Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Tuesday, February 4
Feb 4, 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
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.–Florida Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance meeting. Agenda includes a workshop on Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and consideration of the following bill:
- SB 416 relating to Sinkhole Coverage by Senator Wilton Simpson
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.–Florida House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee meeting. Agenda includes consideration of the following bills:
- HB 255 relating to Insurance/Discriminatory Practices Relating to Firearm Ownership or Possession by State Representative Matt Gaetz
- HB 401 relating to Underwriting, Cancellation Period, & Other Terms of Motor Vehicle Insurance Policies by State Representative Tom Goodson
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Above: (Photo Credit — Florida Governor’s Office/Handout via Reuters) Former State Representative Carlos Lopez-Cantera was sworn in as Florida’s new Lieutenant Governor yesterday
Hurricane preparedness sales tax holiday moves in Senate
Legislation to enact a 12-day sales tax holiday for consumers buying items related to storm preparation sailed through the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee on Monday in a unanimous vote, The Florida Current’s Gray Rohrer reports.
Unaffiliated State-run health exchange launch imminent
Florida politicians this past year rejected the federal Affordable Care Act, refusing to expand Medicaid or to set up a Web site to connect consumers to federally subsidized policies. However, they did authorize an online insurance marketplace separate from the ACA and designed to fill in the gaps in coverage offered by federally approved plans, The Florida Current’s James Call reports.
House, Senate working on telemedicine
Lawmakers appear to be embracing digital technology and real-time video and audio to relieve a physician shortage in the state, The Florida Current’s James Call reports.
A contract worth an estimated $2 billion can go to a company part owned by Jacksonville-based Florida Blue after all, the state’s top Medicaid agency has ruled, Jacksonville Times-Union’s Matt Dixon reports.
Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera takes office
Newly appointed Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera took his oath of office Monday and Governor Rick Scott said the former lawmaker will be a big help in getting the governor’s election-year legislative package approved, The Florida Current’s Bill Cotterell reports.
Tuesday Another Full Day for Florida Legislature
As the Florida Legislature gears up for March’s launch of the 2014 session, various state boards and committees face busy schedules throughout the week, SaintPetersBlog.com’s Phil Ammann reports.
Senate moving toward overhaul of gambling laws
Florida’s gambling laws would be rewritten under legislation being crafted by the Senate Gaming Committee, resulting in a more powerful gaming commission with tighter regulations of gambling operations and allowing for large casino resort hotels in South Florida, The Florida Current’s Gray Rohrer reports.
Bill language filed again to ban development impact fees, traffic concurrency
Bill language that would prohibit cities and counties from charging impact fees on some smaller developments or costs for transportation improvements has been filed again this year, The Florida Current’s Bruce Ritchie reports.
$1 Billion Annual Loss to Florida Tourism Anticipated Because of Venezuelan Spending Restriction
New regulations imposed by the Venezuelan government restrict vacationers planning trips to Florida, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama and Peru to a $700 spending limit and $300 cash, FloridaWatchdog.org’s Marianela Toledo reports.
On Tuesday, February 4, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building, the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled “The Federal Insurance Office’s Report on Modernizing Insurance Regulation.” This hearing will examine the December 12, 2013 Federal Insurance Office (FIO) Report on how to modernize and improve insurance regulation in the United States.
U.S. to Require Cars to Have “Talking” Technology to Prevent Accidents
U.S. regulators will propose rules before President Barack Obama leaves office requiring vehicle- to-vehicle communications systems in new cars, which advocates said may aid safety more than seat belts and air bags, Bloomberg’s Jeff Plungis reports via Insurance Journal.
Arthur Postal’s Washington Report: Industry Fighting Two-Front War with Legislators
The property and casualty industry saw itself in relatively good shape as the current Congress started work in January 2013, writes Arthur Postal for National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
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