Amid Florida’s ongoing insurance crisis, State Representative Rita Harris (D-Orlando) has filed House Bill 1205, which would establish an advisory council to the state legislature on property and automobile insurance.
If passed, HB 1205 would establish an Insurance Solutions Advisory Council in the state of Florida. The Insurance Solutions Advisory Council would be responsible for collecting and analyzing property and automobile insurance data in Florida, and would serve in an advisory role to the Florida Legislature on insurance policy. This Council would be required to submit annual reports to update and counsel the legislature on existing insurance issues and potential solutions.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, Florida has hit its peak for natural disasters, insurance scams, rising costs, and insurers leaving the state. The sponsor of HB 1205 says that all of these issues are interconnected and a combination of all of them are to blame for the state’s insurance crisis.
“Insurance relief is the single-biggest issue that I have heard about since I was elected to public office. Floridians are hurting and they need to see that their state legislature cares. As Representatives, we already receive input from advisory councils on important issues like health insurance, agricultural production, and environmental issues. When something is important to Floridians, we research the problem and find solutions. Florida needs to continue to look at solutions that will provide both short-term and permanent insurance relief, and this bill will help us do that,” said Representative Harris.
This bill has also been filed by State Senator Lori Berman in the Senate as SB 1186. If passed, the Florida Insurance Solutions Advisory Council would be composed by August 1, 2024, and would be required to submit annual reports on their findings.
