Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House Commerce Committee passed the named driver exclusion bill, HB 329 with one amendment (#683325) during its meeting on January 11, 2018. This was the last committee stop for the bill; thus it will next be heard on the House floor when set by the House Rules Committee.…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On January 11, 2018, the Senate Rules Committee unanimously approved SB 98, this year’s step therapy and prior authorization bill. This was the last committee stop for the bill. The bill will now be heard on the Senate floor when scheduled by the Special Order Calendar Group. The Rules…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel A Senate bill making significant changes to the mediation process that is harmful to the insurance industry was postponed on January 10, 2018 in its first committee stop, the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill sponsor, Sen. Steube, who also chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, postponed the bill without explanation.…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 759 by Rep. Trumbell (R-Panama City) changes part of the claim process for construction defect claims. The bill passed its first House committee on January 10, 2018. It was not amended in committee. HB 759 requires the notice of a claim in a construction defect case to be…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel A bill that may be of concern to the life insurance industry was unanimously approved by its first House committee on January 10, 2018. The bill was not amended in committee and has one committee left. The bill, HB 855, prohibits life insurers or long-term care insurers from cancelling,…
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Jan. 10, 2018)–The Florida House is sending a clear message early in the legislative session that Assignment of Benefits (AOB) abuse is hurting consumers and must be addressed immediately. Now is the time for the Senate to follow the House’s lead and do what is right for Florida’s consumers. The Consumer Protection Coalition…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Bills (HB 33, SB 90) changing the current enforcement of the ban on texting while driving from secondary to primary, which will allow a law enforcement officer to stop a vehicle solely for texting while driving, passed committees in the House and Senate during the first week of the…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel A bill to provide more disclosure to homeowners about the lack of flood coverage in their property insurance policy passed its first House committee on January 10, 2018. A strike all amendment (#818499) and two technical amendments to the strike all (#193917 and #302883) were adopted by the…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House Health Innovation Subcommittee approved HB 289, the any willing pharmacy/mail order bill, during its meeting on January 10, 2018 with a strike all amendment to limit the scope of the bill to only HIV drugs, a significant limitation. The amended bill is still opposed by health plans…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On January 10, 2018, the House Insurance and Banking Subcommitee approved HB 533 with one amendment. The bill allows an insurer to condition the sale of insurance on the purchase of motor vehicle services if such services are purchased from a membership organization affiliated with the insurer and…