Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel During its meeting on January 16, 2020, the House Commerce Committee unanimously passed the loss run statement bill, HB 269, with a strike all amendment to bring the House bill in line with the Senate companion. The bill requires virtually all insurers, including surplus lines, to provide a free…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel A bill (HB 329) primarily clarifying how FIGA and FWCIGA levy assessments against insurers passed its last House committee on January 16, 2020 without amendment. The bill will be heard next on the floor when it is calendared by the Rules Committee. The bill is supported by the guaranty…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House genetic testing bill (HB 1189) unanimously passed its first committee, Health and Human Services, on January 16, 2020 without amendment. There were also no questions or debate from committee members. The bill now heads to its last committee stop, the Commerce Committee. Essentially the bill prohibits life…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 799 and HB 801 revamp Florida’s trade secret protection laws. On January 16, 2020, they were heard for the first time in committee and passed. One technical amendment was adopted to HB 801, but it was not insurance-related. The bills have two committees left. HB 801 repeals most…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 359, one of the omnibus insurance bills, started moving in the House on January 15, 2020 when the House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee approved an amended committee substitute after a lengthy debate about an amendment to put language addressing the use of the American Law Institute (ALI) treatise…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Bills increasing the FIGA coverage limit and the FIGA emergency assessment maximum for condominium association and homeowners’ association FIGA claims started moving in the House and Senate on January 15, 2020 when they passed their first House and Senate committees. The bills were supported by various condo association trade…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel House and Senate committees approved bills on January 15, 2020 that allow, but not require, workers’ compensation carriers to use a licensed nurse registry to place authorized compensable attendant care services for injured workers. Under the bill, the use of a nurse registry for attendant care is an administrative…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel A bill designed to protect vulnerable investors from financial exploitation passed its first House committee on January 15, 2020. The bill has two committees left. The Senate bill has not yet been heard in committee. Similar vulnerable investor legislation passed the House last year, but died in the Senate…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House Health Quality Subcommitee approved HB 955 during its meeting on January 15, 2020 with an 11-2 vote. The bill curtails physician referrals to hospitals where the physician holds an investment interest. Specifically, the bill prohibits a health care provider from referring patients to any hospital in…