Florida Senate - 2013                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1262
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Barcode 588276                          
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                   Comm: WD            .                                
                  04/16/2013           .                                
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       The Committee on Banking and Insurance (Hays) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Substitute for Amendment (548468) (with title
    2  amendment)
    3  
    4         Delete lines 28 - 1017
    5  and insert:
    6         Section 1. Effective June 1, 2013, paragraph (n) of
    7  subsection (2), paragraph (c) of subsection (4), and paragraph
    8  (d) of subsection (6) of section 215.555, Florida Statutes, are
    9  amended to read:
   10         215.555 Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.—
   11         (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section:
   12         (n) “Corporation” means the State Board of Administration
   13  Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Finance Corporation created
   14  in paragraph (6)(d).
   15         (4) REIMBURSEMENT CONTRACTS.—
   16         (c)1. The contract must shall also provide that the
   17  obligation of the board with respect to all contracts covering a
   18  particular contract year shall not exceed the actual claims
   19  paying capacity of the fund up to the limit specified in this
   20  paragraph.
   21         1. Fund limits are as follow:
   22         a. For the 2013-2014 contract year, the limit is $17
   23  billion.
   24         b. For the 2014-2015 contract year and subsequent contract
   25  years, the limit is $16 billion.
   26         2. After the 2014-2015 contract year, if a limit of $17
   27  billion for that contract year, unless the board determines that
   28  there is sufficient estimated claims-paying capacity to provide
   29  $16 $17 billion of capacity for the current contract year and an
   30  additional $16 $17 billion of capacity for subsequent contract
   31  years. If the board makes such a determination, the estimated
   32  claims-paying capacity for the particular contract year shall be
   33  determined by adding to the $16 $17 billion limit one-half of
   34  the fund’s estimated claims-paying capacity in excess of $32 $34
   35  billion. However, the dollar growth in the limit may not
   36  increase in any year by an amount greater than the dollar growth
   37  of the balance of the fund as of December 31, less any premiums
   38  or interest attributable to optional coverage, as defined by
   39  rule, which occurred over the prior calendar year.
   40         3.2. In May and October of the contract year, the board
   41  shall publish in the Florida Administrative Register Weekly a
   42  statement of the fund’s estimated borrowing capacity, the fund’s
   43  estimated claims-paying capacity, and the projected balance of
   44  the fund as of December 31. After the end of each calendar year,
   45  the board shall notify insurers of the estimated borrowing
   46  capacity, estimated claims-paying capacity, and the balance of
   47  the fund as of December 31 to provide insurers with data
   48  necessary to assist them in determining their retention and
   49  projected payout from the fund for loss reimbursement purposes.
   50  In conjunction with the development of the premium formula, as
   51  provided for in subsection (5), the board shall publish factors
   52  or multiples that assist insurers in determining their retention
   53  and projected payout for the next contract year. For all
   54  regulatory and reinsurance purposes, an insurer may calculate
   55  its projected payout from the fund as its share of the total
   56  fund premium for the current contract year multiplied by the sum
   57  of the projected balance of the fund as of December 31 and the
   58  estimated borrowing capacity for that contract year as reported
   59  under this subparagraph.
   60         (6) REVENUE BONDS.—
   61         (d) State Board of Administration Florida Hurricane
   62  Catastrophe Fund Finance Corporation.—
   63         1. In addition to the findings and declarations in
   64  subsection (1), the Legislature also finds and declares that:
   65         a. The public benefits corporation created under this
   66  paragraph will provide a mechanism necessary for the cost
   67  effective and efficient issuance of bonds. This mechanism will
   68  eliminate unnecessary costs in the bond issuance process,
   69  thereby increasing the amounts available for to pay
   70  reimbursement for losses to property sustained as a result of
   71  hurricane damage.
   72         b. The purpose of such bonds is to fund reimbursements
   73  through the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to pay for the
   74  costs of construction, reconstruction, repair, restoration, and
   75  other costs associated with damage to properties of
   76  policyholders of covered policies due to the occurrence of a
   77  hurricane.
   78         c. The efficacy of the financing mechanism will be enhanced
   79  by the corporation’s ownership of the assessments, by the
   80  insulation of the assessments from possible bankruptcy
   81  proceedings, and by covenants of the state with the
   82  corporation’s bondholders.
   83         2.a.The State Board of Administration Finance Corporation
   84  There is created, which is a public benefits corporation and,
   85  which is an instrumentality of the state, to be known as the
   86  Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Finance Corporation. The
   87  State Board of Administration Finance Corporation is for all
   88  purposes the successor to the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund
   89  Finance Corporation.
   90         a.b. The corporation shall operate under a five-member
   91  board of directors consisting of the Governor or a designee, the
   92  Chief Financial Officer or a designee, the Attorney General or a
   93  designee, the director of the Division of Bond Finance of the
   94  State Board of Administration, and the Chief Operating Officer
   95  senior employee of the State Board of Administration responsible
   96  for operations of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.
   97         b.c. The corporation has all of the powers of corporations
   98  under chapter 607 and under chapter 617, subject only to the
   99  provisions of this subsection.
  100         c.d. The corporation may issue bonds and engage in such
  101  other financial transactions as are necessary to provide
  102  sufficient funds to achieve the purposes of this section.
  103         d.e. The corporation may invest in any of the investments
  104  authorized under s. 215.47.
  105         e.f. There is shall be no liability on the part of, and no
  106  cause of action shall arise against, any board members or
  107  employees of the corporation for any actions taken by them in
  108  the performance of their duties under this paragraph.
  109         3.a. In actions under chapter 75 to validate any bonds
  110  issued by the corporation, the notice required by s. 75.06 must
  111  shall be published in two newspapers of general circulation in
  112  the state, and the complaint and order of the court shall be
  113  served only on the State Attorney of the Second Judicial
  114  Circuit.
  115         b. The state hereby covenants with holders of bonds of the
  116  corporation that the state will not repeal or abrogate the power
  117  of the board to direct the Office of Insurance Regulation to
  118  levy the assessments and to collect the proceeds of the revenues
  119  pledged to the payment of such bonds as long as any such bonds
  120  remain outstanding unless adequate provision has been made for
  121  the payment of such bonds pursuant to the documents authorizing
  122  the issuance of the such bonds.
  123         c.4. The bonds of the corporation are not a debt of the
  124  state or of any political subdivision, and neither the state nor
  125  any political subdivision is liable on such bonds. The
  126  corporation may not does not have the power to pledge the
  127  credit, the revenues, or the taxing power of the state or of any
  128  political subdivision. The credit, revenues, or taxing power of
  129  the state or of any political subdivision may shall not be
  130  deemed to be pledged to the payment of any bonds of the
  131  corporation.
  132         d.5.a. The property, revenues, and other assets of the
  133  corporation; the transactions and operations of the corporation
  134  and the income from such transactions and operations; and all
  135  bonds issued under this paragraph and interest on such bonds are
  136  exempt from taxation by the state and any political subdivision,
  137  including the intangibles tax under chapter 199 and the income
  138  tax under chapter 220. This exemption does not apply to any tax
  139  imposed by chapter 220 on interest, income, or profits on debt
  140  obligations owned by corporations other than the State Board of
  141  Administration Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Finance
  142  Corporation.
  143         e.b. All bonds of the corporation are shall be and
  144  constitute legal investments without limitation for all public
  145  bodies of this state; for all banks, trust companies, savings
  146  banks, savings associations, savings and loan associations, and
  147  investment companies; for all administrators, executors,
  148  trustees, and other fiduciaries; for all insurance companies and
  149  associations and other persons carrying on an insurance
  150  business; and for all other persons who are now or may hereafter
  151  be authorized to invest in bonds or other obligations of the
  152  state and are shall be and constitute eligible securities to be
  153  deposited as collateral for the security of any state, county,
  154  municipal, or other public funds. This sub-subparagraph shall be
  155  considered as additional and supplemental authority and may
  156  shall not be limited without specific reference to this sub
  157  subparagraph.
  158         4.6. The corporation and its corporate existence shall
  159  continue until terminated by law; however, no such law shall
  160  take effect as long as the corporation has bonds outstanding
  161  unless adequate provision has been made for the payment of such
  162  bonds pursuant to the documents authorizing the issuance of such
  163  bonds. Upon termination of the existence of the corporation, all
  164  of its rights and properties in excess of its obligations shall
  165  pass to and be vested in the state.
  166         Section 2. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
  167  act, this act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
  168  
  169  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  170         And the title is amended as follows:
  171         Delete lines 2 - 24
  172  and insert:
  173         An act relating to the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe
  174         Fund; amending s. 215.555, F.S.; changing the name of
  175         the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Finance
  176         Corporation to the State Board of Administration
  177         Finance Corporation; providing for the phase-in of
  178         changes to the claims-paying capacity limits of the
  179         fund; providing effective dates.