Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On March 2, 2018, the Senate telehealth bill, SB 280, passed the full Senate, but the bill is in trouble in the House. The House telehealth bill, HB 793, has not been heard in its first committee and that committee is not scheduled to meet again this Session. Thus,…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel This year’s insurance omnibus bill, HB 465 and SB 784, moved closer to passage on March 2, 2018 when the bill passed its last Senate committee and was heard on the House floor on special order. The House will likely vote on the bill the next time they are…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The first responder workers’ compensation PTSD bill (HB 227, SB 376) was heard on the House and Senate floors on March 2, 2018 on special order. Thus, the bill is in good posture to pass this year. The House and Senate bills are identical. Starting October 1, 2018,…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House passed the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) bill (HB 351) on March 1, 2018 by a vote of 115-0. The House bill is now in the Senate for consideration and approval. The Senate bill, SB 1494, passed its last committee, Appropriations, on March 2, 2018 with one amendment. …
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The public records exemption in current law for proprietary business information provided by insurers in the private market to Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (Citizens) for use in the Citizens Clearinghouse will be reenacted and saved from repeal under a bill that is ready for a floor vote in the…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 33 changes the current enforcement of the ban on texting while driving from secondary to primary offense which allows a law enforcement officer to stop a vehicle solely for texting while driving. The bill passed the House on March 1, 2018 by a vote of 112-2. It now…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel A bill requiring insurers to include a specific disclosure with property insurance policy documents stating that the policy does not cover flood damage is poised to pass. HB 1011 passed the House on February 14, 2018 and was sent to the Senate for consideration. On March 1,…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House passed the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) bill (HB 351) on March 1, 2018 by a vote of 115-0. The bill is a compromise between the health insurance industry, the pharmacy industry and the PBMs. The Senate bill, SB 1494, will be heard in its last…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On March 1, 2018, the Senate telehealth bill, SB 280, was heard on the Senate floor on special order and rolled to third reading. A technical amendment was adopted to correct the title of the bill. The Senate will vote on the bill on March 2, 2018, the…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 1073, the Department of Financial Services (DFS) agency bill with changes to MGA licensure, exchange of business, life agent, and other insurance laws, passed the House on March 1, 2018 by a vote of 113-0. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration and approval. The Senate…