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Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis: Unanimous Support for First Responders, Consumers, and Florida’s Military Community

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Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis today praised the Florida legislature for the unanimous support of his 2018 legislative priorities including fighting for first responders, protecting consumers from fraud, making Florida a more military friendly state, and streamlining and modernizing government.

CFO and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis stated, “After hearing from our first responder community, we fought hard so that they can now have access to mental health benefits. When the Equifax data breach impacted millions, we made it easier for Floridians to protect themselves from fraud.  My mission is to make Florida an even better place to live, work, and raise a family. Laws on the books should work for our residents, not against them.”

Key reforms advocated by CFO Patronis included the following:

Fighting for Our First Responders
Senate Bill 376: CFO Patronis’ top priority was to increase access to mental health benefits for Florida’s first responders. This legislation allows first responders to file a workers’ compensation claim for a mental injury without an accompanying physical injury.

Protecting Florida Consumers from Fraud 
House Bill 953: CFO Patronis fought to make it easier for Floridians to protect themselves from fraud. This legislation eliminates the fee that credit reporting agencies were allowed to charge for Floridians to freeze their credit.

Making Florida More Military Friendly
House Bill 29: CFO Patronis worked to make it easier for members of the U.S. Armed Forces, their spouses and honorably discharged veterans to take charge of their economic futures by removing certain licensing and training fees for the Division of Funeral, Cemetery and Consumer Services, the Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services, and the Division of State Fire Marshal.

Streamlining Government 
House Bill 1073: CFO Patronis worked to modernize the Department of Financial Services (DFS) and better protect Florida consumers. This legislation includes streamlining the appointment process for non-resident adjustors and providing a pathway for better communication between local governments and DFS. Additionally, the bill reduces regulatory costs for licensees.

Returning Every Cent of Unclaimed Property 
House Bill 1361: CFO Patronis’ mission is to return unclaimed property back to its rightful owners, but it can be difficult if account information submitted is incomplete. This legislation includes uniform standards for account information provided to CFO Patronis’ Division of Unclaimed Property from local Clerks of Court.

Governor Rick Scott: Consumers Must Be Protected

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Governor Rick Scott directed Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier to take every action authorized pursuant to Executive Order 17-235 to provide additional protections to support recovery efforts as it relates to Hurricane Irma’s impact on Florida’s families. Governor Scott made it clear that his expectation for Florida’s insurance companies is to expeditiously respond to policyholders’ needs and to treat families fairly. The quick response of insurance companies is critical to the recovery of Florida families following Hurricane Irma.
Governor Scott said, “As Hurricane Irma leaves our state, it is critical that Floridians have every resource available to quickly recover. By providing additional protections for consumers, we are making sure that each family has ample opportunity to get their claims filed in a timely manner. 
“Throughout the preparation and response to Hurricane Irma, we have been in constant contact with the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) and the Department of Financial Services (DFS) to find ways to help our state recover. I know that CFO Patronis and his team will quickly respond to the needs of Florida families, prevent fraud and quickly assess claims so families can get the service they deserve. We will not stop working until every family in Florida recovers from Hurricane Irma.”
CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “Hurricane Irma was a storm unlike anything we have seen before, and as residents across the state travel home to assess damages to their homes and businesses, we stand ready to help with any insurance issues that arise.  Insurance can be complicated, and I’ll do everything in my power to protect policyholders throughout the entire recovery process.  Our team of insurance experts are standing by to take Floridians’ calls at 1-877-693-5236.”
Governor Scott also directed his staff to work closely with OIR, DFS and the entire insurance industry prior to landfall to ensure Florida’s policyholders are the top priority. This includes pre-staging assets to quickly assess claims and ensuring each insurance company has the resources they need to expedite the claims process.
Governor Rick Scott directed Commissioner Altmaier to take the following action to provide additional protections for Florida policyholders:

  1. Provide an additional 90 days to policyholders to supply required information to their insurance company. Many Floridians were displaced during this dangerous storm, and providing additional time to submit information to insurance companies gives them needed flexibility.
  2. Require all non-renewal or cancellations issued to policyholders in the days leading up to Hurricane Irma be rescinded for 90 days. This gives policyholders 90 days to either renew their insurance policy, or find a new policy; and
  3. Freeze any and all efforts to increase rates on policyholders for 90 days. Due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Irma, Floridians should be focused on getting back to their normal lives without their insurance premiums being increased.

CFO Patronis’ toll-free Insurance Consumer Helpline (1-877-693-5236) can answer business and consumer-oriented insurance-related questions. CFO Patronis has launched a Hurricane Irma Insurance Resources webpage to provide comprehensive insurance information. Access the webpage by clicking on the “Hurricane Irma” button on www.myfloridacfo.com.
The Office of Insurance Regulation also has additional storm-related materials here.

In Wake of Hurricane Harvey, Consumers Should Research Charities Before Giving

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In the wake of Hurricane Harvey and historic flooding across southeast Texas, Commissioner Adam H. Putnam encourages Floridians to visit FloridaConsumerHelp.com to research charitable organizations before donating money to help those in need.
“Our hearts go out to the people of Texas, and I hope that Floridians can respond with the same generosity that our state has received time and time again,” Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam said. “But before giving your hard-earned money, I encourage Floridians to do their research, as fraudulent charities may be created to take advantage of people’s empathy and generosity.”
Most charitable organizations that are located in Florida or soliciting donations within Florida are required to register with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services prior to soliciting contributions. Charitable organizations not located in Florida or soliciting donations in Florida are not required to register with the department.
Consumers can help protect themselves from charity-related scams by:

  • Checking to see if a charitable organization is registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services by visiting FloridaConsumerHelp.com;
  • Asking questions, such as: “Who is the fundraiser and who will benefit from the donation?”; “How much of the contribution goes to the charity mentioned in the request”; and “How much of the donation goes toward administrative and fundraising expenses?”;
  • Researching the charitable organization at FloridaConsumerHelp.com to see how much of a donation will go toward the individuals the charity intends to help versus operating expenses;
  • Reading the Gift Giver’s Guide by clicking here; and
  • Reporting any suspicious charitable solicitations by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352) or, for Spanish speakers, 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832).

PSC Reports Increased Renewable Use by Consumers

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Continuing its upward trend, customer-owned renewable energy generation increased approximately 38 percent last year, according to electric utility reports filed with the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC). In 2016, there were 15,994renewable energy system interconnections, up from 11,626 in 2015, with a total generation capacity of 140,521 kilowatts (kW), approximately a 31 percent increase.
Florida PSC rules help promote the development of customer-owned, clean renewable generation that also lowers utility bills. When customers generate more energy than they use in a billing cycle, the excess energy is credited to their next bill to offset costs.
“Our renewable system interconnection rules have worked well for customers, accelerating their ability to realize energy and monetary savings,” said PSC Chairman Julie Brown.
Solar photovoltaic panels continue to be the most popular renewable choice; however, wind turbines and anaerobic digesters have also been installed.  Anaerobic digestion is a multi-step process that uses microorganisms to break down organic material to form methane and carbon dioxide gases, which are then used to generate electricity.
Florida’s investor-owned utilities (IOUs) ,Florida Power & Light Company; Duke Energy Florida, LLC; Tampa Electric Company; Gulf Power Company; and Florida Public Utilities Company are required to offer an expedited interconnection agreement process so customers can generate their own energy quickly and safely.
Municipal electric utility and rural electric cooperative customers also have renewable generation incentives. Every Florida municipal and cooperative that sells electricity at retail is required, by statute, to provide a standardized interconnection agreement and net metering program for customer-owned renewable generation systems.
Florida’s utilities reported the following information on customer-owned renewable generation for 2012-2016.

* The number of interconnections as of December 31st of each year.

Individual utility reports on customer-owned renewable systems and summary data are available here and can be found on the PSC’s website.
Residents interested in learning more about interconnecting renewable generation systems or net metering should contact their local utility.
For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.
Follow the PSC on Twitter, @floridapsc.
 

PSC Report Shows Lifeline Assistance Program Continues to Benefit Florida Consumers

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Approximately one out of every eleven Florida households–or 852,255 eligible telecommunications customers–participate in the federal Lifeline Assistance (Lifeline) discount telephone program, according to the Florida Public Service Commission’s (PSC) annual Lifeline report released today.
“Lifeline provides the assistance many Floridians need to afford phone service to connect with family, friends, doctors, and employers,” said PSC Chairman Julie Brown. “With the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) new Lifeline rules, effective earlier this month, consumers can now apply their monthly Lifeline benefit toward broadband service, connecting them to voice and broadband services.”
In Florida, 19 telecommunication companies participate in the federal Lifeline program. Consumers who receive certain public assistance programs qualify for a minimum discount credit of $9.25 per month, or a free Lifeline cell phone with monthly minutes from certain wireless providers.
As in past years, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest qualifying program for Lifeline Assistance in Florida. Based upon June 2016 SNAP participants, eligible households in need of Lifeline decreased by 14.8 percent compared to last year’s data.
Eligibility requirements and application access are highlighted at monthly PSC outreach events to increase Lifeline program awareness. The new FCC broadband rules and its existing rules limit benefits to one Lifeline discount per eligible household and require annual recertification. The PSC encourages Lifeline customers seeking broadband discounts to contact their carrier for availability.
Applying for Lifeline is easy — Florida residents can call their local phone company, the PSC at 1-800-342-3552, or the Office of Public Counsel (OPC) at 1-800-540-7039 for assistance. Information is also available on the PSC’s website: www.floridapsc.com, OPC’s website: http://www.floridaopc.gov/Pages/Lifeline.aspx and the FCC’s website: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/lifeline-support-affordable-communications.
For more information, visit www.FloridaPSC.com.
Follow the PSC on Twitter, @floridapsc.