Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report–Thursday, May 15, 2014
May 15, 2014
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
9:00 a.m.–Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (“FHCF”) Proposed Rule Hearing. Proposed amendments to Rule 19-8.028, F.A.C., Reimbursement Premium Formula, would adopt the FHCF 2014-2015 Reimbursement Premium Formula and Premium Rates. To view the hearing notice and proposed Rule text, click here.
- FHCF Advisory Council meeting; 1:30 p.m. Agenda includes a vote on May claims-paying capacity estimates. To view the agenda, click here.
Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association Committee meetings
- Audit Committee; 10:00 a.m. To view the agenda, click here.
- Operations Committee; 2:00 p.m. To view the meeting notice, click here.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Florida hurricane insurance fund heads into storm season with strong ability to pay claims
The state-created fund that backs up private insurers in Florida appears to be in very good financial shape again this year, reports Gary Fineout for the Associated Press.
As hurricane season nears, rethinking risk
With the start of the annual hurricane season little more than two weeks away, the head of the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday that Floridians should focus less on storm season predictions and hurricane categories, and more on the individual hazards they could encounter from any storm. Lloyd Dunkelberger reports for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
FEMA infrastructure money approved for Escambia, Santa Rosa
FEMA notified officials in Pensacola, Santa Rosa and Escambia counties yesterday that they may being applying for millions of dollars in reimbursement for damages to government buildings and roadways, as well as other costs associated with the disastrous late April flooding event, the Pensacola News Journal reports.
Fitch Affirms Citizens Property Insurance Personal, Commercial Lines Bonds
Fitch Ratings has affirmed the ‘A+’ rating on the following senior secured bonds of Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Personal and Commercial Lines Accounts.
Insurance Fraud Experts Preview Post-Disaster Scams at Governor’s Hurricane Conference
Immediately after a natural disaster, insurance companies and their claims adjusters arrive on the scene with checkbooks in hand to start the recovery process for policyholders, InsuranceNewsNet.com reports.
Problems force Miami-Dade police to temporarily shelve its new encrypted radio system
Miami-Dade police are preparing to shelve a new $25 million radio system temporarily because of a series of flaws that are worse than originally believed, writes Charles Rabin for the Miami Herald.
Consumers ripped off if title insurers pocket tax cut, advocate says
Florida regulators should use emergency powers to pass along to consumers savings from a tax cut just granted to title insurance companies, says a consumer advocate who cites a Palm Beach Post story in an email to the state’s top regulator. Charles Elmore reports.
Uber fails in its attempt to expand through Florida
Citizen-driven UberX is one type of ride service offered by the San Francisco-based transportation company Uber, which failed to jump the legislative hurdles necessary to operate in Florida last week, Erin Meisenzahl-Peace reports for the Independent Florida Alligator.
Petition filed in Florida Supreme Court challenges Scott’s use of blind trusts
A former top aide to the late Governor Reubin Askew asked the Florida Supreme Court Wednesday to make Governor Rick Scott and other political candidates file complete public disclosures of their finances — not the statements of “blind trusts” the governor has used previously. Bill Cotterell reports for The Florida Current.
Campaign Fights Focus on Open Legislative Seats
Less than six months before the November elections, campaign-finance reports point to a relatively small number of competitive races for state House and Senate seats, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA’s Jim Saunders reports via SunshineStateNews.com.
Charlie Crist getting strong financial support from chiropractors
In an entirely unsurprising move, lawyers – particularly trial lawyers – have begun lining up with campaign donations for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist, Peter Schorsch reports for SaintPetersblog.com.
Number of tourists coming to Florida keeps growing
The number of tourists flocking to Florida continues to surge, the Associated Press reports via the Tampa Tribune.
The Florida Current 2014 Session Summary: Education
Perhaps the most dramatic shift in the mantle of the Republican-led Legislature during this year’s Session was a decision to support a plan that would allow undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates to attend state universities and colleges. The Florida Current reviews the issues.
With Kentucky Law, Lloyd’s to Be Surplus Lines Eligible in All 50 States
Lloyd’s of London underwriters will have surplus lines eligibility in Kentucky when new legislation there goes into effect in July, meaning they will have surplus lines eligibility in all 50 states, reports Insurance Journal.
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