Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Tuesday, May 28
May 28, 2013
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 would adopt the 2013-2014 FHCF Reimbursement Premium Formula and 2013-2014 Reimbursement Premium Rates. In addition, the proposed Rule specifies exposure reporting requirements and provisional premiums for specified new participants, revises exemptions from coverage for policies predominantly covering specialized fine arts risks or scheduled personal property meeting specified criteria, and deletes obsolete or unnecessary language. To view the hearing notice, click here.
- The FHCF Advisory Council will meet at 1:00 p.m. to review public comments from the Hearing. Teleconference: 888-670-3525; conference code: 7135858151. To view the meeting notice, click here.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Florida Insurance Rates Keep Rising Despite Seven Years Without Storms
It’s been nearly eight years since Hurricane Wilma raked the southern end of Florida and caused billions in damages, the last of eight hurricanes to hit the state in 2004 and 2005, writes Gary Fineout for the Associated Press.
Gilway: Citizens Property Insurance deal “bold yet responsible”
Citizens Property Insurance CEO Barry Gilway used a newspaper op-ed column to defend a controversial deal that would pay a St. Petersburg-based company up to $52 million to take out as many as 60,000 policies from the state-backed insurer.
THE NEWS SERVICE of FLORIDA: House Speaker Wants Citizens Property Insurance Review
Florida’s House speaker wants to review Citizens Property Insurance Corp. after the approval of a unique deal that gave a relatively new company up to $52 million to take out as many as 60,000 policies from the state-backed insurer, reports The News Service of Florida.
Gulf condo residents settle Wilma Insurance suit
Owners at Monaco Beach Club have settled with their condominium association and its former directors after a nearly two-year legal battle over a bloated insurance claim for Hurricane Wilma damage, Laura Layden reports for Naples Daily News.
Governor Scott Expected to Sign Anti-Texting Bill Today
Florida is set to become the 40th state to ban texting while driving. Gov. Rick Scott is set to sign the ban into law Tuesday afternoon at a Miami school, the Associated Press reports.
Immigration is more than a political firestorm for people running some of Florida’s hospital emergency rooms. For them, it’s about business, the Tampa Tribune’s Mary Shedden reports.
Number of Floridians on Food Stamps Doubles
In spite of the Sunshine State’s declining unemployment rate, the number of Floridians on food stamps — now called SNAP benefits — has risen in alarmingly, actually doubling in five years, Allison Nielsen reports for SunshineStateNews.com.
Florida House Speaker stood his ground during 2013 Session
Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford was in Tampa last week with his new best friend, Senate President Don Gaetz, touring the state in the wake of the 2013 legislative session that wrapped up earlier this month, reports James Rosica and William March for the Tampa Tribune.
Legislation tightens Florida brownfields tax breaks
In 2012, the Orlando Sentinel reported that companies received brownfield tax breaks without having to show there was contamination. HB 7007 and SB 4006 require that brownfield sites have cleanup agreements in place with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection or be next to such contamination areas, Bruce Ritchie reports for The Florida Current.
Florida Republicans Launch Crist Attack
The Florida GOP is launching a series of attacks on former Governor Charlie Crist’s record called “This Day In CRIST-ory,” reports Peters Schorsch of SaintPetersBlog.com.
Plans in works for new Embry-Riddle aerospace wind tunnel
With Embry-Riddle matching the state money and seeking a corporate partner to kick in even more, plans are underway for a large-scale wind tunnel – big enough to put a car inside – that could generate research partnerships with large aerospace manufacturing companies.
Louisiana House Enters National Flood Insurance Rate Increase Fight With Reform Delay Bill
Before going home for Memorial Day, Louisiana House members Thursday introduced legislation aimed at forestalling major increases in flood program, reports Arthur Postal for National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
U.S. House Introduces Third Terrorism Risk Extension Bill
A new bill extending the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act for 10 years has been introduced in the House, reports Arthur Postal for National Underwriter’s PropertyCasualty360.com.
Alaska insurance bills enacted
Two insurance-related measures in Alaska recently received approval from Gov. Sean Parnell. One of the bills will enable insurers to mail or deliver policies or post policies and endorsements online, Insurance Networking News reports via PCI SmartBrief.
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