Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Friday, March 2
Mar 2, 2012
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
Florida’s 2012 Regular Legislative Session
- Click here for today’s Senate block calendar
- Click here for today’s House of Representatives block calendar
10:00 a.m.–House Session
- CS/CS/HB 119 relating to Motor Vehicle Insurance by House Economic Affairs Committee; Insurance and Banking Subcommittee; State Representative Jim Boyd
10:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.–Senate Session
- CS/CS/HB 245 relating to Depopulation Programs of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation by the House Economic Affairs Committee; the House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee; State Representative Jim Boyd
- HB 4087 relating to Repeal of a Workers’ Compensation Independent Actuarial Peer Review Requirement by State Representative Ben Albritton
- CS/SB 1230 relating to Open Government Sunset Review/Public Records Exemption/Consumer Complaints and Inquiries by the Senate Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability; Banking and Insurance
2:30 p.m.–Senate Committee on Budget
- SB 1346 Relating to Citizens Property Insurance Corporation by Senator Steve Oelrich
Reform of Citizens Property Insurance Faces Rising Storm Among GOP Senators
A number of Senate Republicans, including Senator Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, have been working to derail legislation aimed at meeting Governor Rick Scott’s call to shrink Citizens Property Insurance.
Citizens Property Insurance bill stirs a deeper debate in Florida Senate
The last time an unregulated, out-of-state insurer went broke, a top Florida regulator warned consumers that they have less protections with the so-called surplus lines carriers.
Whether in overtime or on time, leaders predict changes to auto insurance will pass
As time runs short, the focus on making changes to personal injury protection insurance has sharpened.
Blog: Florida House concedes on time patients have to get Personal Injury Protection-paid-for care
The Florida House prepped a massive personal injury protection reform bill for a final vote Thursday, inserting several changes to make it closer to the Senate version as they attempt to hammer out a compromise before the end of the legislative session.
Blog: “Real divides” in health care budget slowing budget progress
Persistent differences between the House and Senate over how to handle hospital, nursing homes and mental health budgets have prompted rumors that budget negotiations will be “bumped up” on Thursday to the House and Senate budget chiefs JD Alexander and Denise Grimsley.
Health insurance refunds in Florida in the works
Hundreds of thousands of Floridians could be in line for perhaps $100 million of health Insurance rebates in August, under a federal review process that began Thursday.
Marco Island Fire Pension Board wants questions answered before paying disability claim
For trustees of Marco Island’s Fire Pension Board, holding their first disability hearing was a learning experience.
Clock is ticking on more than 2,000 pending bills in Tallahassee
It’s graveyard time for legislation.
After a bit of legislative maneuvering, a bill sponsored by state Senator John Thrasher that aims to help Fidelity Investments was heard Thursday on the Senate floor and is now set up for final passage.
Florida House passes two bills restricting welfare
The Florida House today passed two bills that would restrict welfare – one, which would restrict access to cash assistance or food stamps for anyone with a past drug felony conviction, and another that would add restrictions to how welfare beneficiaries can use public cash assistance and food stamps.
Stripped-down contracting bill would ease Governor Rick Scott’s objections
An overhaul of state purchasing laws championed by state Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater is getting stripped down to ease concerns raised by Governor Rick Scott.
‘Parental trigger,’ teacher organization bills pass Florida House
Two bills that are drawing the ire of the Florida Education Association, the largest teachers’ union in the state, passed through the House on Thursday along largely party line votes.
Wall Street Journal: Goldman Sachs to Buy Ariel Reinsurance of Bermuda
Goldman Sachs Group Inc., trying to boost revenue from businesses that aren’t shackled to its struggling trading and investment-banking operations, said it agreed to acquire reinsurer Ariel Reinsurance.
New York Prosecutors Say Fraud Scheme Was Largest of Its Kind in History
Authorities are describing the takedown of a massive auto insurance fraud ring in New York the largest of its kind involving New York’s no-fault law.
U.S. Supreme Court Narrows Conditions for Asbestos Suits Under State Laws
The Supreme Court today narrowed the grounds under which victims of damages from asbestos exposure can sue under state laws.