House Bill hb0405e1

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                                       HB 405, First Engrossed/ntc



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to public records exemptions

  3         for certain surplus lines insurance records;

  4         amending s. 626.921, F.S., which provides an

  5         exemption from public records requirements for

  6         certain surplus lines insurance information

  7         submitted to the Department of Insurance or

  8         available for inspection by the department;

  9         reenacting such exemption and removing the

10         October 2, 2001, repeal thereof scheduled under

11         the Open Government Sunset Review Act of 1995;

12         narrowing the exemption to apply to information

13         specific to a particular policy or

14         policyholder; providing an exemption from

15         public records requirements for certain surplus

16         lines insurance information submitted to the

17         Florida Surplus Lines Service Office; providing

18         for future review and repeal; providing a

19         finding of public necessity; providing an

20         effective date.

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22  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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24         Section 1.  Notwithstanding the October 2, 2001, repeal

25  of said subsection scheduled pursuant to the Open Government

26  Sunset Review Act of 1995, subsection (8) of section 626.921,

27  Florida Statutes, is reenacted and amended to read:

28         626.921  Florida Surplus Lines Service Office.--

29         (8)(a)  Information furnished to the department under

30  s. 626.923 or contained in the records subject to examination

31  by the department under s. 626.930 is confidential and exempt


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                                       HB 405, First Engrossed/ntc



  1  from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of

  2  the State Constitution if the disclosure of the information

  3  would reveal information specific to a particular policy or

  4  policyholder a trade secret as defined in s. 688.002.  This

  5  subsection is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act

  6  of 1995 in accordance with s. 119.15, and shall stand repealed

  7  on October 2, 2001, unless reviewed and saved from repeal

  8  through reenactment by the Legislature.  The exemption does

  9  not apply to any proceeding instituted by the department

10  against an agent or insurer.

11         (b)  Information furnished to the Florida Surplus Lines

12  Service Office under the Surplus Lines Law is confidential and

13  exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art.

14  I of the State Constitution if the disclosure of the

15  information would reveal information specific to a particular

16  policy or policyholder. This exemption does not prevent the

17  disclosure of any information by the Florida Surplus Lines

18  Service Office to the department, but the exemption applies to

19  records obtained by the department from the Florida Surplus

20  Lines Service Office. The exemption does not apply to any

21  proceeding instituted by the department against an agent or

22  insurer. This paragraph is subject to the Open Government

23  Sunset Review Act of 1995 in accordance with s. 119.15, and

24  shall stand repealed on October 2, 2006, unless reviewed and

25  saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.

26         Section 2.  The Legislature finds that it is a public

27  necessity that certain records of the Department of Insurance

28  and the Florida Surplus Lines Service Office be held

29  confidential and exempt. The disclosure of surplus lines

30  policy information submitted to the Department of Insurance or

31  to the Florida Surplus Lines Service Office, to the extent


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                                       HB 405, First Engrossed/ntc



  1  that such information reveals information specific to a

  2  particular policy or policyholder, would be harmful to

  3  insurers or agents due to the economic value of such

  4  information if revealed to competitors. Such information may

  5  also reveal economic information about the policyholder that

  6  would be harmful as an invasion of privacy of the

  7  policyholder. Accordingly, it is a public necessity that such

  8  information be held confidential and exempt.

  9         Section 3.  This act shall take effect October 1, 2001.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.