Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Friday, October 28
Oct 28, 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 2012
- Daily Insurance-Related News
Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events
There are no insurance-related events scheduled for today.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related Bills Filed for 2012
SB 728 relating to Residential Property Insurance by Senator Jeremy Ring
SB 728 would amend provisions of law relating to checklists of policy content and apply them to commercial lines residential insurance policies entered into on, or after a certain date. The bill would amend current law relating to the disclosure of certain insurer and policy information to claimants and revise provisions relating to deductibles included in policies entered into on, or after a certain date. It also would allow deductibles for windstorm losses and provide that the failure to provide certain statements on a policy would result in the voiding of certain deductibles. The deductible for hurricane losses would be based on dwelling policy limits for insurance contracts entered into on, or after a certain date. Further, certain notice language relating to deductibles would be required to be stated in the policy, while the deductible amount would be capped. Failure to state these notice requirements would void a separate deductible for hurricane or windstorm losses. Effective Date: July 1, 2012
Small Business Administration loans offered for South Florida tornado victims
The Small Business Administration is offering home and business loans to tornado and severe weather victims in South Florida.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has determined that the city of Bonita Springs will increase to a Class 6 in the National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System.
Insurers float plan to whack attorneys fees and license health care clinics
An insurance trade group doesn’t recommend increasing the current $10,000 personal injury protection benefit level because, they say, it would increase premiums.
With top Florida officials expected to be briefed next week, groups with skin in the personal injury protection game on Thursday began releasing information of their own in preparation for what could be one of the biggest legislative battles of the 2012 session.
Insurance industry says personal injury protection is ‘unsustainable’
Everyone from Governor Rick Scott to Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater – with an attaboy from Attorney General Pam Bondi – says the Legislature needs to reform the state’s fraud-ridden personal injury protection coverage that pays for a motorist’s injuries and lost wages without regard to fault.
Brevard citation sparks class action suit over red-light cameras
As Florida lawmakers gear up for another debate about red-light cameras, a Brevard County citation has led to a class-action lawsuit about the constitutionality of the devices.
2 medical insurers to pull out of Florida as advocates urge new hearing on loss ratios
Patient advocacy groups urged federal regulators to reject Florida’s request to grant insurers more time to come into line with new requirements by the Affordable Care Act.
U.S. Chamber study: Tort reform could create up to 162,000 jobs in Florida
A Chamber consultant says that changing the state’s legal environment by reducing tort costs by as much as 18.5 percent would increase employment by as much as 1.98 percent.
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA: Coalition fights against easing health insurance requirement
A coalition of groups Thursday asked federal officials to reject a proposal that would give Florida health insurers a temporary reprieve from a key requirement of the 2010 federal health overhaul, reports the News Service of Florida.
U.S. Supreme Court to take up Florida’s health care case November 10
Justices will review six health care related petitions, an early step in deciding which they may hear in their upcoming term.
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA: Florida Banks Fear Proposed Foreigner Account Reporting Rule
A proposed federal rule that would require the automatic reporting to the Internal Revenue Service of interest earned on accounts held in U.S. banks by foreigners would create “serious safety and soundness concerns to banks” in Florida, a former state commissioner of financial regulation told Congress on Thursday.
On heels of Florida gaming bill, audit finds pari-mutuel oversight problems
An auditor general’s report out Thursday found the Department of Business and Professional Regulation did not properly apply its rules regarding oversight of pari-mutuels.
Florida Chamber of Commerce says it ‘will fight’ unemployment taxes
In its agenda for the 2012 session, the Florida Chamber of Commerce has said that it will “will fight to stabilize and ultimately lower the cost of the unemployment compensation tax increases for Florida employers.”
Court hears Florida Education Association ‘religious freedom’ amendment arguments
An attorney for the Florida Education Association argues that the summary for the Amendment 7 ballot initiative misleads voters by hiding the intent of the change to the state constitution.
Blog: Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who burned the Quran, running for president
Terry Jones, the Gainesville pastor who created a stir by publicly burning the Quran, is running for president, according to the International Business Times.
Industry Officials Concerned with Lack of Movement on National Flood Insurance Program
It is looking more and more likely that the Congress will again have to pass a temporary extension of the National Flood Insurance Program, officials of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America are warning.
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