News & Updates

Banking and Insurance Committee

Domestic Surplus Lines Bill Passes First Committee

Domestic Surplus Lines Bill Passes First Committee

A proposal in the Senate (SB 1402) and House (HB 951) would authorize “domestic surplus lines insurers” to issue policies in Florida.  Although the bills are in their early stages of consideration, the Senate version recently passed the Banking and Insurance Committee with a 9-0 vote. Currently, because surplus lines insurers issuing policies in Florida […]

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Committee Meetings Begin with Property Market Overview

Committee Meetings Begin with Property Market Overview

The Florida legislature is returning to Tallahassee and preparing for its upcoming 2021 legislative session.  Several key legislative committees hold hearings this week including the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee. The agenda for this week’s Banking and Insurance Committee meeting consists of presentations by Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier and President and Chief Executive Office of […]

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House and Senate Remain Apart on AOB Reform

House and Senate Remain Apart on AOB Reform

Just two weeks into the 2018 legislative session, the Florida House of Representatives and Senate continue to take distinct approaches to the “assignment of benefits” concerns affecting Floridians through increased insurance premiums.  The House passed a bill containing reforms directed at the root of the problem–  the one-way attorneys’ fee statute against insurers, which has […]

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Trial Bar Opposes Citizens Sinkhole Repair Program

Trial Bar Opposes Citizens Sinkhole Repair Program

A proposal that would facilitate the repair of homes insured by Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is gaining support but is opposed by the trial bar.  The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee advanced a bill that would adopt a form of “managed repair” program for Citizens’ sinkhole claims.   Citizens president Barry Gilway favors the proposal as a way […]

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Burgess to Return as Consumer Advocate

Burgess to Return as Consumer Advocate

The start of today’s meeting of the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee included an announcement from chairman David Simmons that Steve Burgess, the committee’s staff director, will be leaving to become Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate.  Burgess has held the consumer advocate position previously, but most recently has been the committee’s staff director for the last five years.  […]

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PIP Decision Creates Uncertainty in Final Weeks of Session

PIP Decision Creates Uncertainty in Final Weeks of Session

Leading into the 2013 legislative session, the most prevalent question relating to Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage was whether insurers’ rate filings were meeting the levels of savings lawmakers anticipated.  However, that changed when Circuit Judge Terry Lewis found that last year’s PIP reforms improperly limit the remedies available to injured persons.  Although the state […]

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Busy Week for Insurance Legislation

Busy Week for Insurance Legislation

Several legislative committees will hear bills this week relating to key insurance issues.  The House Banking and Insurance Subcommittee is expected to consider a bill allowing commercial motor vehicle and personal lines property and casualty insurance policies to be posted to the Internet rather than physically delivered in certain circumstances.  The House committee also is […]

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Senate Committee Reviews Public Records Exemption for DFS Service Requests

Senate Committee Reviews Public Records Exemption for DFS Service Requests

The Banking & Insurance Committee of the Florida Senate has completed its review of a public records exemption for information submitted to the Department of Financial Services or Office of Insurance Regulation in connection with consumer service requests.  The exemption applies to information submitted by consumers to the DFS’ Division of Consumer Services and to […]

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Banking & Insurance Committee Completes PIP Open Government Review

Banking & Insurance Committee Completes PIP Open Government Review

The Florida Senate’s Banking & Insurance Committee recently released its open government review relating to an exemption from public records law for certain information related to auto insurance policies.  Florida has broad public records laws that make most information in the hands of state government available to interested members of the public.  However, the Florida […]

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Banking and Insurance Committee to Conduct Interim Projects

Banking and Insurance Committee to Conduct Interim Projects

The Banking and Insurance Committee of the Florida Senate has announced its interim projects in anticipation of the 2011 legislative session.  The committee staff will conduct project 2011-104 relating to sinkhole insurance, with a report due by October 1, 2010.  The project summary notes that Florida has a large number of sinkholes, and problems in […]

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