Florida Insurance Council - Covering Florida Since 1962
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The House genetic testing bill (HB 1189) unanimously passed its first committee, Health and Human Services, on January 16, 2020 without amendment. There were also no questions or debate from committee members. The bill now heads to its last committee stop, the Commerce Committee. Essentially the bill prohibits life…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel A bill designed to protect vulnerable investors from financial exploitation passed its first House committee on January 15, 2020. The bill has two committees left. The Senate bill has not yet been heard in committee. Similar vulnerable investor legislation passed the House last year, but died in the Senate…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel New writings for industrial life insurance will cease as of June 30, 2020 under omnibus bills relating to consumer protection filed January 7, 2020. HB 1137 and SB 1492 are identical agency bills for the CFO, Jimmy Patronis which means they are very likely to pass during the 2020…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel During the Cabinet meeting on July 25, 2019, the Florida Cabinet, sitting as the Financial Services Commission (FSC), approved the OIR to move forward with rule changes relating to rates for credit life and disability insurance policies. According to the information provided to the Cabinet on the changes, Rule…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel The bill to ban use of genetic testing by life and long-term care insurers died the last day of Session. This is the second year in a row the bill has died. However, we expect to see it filed again next year as the issue is a priority of…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel In an interesting twist, the Senate Rules Committee took up the House genetic testing bill, HB 879, instead of their own version of the bill which was more beneficial to the life insurance community. The Senate Committee was able to take up the House bill because the House sent…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On April 17, 2019, the House heard their vulnerable investor protection bill (HB 143) on the floor, waived the rules to roll it to third reading, and voted on it. It passed by a vote of 117-0. SB 1466, the Senate companion, is in its last committee. Thus, the…
By: Katrina Callaway, FIC General Counsel On April 11, 2019, the House passed the life insurance genetic testing prohibition bill (HB 879) with a vote of 88-26. The bill will now be sent to the Senate for consideration and approval. The bill essentially bans all use of genetic testing by life insurers, long-term care (LTC)…