Spectrum of Insurance-Related Bill En Route to Florida Governor Rick Scott
Apr 22, 2015
A number of insurance-related bills are on their way to Florida Governor Rick Scott’s desk after being approved by the Florida House of Representatives today, April 22, 2015.
Following is a list of the bills, along with a summary of each:
HB 165 relating to Property and Casualty Insurance by State Representative David Santiago
- Restricts to certain property rate filings a requirement that the chief executive officer or chief financial officer and chief actuary of a property insurer certify information contained in a rate filing
- Requires an insurer to employ in certain rate filings actuarial methods, principles, standards, models, or output ranges found by the Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology to be accurate or reliable in determining probable maximum loss levels
- Effective July 1, 2015
HB 1133 relating to the Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services by State Representative Jay Fant
- Revises the definition of “general lines” agent
- Revises and creates licensure and examination requirements for a general lines agent, personal lines agent, all-lines adjuster, life agent and health agent
- Revises pre-licensure education requirements for insurance agents
- Revises qualifications for a customer representative’s license
- Requires agents to maintain certain records for specified periods
- Defines “surrender”
- Authorizes certain notices of insolvency to be delivered by e-mail
- Effective July 1, 2015
HB 1053 relating to Motor Vehicle Insurance by State Representative Jay Fant
- Authorizes a joint underwriting plan and the Florida Automobile Joint Underwriting Association to cancel certain insurance policies within a specified period under certain circumstances
- Revises the period during which the applicable fee schedule or payment limitation under Medicare applies with respect to certain Personal Injury Protection insurance coverage
- Effective July 1, 2015
HB 1127 relating to Insurance Fraud by State Representative Jennifer Sullivan
- Repeals provisions relating to the operation or reporting of unlicensed health care clinics
- Revises provisions relating to certain health care clinic charges or reimbursement claims
- Revises and provides criminal penalties for unlawful charges, operating or failing to report unlicensed clinic, filing false or misleading information related to clinic license application and other violations
- Repeals the statute authorizing the Automobile Insurance Fraud Strike Force, a direct-support organization. It also removes cross-references regarding Strike Force deposits to and appropriations from the Insurance Regulatory Trust Fund. The Florida Division of Insurance Fraud’s rulemaking authority related to the Strike Force is removed.
- Effective October 1, 2015
Other Bills of Interest
HB 7123 relating to At-Risk Vessels by State Representative Holly Raschein
- Prohibits vessels that at risk of becoming derelict from anchoring on, mooring on, or occupying state waters
- Authorizes the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or specified law enforcement officers to determine that vessels are at risk of becoming derelict if certain conditions exist
- Provides that persons who anchor or moor or allow such a vessel to occupy state waters commit noncriminal violation
- Provides for enforcement, penalties and applicability
- Effective July 1, 2015
SB 158 relating to Civil Liability of Farmers by Senator Greg Evers
- Provides that an existing exemption from civil liability for farmers who gratuitously allow a person to enter upon their land for the purpose of removing farm produce or crops left in the field applies at any time, rather than only after harvesting
- Revises exceptions to the exemption
- Effective July 1, 2015
SB 570 relating to the Service of Process of Witness Subpoenas by Senator Charlie Dean
- Adds civil traffic cases to the types of court cases for which service of process may be made on a witness by United States mail
- Effective July 1, 2015