The Florida Senate

627.3517  Consumer choice.--

(1)  Except as provided in subsection (2), no provision of s. 627.351, s. 627.3511, or s. 627.3515 shall be construed to impair the right of any insurance risk apportionment plan policyholder, upon receipt of any keepout or take-out offer, to retain his or her current agent, so long as that agent is duly licensed and appointed by the insurance risk apportionment plan or otherwise authorized to place business with the insurance risk apportionment plan. This right shall not be canceled, suspended, impeded, abridged, or otherwise compromised by any rule, plan of operation, or depopulation plan, whether through keepout, take-out, midterm assumption, or any other means, of any insurance risk apportionment plan or depopulation plan, including, but not limited to, those described in s. 627.351, s. 627.3511, or s. 627.3515 The commission shall adopt any rules necessary to cause any insurance risk apportionment plan or market assistance plan under such sections to demonstrate that the operations of the plan do not interfere with, promote, or allow interference with the rights created under this section. If the policyholder's current agent is unable or unwilling to be appointed with the insurer making the take-out or keepout offer, the policyholder shall not be disqualified from participation in the appropriate insurance risk apportionment plan because of an offer of coverage in the voluntary market. An offer of full property insurance coverage by the insurer currently insuring either the ex-wind or wind-only coverage on the policy to which the offer applies shall not be considered a take-out or keepout offer. Any rule, plan of operation, or plan of depopulation, through keepout, take-out, midterm assumption, or any other means, of any property insurance risk apportionment plan under s. 627.351(2) or (6) is subject to ss. 627.351(2)(b) and (6)(c) and 627.3511(4).

(2)  This section does not apply during the first 10 days after a new application for coverage has been submitted to Citizens Property Insurance Corporation under s. 627.351(6), whether or not coverage is bound during this period.

History.--s. 4, ch. 2002-221; s. 4, ch. 2002-240; s. 1106, ch. 2003-261; s. 19, ch. 2006-12.