Capitol to Courthouse Daily Florida Insurance Report: Wednesday, February 9
Feb 9, 2011
To go directly to the section of your choice, click on a hyperlink below. Other hyperlinks to meeting information, bills and news are noted in bold type.
- Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events
- Daily Florida Insurance-Related Bills Filed for 2011
- Daily Insurance-Related News
Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events
- Florida House of Representatives Insurance and Banking Subcommittee; 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- HB 99 relating to Commercial Insurance Rates by State Representative Brad Drake
- HB 4081 relating to Repeal of Obsolete Insurance Provisions by State Representative Mike Horner
- HB 4083 relating to Workers’ Compensation by State Representative Ben Albritton
- Workshop on insurance issues relating to sinkholes
Daily Florida Insurance-Related Bills Filed for 2011
HB 4139 relating to Hurricane Savings Accounts by State Representative Jeff Brandes
HB 4139 amends s. 2 222.22, F.S. by deleting a contingency requiring certain federal government action before an exemption from legal process in favor of creditors or other claimants provided to assets in a hurricane savings account becomes effective. Effective date: upon becoming law
SB 876 relating to Vessel Safety Regulations by Senator Gwen Margolis
SB 876 would remove state requirements for certain children to wear a personal flotation device while on board certain vessels. Effective date: upon becoming law
HB 661 relating to Nursing Home Litigation Reform by State Representative Matt Gaetz
HB 661 would require a trial judge to conduct an evidentiary hearing before a claimant can assert a claim against certain interested parties, or before a plaintiff can assert a claim for punitive damages. The bill would provide a limitation on recovery, as well as limitations for the admissibility of survey and licensure reports. Further, it would require the showing of admissible evidence by parties in action for punitive damages and require a plaintiff to demonstrate entitlement to assert a claim for punitive damages to a trial judge. The bill provides additional conditions for settlements involving claims for punitive damages. Effective date: July 1, 2011, and shall apply to all causes of action that accrue on or after that date.
HB 643 relating to Motor Vehicles by State Representative Chuck Chestnut IV
HB 643 would revise penalties for the unlawful operation of a sound-making device in a motor vehicle and provide that such operation is a moving violation that includes the assessment of points against the driver’s license. The bill also would provide for increased penalties for repeat violations within a certain time period. Effective Date: July 1, 2011
National Transportation Safety Board chairman outlines safety goals for Florida
Florida officials are about to learn firsthand how they’re doing on dealing with critical highway safety issues.
Blog: Hialeah Senator Introduces Bill to Ban Red Light Cameras in Florida
State Senator Rene Garcia is our new hero. The Hialeah Republican has introduced a bill in the state legislature that would effectively ban the use of red light cameras and has called them a “big-brother initiative.
Boca life insurance financing company IPO nets $169 million
Imperial Holdings expected to net $169 million from its IPO on Tuesday.
Blog: Oscar Braynon II, Sharon Pritchett win special legislative primary elections
An outgoing state representative is poised to jump to the Florida Senate, and a Miami Gardens city council member appeared headed to the House, after winning a pair of special primary elections Tuesday that drew few voters to the polls.
Blog: Florida Governor Scott’s budget gets an early shelling in the Legislature
Governor Rick Scotts proposed budget debuted to lukewarm reviews Tuesday in the Florida Legislature as lawmakers from his own party questioned his proposals to cut $3.3 billion from education and raid trust funds earmarked for everything from roads to restaurant regulation.
Tallahassee debates making unemployment benefits tougher to access
At a time when Florida unemployment is well above the national average, both chambers of the state legislature have now filed bills to reform the the Florida statutes that regulate unemployment compensation
Florida would not have to pay back between $400 million and $500 million in jobless Insurance debt owed to the federal government over the next two years under a plan President Obama will outline next week, the White House said.
Blog: Scott wants to privatize veterans homes
Governor Rick Scott’s $65.8 billion spending pitch to lawmakers includes privatizing veterans homes, mental health facilities and developmental disability centers, which the governor’s budget staff has concluded will save $103.9 million.
Blog: Governor Scott concedes many state workers are underpaid
State employees gave Governor Rick Scott a warm welcome Tuesday as he made his first agency site visit to the Department of State.
Florida Senator Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, had harsh words for a component of the state budget proposal unveiled be Governor Rick Scott yesterday that would eliminate a program created to thwart the Sunshine State’s prescription pill abuse epidemic.
Florida Supreme Court won’t review DUI machines
The state’s highest court has opted not to enter the legal fray over an alcohol-breath test machine’s computer source code.
Regulators uphold $13.8 million Florida Power & Light refund
State regulators have rejected Florida Power & Light Company’s request to reconsider a $13.8 million refund to its customers.
Under Scott’s budget, Space Florida takes $21 million hit
Funding for Space Florida to improve infrastructure and offer incentives to help lure business to the area would drop significantly under Governor Rick Scott’s proposed budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year.
Governor Rick Scott’s plan to eliminate 124 trust funds and shift $7 billion now earmarked for special purposes received a prickly reception at the House Government Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Tuesday.
Florida Budget Could Spark GOP Civil War
With the GOP in control of the House, Senate and the Governor’s office there was little room for dissent until this.”Everything in this budget is basically what I believe in,” said Scott.
Legislation Introduced To Phase Out National Flood Insurance Program
Legislation has been introduced in Congress by Represenatative Candice Miller, R-Mich, that would phase out the National Flood Insurance Program by the end of 2013.
Chinese company begins drywall remediation
Eleanor Aguilar pounded a hole in her living room wall on Monday. You might say it was a way to strike back at the Chinese drywall that, she says, made her sick, caused her appliances to die, and chased her out of her house.
South Carolina construction defect bills draw insurer opposition
Recently introduced legislation in South Carolina would extend coverage for construction defects under commercial general liability policies, a move opposed by insurer groups.
Iowa Supreme Court: Agent not Required to Suggest Unrequested Coverage
The Iowa Supreme Court has sided with an insurance agent in a case involving whether or not the agent had a duty to advise his clients as to the need for insurance coverage about which the clients had not inquired.
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