Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel A bill allowing auto organizations to condition insurance on membership in the organization is in position to pass this year. HB 533 passed the House on January 31, 2018 by a vote of 110-0 and was sent to the Senate. The Senate companion bill, SB 756 passed its…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The Senate construction defect statute of repose bill, SB 536 passed its last committee on March 1, 2018 without amendment. The House previously passed their bill (HB 875) with a vote of 112-0 and sent it to the Senate. Thus, the bill is in a good position to pass.…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel A bill allowing insurers and insurance agents to give additional types of promotional and advertising gifts and changing the amount of these gifts to $100/year rather than $25/gift is poised for passage this year. The bill passed the House on February 14, 2018, HB 483 with a vote of…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The first responder workers’ compensation PTSD bill (SB 376) will be heard on the Senate floor on March 2, 2018 after clearing the Rules Committee on March 1, 2018 without amendment. The House companion bill, HB 227, has cleared all its assigned committees. Thus, the bill is in good…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Bills reenacting and saving from repeal the public records exemption in current law for proprietary business information provided by insurers in the private market to Citizens Property Insurance Corporation for use in the Citizens Clearinghouse are ready to be heard on the House and Senate floors. We anticipate the…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel After languishing in its second committee for weeks, the Senate personal injury protection (PIP) repeal bill (SB 150) was heard the next to the last week of Session. During its meeting on February 28, 2018, the Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee voted the bill down, then…
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, will be voted on by the House on March 1, 2018. We expect it will pass as the bill has not been controversial. The bill…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) bill (HB 351) will be voted on by the full House on March 1, 2018. We expect the bill will pass. On February 28, 2018, the bill was heard on the House floor on special order and rolled to third reading. 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. On February 28, 2018, the bill was heard on the House floor on special order and…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The first responder workers’ compensation PTSD bill moved closer to passage this week after committees in each chamber approved the bills. The bill loosens the requirements for first responders to collect workers’ compensation benefits for PTSD when there is no physical injury. On February 26, 2018, the House Governmental…