Contribution for Employees' Children
The American Securities Association (ASA) today announced it will match the U.S. government's one-time $1,000 contribution to Trump Accounts for children of eligible employees, mirroring the pilot program created under President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
"Trump Accounts give the next generation of young Americans a vested interest in the American economy and the ability to benefit from free-market capitalism,"said ASA President and CEO Chris Iacovella. "We applaud President Trump for helping more individuals and families build wealth, and we are proud to join America's leading businesses in offering contributions to Trump Accounts for the financial health of our employees and their families."
* * *
The American Securities Association (ASA) represents the retail and institutional capital markets interests of regional financial services firms who provide Main Street businesses with access to capital and advise hardworking Americans how to create and preserve wealth. ASA's mission is to promote trust and confidence among investors, facilitate capital formation, and support efficient and competitively balanced capital markets. This mission advances financial independence, stimulates job creation, and increases prosperity. The ASA has a geographically diverse membership of almost one hundred members that spans the Heartland, Southwest, Southeast, Atlantic, and Pacific Northwest regions of the United States.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.americansecurities.org/post/asa-announces-trump-account-matching-contribution-for-employees-children
[Category: Financial Services]
