Capitol to Courthouse Daily Florida Insurance Report: Wednesday, February 2
Feb 2, 2011
As the start of Florida’s 2011 Legislative Session approaches, Colodny Fass will provide our regular “From the Capitol to the Courthouse” readers with a daily centralized resource for insurance-related information by combining our popular advance calendar and news headlines feature into our new “Capital to Courthouse Daily Florida Insurance Report.”
A daily listing of insurance-related legislative bills filed with the Florida Legislature also will be included in this report.
As warranted, we will continue to report on important insurance news, regulatory and legislative updates as they happen. Also, we will continue to send you a weekly legislative and regulatory calendar. Finally, as a further service, we will begin compiling a weekly review of insurance-related legislation.
Colodny Fass looks forward to continuing to serve our valued clients with pertinent, timely insurance industry information “From the Capitol to the Courthouse.”
Should you have any comments or questions on this new format, please contact Jennifer J.H. Pierce (jpierce@cftlaw.com) at Colodny Fass.
To go directly to the section of your choice, click on a hyperlink below. Other hyperlinks to meeting information, bills and news are noted in bold type.
- Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events
- Daily Insurance-Related Bills Filed for 2011
- Daily Insurance-Related News
Daily Florida Insurance-Related Events
- Florida Chief Financial Officer’s Advisory Council on State Risk Management meeting; 9:30 a.m. The agenda includes updates on claims loss trends, major loss prevention/control initiatives, legislative budget and legislation issues, and the State building construction information project. To view the meeting notice, click here.
Daily Florida Insurance-Related Bills Filed for 2011
HB 4115 relating to Powers of the Consumer Advocate by State Representative Scott Plakon
Would delete certain powers of the Florida Insurance Consumer Advocate relating to preparation of an annual report card that grades personal residential property insurers. Effective date: July 1, 2011
HB 4099 relating to Repeal of Obsolete Insurance Provisions by State Representative Bryan Nelson
Would delete specified obsolete provisions of insurance law relating to transfer of funds from the State Board of Administration to Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (“Citizens”). The bill also relates to Florida Automobile Joint Underwriting Association presuit notice, aggregate net probable maximum losses, financing options and potential assessments of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund and Citizens, as well as the reporting of activities relating to Florida’s Sinkhole Database. HB 4099 addresses the feasibility and cost-benefit study of the Florida Sinkhole Insurance Facility and other matters related to the affordability and availability of sinkhole insurance. Further, the bill deletes an obsolete effective date for the exclusion of windstorm and contents coverage. Effective date: July 1, 2011
HB 4119 relating to Dangerous Fires by State Representative Ritch Workman
Would repeal provisions prohibiting failure to control or report dangerous fire in certain circumstances. Effective date: July 1, 2011
HB 4095 relating to Workers’ Compensation/Employer’s Liability Insurance by State Representative Matt Gaetz
Would delete a provision prohibiting an insurer from providing workers’ compensation and employer’s liability insurance to persons or to their affiliates if certain payments to a joint underwriting plan operating as the Florida Workers’ Compensation Joint Underwriting Association, Inc. are delinquent. Effective Date: July 1, 2011
SB 732 relating to the Assessment of Residential Property by Senator Gwen Margolis
Would prohibit an increase in the assessed value of residential property solely as the result of installing and operating a renewable energy source device or improving the property’s resistance to wind damage. SB 732 specifies additional exceptions to assessments of homestead and non-homestead property at just value. It also would repeal a provision relating to the renewable energy source property tax exemption. Effective date: July 1, 2011
SB 722 relating to Damage by Dogs by Senator Jim Norman
Would redefine the term “dangerous dog” to exclude dogs trained or used for dog fighting. Effective date: July 1, 2011
Daily Florida Insurance-Related News
Citizens Property rates again in spotlight
The annual tinkering with Citizens Property Insurance Corporation rates and coverage by state lawmakers is under way.
Some on Citizens Insurance board say larger space rented for shrinking agency
As state-backed Citizens Property Insurance board members approved new offices Monday, some said they weren’t happy that it will have to pay for a larger space when it may be shrinking soon.
BB&T Insurance Services Announces Leadership Change in Florida
David Owen, CIC, CPA, has been promoted to director of commercial lines of BB&T-Oswald Trippe and Company in Fort Myers. Additionally, he will continue as branch manager of the Cape Coral office and will oversee all commercial operations of the agency’s offices in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Holmes Beach, Miami, Naples, Ocala, Sarasota and Weston, Florida.
Further divorcing Florida from the federal health overhaul, Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said Tuesday the state will forfeit a $1 million grant that was supposed to go toward better oversight of health-insurance rates.
Times-Union: Uninsured kids propel Florida’s low health care rating
There’d be fewer without coverage if maximum income to get help is raised.
It’s a good thing for Texas, Arizona, Mississippi and Nevada.
Florida Governor Scott announces pension plan cuts
In another hint at what’s coming in his budget proposal, Governor Rick Scott’s team announced today that he would slash cost-of-living adjustments, end the “DROP” deferred retirement plan, eliminate the defined-benefit plan for state employees and require them to contribute 5 percent of their income to their pensions.
White House drug czar snubs Florida’s bath salt attack
UPDATE: After we posted our blog, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy issued a revised press release including Florida in the states addressing the dangerous bath salts. The drug czar’s staff said the oversight wasn’t intentional – they were simply unaware of Bondi’s efforts.
White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske issued a bath salt alarm, warning about a dangerous drug combo that’s got poison control centers working overtime.
Florida Representative Tobia turns down key committee assignments
State Representative John Tobia, R-Melbourne, has resigned his assignments to committees on education and utilities, citing a disagreement with House Speaker Dean Cannon. He has been reassigned to one other committee.
Anti-wage theft activists dispute claims made in law that would gut local protections
Jose Rodriguez, staff attorney for Florida Legal Services, says the goal of Republican state Representative Tom Goodson’s proposed “Florida Wage Protection Law” is to cut down basic protections against wage theft “for nearly very person working in” Miami-Dade County.
Pew Hispanic Center: Large decline in Florida’s unauthorized immigrant population
The Pew Hispanic Center held a press conference Tuesday to release a study that estimates the overall number of unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. as of March 2010 at about 11.2 million people, the same number for the previous year.
Port of Tampa leaders hear Panama Canal expansion is on schedule
An ambitious expansion of the Panama Canal remains on track for 2014 completion.
Editorial: Legislature and governor should heed the concerns of Florida’s municipalities
Municipalities want governor mindful of burdens of unfunded state mandates
Tensions between local governments and elected leaders in Tallahassee have intensified in recent years as cities, counties and state government have wrestled with the needs of constituents while dealing with unprecedented strains on financial resources.
Louisiana Insurance Agent Arrested for Unfair Trade Practices
Troopers with the Lafayette Field Office of the Louisiana State Police Insurance Fraud Unit recently arrested a Ville Platte insurance agent for unfair trade practices.
Survey: Predictive Modeling Gains Momentum
Nearly 90 percent of U.S. insurance companies said the use of predictive modeling enhanced rate accuracy in 2010, according to the results of a survey conducted by Towers Watson.
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