Bill > H1137

Introduced Session

An act relating to consumer protection; amending s. 319.30, F.S.; revising provisions for systems used to execute electronic signatures for salvage certificates of title; amending s. 501.0051, F.S.; prohibiting consumer reporting agencies from charging to reissue or provide a new unique personal identifier to a consumer for the removal of a security freeze; amending s. 624.307, F.S.; revising a requirement for entities licensed or authorized by the Department of Financial Services or the Office of Insurance Regulation to respond to the department's Division of Consumer Services regarding consumer complaints; revising administrative penalties the division may impose for failure to comply; amending s. 626.112, F.S.; prohibiting unlicensed activity by an adjusting firm; providing an exemption; providing an exemption from licensure for branch firms that meet certain criteria; providing an administrative penalty for failing to apply for certain licensure; providing a criminal penalty for aiding or abetting unlicensed activity; deleting an obsolete provision; amending s. 626.602, F.S.; authorizing the department to disapprove the use of insurance agency names containing the words "Medicare" or "Medicaid"; providing an exception for certain insurance agencies; amending s. 626.621, F.S.; adding grounds on which the department may take certain actions against a license, appointment, or application of certain insurance representatives; amending ss. 626.782 and 626.783, F.S.; revising the definitions of the terms "industrial class insurer" and "ordinary-combination class insurer," respectively, to conform to changes made by the act; repealing s. 626.796, F.S., relating to the representation of multiple insurers in the same industrial debit territory; amending s. 626.8443, F.S.; increasing the maximum period of suspension of a title insurance agent's or agency's license; amending s. 626.854, F.S.; revising the timeframes in which an insured or claimant may cancel a public adjuster's contract to adjust a claim without penalty or obligation; requiring public adjusters to include itemized information in loss estimates; providing that failure by the public adjuster to provide such information within a specified timeframe restores the insured's right to cancel the contract without penalty or obligation; amending s. 626.856, F.S.; revising the definition of the term "company employee adjuster"; amending s. 626.916, F.S.; revising the classes of insurance subject to a disclosure requirement before being eligible for export under the Surplus Lines Law; amending s. 626.9541, F.S.; adding certain acts or practices to the definition of the term "sliding"; amending s. 626.9741, F.S.; requiring an insurer to include certain additional information when providing an applicant or insured with certain credit report or score information; amending ss. 626.9957 and 627.062, F.S.; conforming cross-references; amending s. 627.421, F.S.; requiring personal lines residential property insurers to annually deliver certain notifications to certain policyholders within a specified timeframe; amending s. 627.502, F.S.; prohibiting life insurers from writing new policies of industrial life insurance beginning on a certain date; amending s. 627.70131, F.S.; providing that communication made to or by an insurer's representative, rather than to or by an insurer's agent, constitutes communication to or by the insurer; requiring an insurer-assigned licensed adjuster to provide the policyholder with certain information in certain investigations; specifying requirements for insurers in notifying policyholders of certain changes in assigned adjusters; requiring an insurer to establish a process to provide the agent of record access to claim status information for a certain purpose; defining the term "agent of record"; requiring insurers to include specified notices when providing preliminary or partial damage estimates or certain claim payments; specifying the timeframe in which an insurer must pay or deny property insurance claims under certain circumstances; providing applicability; conforming provisions to changes made by the act; creating s. 627.7031, F.S.; prohibiting foreign venue clauses in certain property insurance policies; providing applicability; amending s. 627.7142, F.S.; revising information contained in the Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights; conforming provisions to changes made by the act; reviving, reenacting, and amending s. 627.715, F.S.; extending the expiration date for provisions authorizing surplus lines agents to export flood coverage contracts or endorsements to insurers without seeking such coverage from specified entities; amending s. 631.57, F.S.; deleting a deductible on the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association's obligation relating to certain covered claims; amending s. 648.30, F.S.; prohibiting the aiding or abetting of unlicensed activity of a bail bond agent or temporary bail bond agent; providing penalties; amending ss. 717.124, 717.12404, 717.1315, and 717.1322, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made by the act; amending s. 717.135, F.S.; replacing provisions relating to powers of attorney to recover unclaimed property with provisions relating to uniform forms for unclaimed property recovery agreements and purchase agreements; requiring the department to adopt the uniform forms by rule; specifying required information and disclosures in the forms; requiring that, for the purchase agreement form, proof the seller received payment be filed with the department along with the claim; requiring registered claimant's representatives to use the forms as the exclusive means of engaging with a claimant or seller to file claims and prohibiting them from using or distributing other agreements; specifying a limitation on fees and costs owed or paid; authorizing additional maximum total dollar fee and cost amounts for probated estate claimants; prohibiting certain language in the forms; authorizing the department to pay additional accounts owned by the claimant under certain circumstances; providing construction; repealing s. 717.1351, F.S., relating to the acquisition of unclaimed property; providing effective dates.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Chuck Clemons (R)*, 

Other Sponsors (2)

Died on Calendar (on 03/14/2020)

Official Document