Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee passed the named driver exclusion bill, HB 329 during its meeting on November 15, 2017. The bill authorizes the specific exclusion of named individuals from private passenger motor vehicle insurance coverages. The bill prohibits an exclusion for periods when the names…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House PIP repeal and replace bill (HB 19) was heard by its only committee of reference, Commerce Committee, on November 7, 2017. The bill passed with two amendments. It will now go to the House floor for a full vote by the chamber when put on the floor…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Rep. Grall filed the House PIP repeal bill on October 10, 2017. She also filed the 2017 House PIP repeal bill. The 2017 bill did not pass. The 2018 House PIP repeal bill is different from the 2018 Senate PIP repeal bill. The House bill, HB 19, repeals…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On October 4, 2017, Sen. Farmer filed another attack on the auto insurance industry. The bill filed, SB 414, prohibits insurers from using credit reports and scores for underwriting and rating for personal lines motor vehicle insurance. Sen. Farmer, a trial lawyer, has also filed bills for consideration…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On October 3, 2017, Sen. Farmer, a trial lawyer, filed SB 410 which repeals current law allowing zip code rating for auto insurance under specified conditions and as long as the rate is not excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory. The bill also prohibits insurers from using a single zip…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Sen. Hukill, a strong proponent of assignment of benefit reform in the property insurance area, filed an auto glass bill on October 3, 2017. The bill, SB 396, allows comprehensive auto policies to require an inspection of a damaged windshield before windshield repair or replacement is authorized by the…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Sen. Lee has again filed a PIP repeal bill, SB 150, to be considered during the 2018 Session which begins in January 2018. He was also the bill sponsor in 2017. A House bill on this issue has not been filed yet. This year’s Senate bill repeals mandatory PIP…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel At the August 16th Cabinet meeting, in response to a question from Governor Scott, Insurance Commissioner Altmaier expressed support for legislative changes to deal with the increasing use of assignment of benefits (AOBs) in auto glass/windshield claims. He noted there is more litigation involving AOBs on auto coverage…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Governor Rick Scott signed the TNC bill, HB 221, on May 9, 2017. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2017 and is a comprehensive plan containing insurance requirements and licensing and regulatory requirements for TNCs, including local government pre-emption. The majority of the TNC insurance provisions in the…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel Two Senate bills containing auto insurance provisions cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 1, 2017. SB 1118, which is the Florida Department of Transportation agency package, contains language requiring autonomous vehicles used by TNCs to be covered by auto insurance in the same amounts as that required for…