Senate Judiciary Committee March 25 Report: Adjusters and Arbitration
Mar 25, 2008
The Senate Judiciary Committee met on March 25, 2008 to discuss two bills of importance to Florida’s insurance industry relating to adjusters and arbitration:
Regarding insurance adjusters, the Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1098, sponsored by Senator Mike Fasano (R-New Port Richey), provides for reinstatement of a suspended insurance adjuster’s license application filing fees.
This bill also prohibits a public adjuster from soliciting or entering into a contract with any insured or claimant under an insurance policy for a specified period after the occurrence of an event that may be the subject of a claim. The effective date for this bill is October 1, 2008, except as otherwise provided.
SB 1098 passed out of the Committee and the official vote will be forthcoming.
With respect to arbitration, Senate Bill 2076, sponsored by Senator Ted Deutch (D-Delray Beach), provides that the Florida Arbitration Code does not apply to certain insurance policies; that mandatory binding arbitration is void and unenforceable except as provided by federal law; and that a financial or personal interest in the outcome of a proceeding or an existing or past relationship with a party constitutes grounds for removal of the arbitrator, among other things. The effective date for this bill is July 1, 2008.
Although a vote was taken and SB 1098 passed, this bill may not make it out of Committee today because the vote may have been taken at a time that was past the Committee’s scheduled conclusion time. Accordingly, the Committee is reviewing whether the vote on this bill was taken in a timely manner.
The most recent copies of each bill are attached for your review. Further information will be forthcoming as it becomes available.
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Should you have any questions or concerns regarding these bills, please do not hesitate to contact this office.
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