Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Florida Legislature passed the same language expanding direct primary care twice this Session – once as a stand-alone bill and once as part of a large healthcare omnibus package. HB 7 is the stand-alone bill that expands direct primary care. The bill changes all statutory references of “direct…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 1247 expands the application of Florida’s one way attorney fee statute to suits brought by “contractors” against surety insurers under payment or performance bonds for losses due to breach of a building or construction contract. The one-way attorney fee provision is contained in a larger bill dealing with…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel HB 673, the bill to equalize payment for long term care insolvencies by the Florida Life & Health Guaranty Association (FLAHIGA), is going to the Governor for signature. It passed the House on April 24, 2019 with a vote of 114-0 and passed the Senate on May 2, 2019…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On May 2, 2019, the Senate adopted a strike all amendment (938140) to the court jurisdiction bill, HB 337 and rolled the bill to third reading. They will vote on the bill on May 3, 2019. If the Senate approves the bill on May 3, 2019, it will go…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On May 2, 2019, with amendment 970072, the Senate added language to a House building permits bill dealing with the effect of pre-suit notices under the statute of repose for construction defect claims. The amendment also made other changes to the building permits bill the House sent over. The…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House omnibus insurance bill (HB 301) was approved by the full House on April 11, 2019 by a vote of 114-0. On May 2, 2019, the Senate substituted the House bill for the Senate bill and rolled it to third reading and a final vote on May 3,…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Health insurance options for Floridians are expanded under SB 322 which was sent to Governor DeSantis on May 1, 2019 after the House approved the bill with a vote of 70-42. The Senate approved the bill on April 25, 2019 with a 23-14 vote. The bill has multiple components:…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Department of Financial Services (DFS) agency package (HB 1393) gained final passage from the Florida Legislature on May 1, 2019 when the House approved the three amendments the Senate sent to them and then passed the bill with a vote of 112-2. The House originally passed the…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On May 1, 2019, by a vote of 37-0, the Senate sent the House shared savings bill (HB 1113) back to the House with a strike all amendment for the House to approve. The amendment essentially removed the House language and replaced it with the Senate shared savings bill…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The scooter bill, HB 453, is going to the Governor after being approved by the full Senate on May 1, 2019 with a vote of 32-1. The House approved the bill on April 25, 2019 with a vote of 115-0. The bill allows local governments to adopt local ordinances…