Florida House of Representatives Economic Affairs Committee Approves Personal Injury Protection Bill (CS/HB 119) Committee Substitute

 

The Florida House of Representatives Economic Affairs Committee (“Committee”) met today February 24, 2012, and took up CS/HB 119 Relating to Motor Vehicle Insurance by State Representative Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton).

Representative Boyd presented a proposed committee substitute (“PCS”) for CS/HB 119 and explained that it addressed two of the concerns on the bill voiced that were previously through the legislative process:

• The elimination of the requirement of a medical provided to submit to an examination under oath. Insureds, however, would still be required to submit to the examinations under oath.
• The issue of the type of medical benefits that an individual may receive within 72 hours of a motor vehicle accident. PCS for CS/HB 119 would allow for a $1,500 cap on medical benefits if services were rendered within 72 hours by an osteopathic physician, a dentist, a physician assistant or an advanced registered nurse practitioner. This provision alters the original version of bill, which had required that all medical services had to be initiated at an emergency room.

There were four amendments filed to PCS for HB/CS 119, all of which were ultimately withdrawn.

Questions about the original bill came from State Representatives Evan Jenne (D-Fort Lauderdale), Steven Perman (D-Boca Raton) and Geraldine Thompson (D-Orlando).

Public testimony was limited to one minute per speaker due to the number of speaker requests.  Numerous members of the insurance industry waived their speaking time in support of the bill, however, representatives from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Nationwide Insurance and the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America spoke in support-also in support of the bill.

Nearly every member of the Committee spoke on PCS for HB/CS 119.  Most of the legislators who spoke in favor of it voiced concerns, but agreed to vote it in order to continue the conversation in the hopes that the bill will be amended further. 

As amended with by the PCS, HB/CS 119 passed favorably out of the Committee by a vote of 11 to 6.

The bill has no further committee assignments.

A copy of the PCS is attached for review, along with its accompanying legislative staff analysis.

 

Should you have any questions or comments, please contact Colodny Fass.

 

 

Click here to follow Colodny Fass on Twitter (@CFTLAWcom)

 

 

 

To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an email to Brooke Ellis at bellis@cftlaw.com.