Florida Senate - 2014                                     SB 870
       
       
        
       By Senator Smith
       
       
       
       
       
       31-01023-14                                            2014870__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to insurance; amending s. 624.425,
    3         F.S.; providing that the absence of a countersignature
    4         does not affect the validity of a policy or contract;
    5         providing an effective date.
    6          
    7  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    8  
    9         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 624.425, Florida
   10  Statutes, is amended to read:
   11         624.425 Agent countersignature required, property,
   12  casualty, surety insurance.—
   13         (1) Except as stated in s. 624.426, no authorized property,
   14  casualty, or surety insurer shall assume direct liability as to
   15  a subject of insurance resident, located, or to be performed in
   16  this state unless the policy or contract of insurance is issued
   17  by or through, and is countersigned by, an agent who is
   18  regularly commissioned and licensed currently as an agent and
   19  appointed as an agent for the insurer under this code. However,
   20  the absence of a countersignature does not affect the validity
   21  of the policy or contract. If two or more authorized insurers
   22  issue a single policy of insurance against legal liability for
   23  loss or damage to person or property caused by a the nuclear
   24  energy hazard, or a single policy insuring against loss or
   25  damage to property by radioactive contamination, whether or not
   26  also insuring against one or more other perils that may be
   27  insured proper to insure against in this state, such policy if
   28  otherwise lawful may be countersigned on behalf of all of the
   29  insurers by a licensed and appointed agent of the any insurer
   30  appearing thereon. The producing agent shall receive on each
   31  policy or contract the full and usual commission allowed and
   32  paid by the insurer to its agents on business written or
   33  transacted by them for the insurer.
   34         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.