Capitol to Courthouse Florida Insurance Report: Tuesday, March 19

Mar 19, 2013

 

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

 

Florida’s 2013 Regular Legislative Session

  • Click here for today’s Senate block calendar
  • Click here for today’s House of Representatives block calendar

 

 

9:00 a.m.–Florida Cabinet meeting. To view the complete agenda, click here.

  • Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (“Citizens”)
    • Approval of Outsourcing Implementation Plan for Citizens pursuant to s. 627.351(6)(c)3.b., F.S.  To view the plan, click here.

9:30 a.m.–Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Rule Development Workshop.  Proposed changes to the following Rules would adopt annuity mortality tables (recently adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners to create uniformity among states) for use in financial reporting of annuity reserves as set forth in s.625.121, F.S.  To view the hearing notice, click here.

    10:00 a.m.–Florida Board of Employee Leasing Companies Board meeting.  Teleconference:  888-670-3525; conference code:  7489217568#.  To view the meeting notice, click here.  To view the agenda, click here.

      1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.–Florida House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee.  404 House Office Building, 402 Monroe Street, Tallahassee.  To view the complete agenda, click here.

         

         

        Daily Florida Insurance-Related News

         

        Governor Rick Scott and Cabinet to review plans for Citizens Property Insurance

        Florida Governor Rick Scott and members of the Cabinet are being asked to approve a plan to hand over some duties of the state’s largest insurer to private vendors.

         

        Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater warns against “ripping off rate cap” for Citizens Property Insurance, says current law is working

        Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater isn’t a fan of proposals in the House and Senate aimed at decreasing the policies and risk of Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

         

        Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate Hosts Forums to Improve Homeowners Claim Process

        Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate Robin Smith Westcott and Department of Financial Services, Division of Consumer Services is offering Florida homeowners an opportunity to improve the insurance claim-handling process by sharing their experiences.

         

        Clearinghouse:  A concensus on Citizens Property Insurance?

        As lawmakers, government officials, industry players and interest groups continue to choose sides on proposed legislation to reform state-backed Citizens Property Insurance  Corp., one proposal seems to have wide support: A statewide homeowners insurance clearinghouse.

         

        Blog:  With Rates Expected to Drop, Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Reform Should Be a No-Brainer

        For four out of the last seven years, the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund has been projected to have a shortfall should a major hurricane impact the state and cause the fund to pay out to its coverage limits.

         

        Letter to the Editor:  Make Citizens Property Insurance explain

        There needs to be much greater transparency in exactly where the property insurance money goes that Floridians shell out to Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and private insurers.

         

        News Release:  Gulf Coast Educators Insurance Offers Law and Ordinance Policy Options For Homeowners

        The insurance agents at Gulf Coast Educators Insurance in both Naples Florida and Port Charlotte Florida now offer law-and-ordinance insurance to homeowners.

         

        Blog:  Legislation to address drug repackaging loophole to be heard in first committee today

        House Bill 605, sponsored by Representative Matt Hudson, is on the agenda for today’s House Health Quality Subcommittee meeting.

         

        Blog:  Medical liability reform bill passes as legal reform coalition grows

        The Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Coalition for Legal Reform applauded as Senate Proposed Committee Bill 7030 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee.

         

        Florida’s Medicaid expansion alternative bill is in the works

        A Florida proposal to provide health coverage to more people and qualify for federal subsidies may be ready for a Friday Senate Appropriations Committee meeting.

         

        Senate panel endorses health insurance for part-time state workers

        A Florida Senate committee moved ahead Monday with expanding the state employee health insurance program next year to cover temporary, part-time workers, as lawmakers look to avoid a $318 million penalty under the federal Affordable Care Act.

         

        Will Weatherford Sets Out House Budget Marching Orders

        House Speaker Will Weatherford released to his members Monday the appropriations subcommittee allocations — and his personal direction — for the development of the House’s proposed FY 2013-14 budget.

         

        Blog:  McKeel Offers Spending Plan For Mortgage Settlement Money

        The Florida House Appropriations Committee will being deciding how to use about $200 million in mortgage fraud money the state received last year as part of a $32 billion national settlement with five of the nation’s largest loan servicers.

         

        Senate committee hears pro-nuclear views on cost-recovery law.

        A Senate committee on Monday heard for two hours from the Nuclear Energy Institute, Florida Power & Light Co. and Progress Energy Florida. 

         

        Coalition calls for ethics improvements

        The former executive director of the Florida Commission on Ethics joined a broad coalition Monday in warning that pending legislation aimed at improving the ethical climate of state government still leaves gaping holes that would protect politicians more than the public.

         

        Florida Senate Rockets Internet Sweepstakes Cafes toward Close-Down

        Cafe operators, senior-citizen customers, veterans, even a soup-kitchen priest from Fort Lauderdale pleaded with the Senate Gaming Committee on Monday not to ban Internet cafes in Florida.

         

        Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance to Borrow $100 Million; State Treasurer Objects

        The board for Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. voted Thursday to borrow $100 million through bonds to cover a cash shortfall of $70 million, despite the objections of the state’s Treasurer.

         

        Leonardi critical of Federal Insurance Office captives task force

        Connecticut’s insurance commissioner is contending that the Federal Insurance Office might be unnecessarily overlapping state turf through its examination of use of captives and special purpose vehicles to finance perceived excess reserves.

         

        U.S. group pans proposed bill to create a national catastrophe fund

        New Jersey Congressman Albio Sires has reintroduced legislation to support the creation of a national catastrophe fund, a move that was quickly and strenuously criticized by SmarterSafer.org, a coalition of insurers and environmental groups.

         

         

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