Senate Bill sb1994

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1994

    By Senator Alexander





    17-1508-06                                          See HB 721

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Citizens Property

  3         Insurance Corporation; amending s. 627.351,

  4         F.S.; deleting a provision expressing

  5         legislative intent; deleting certain reporting

  6         requirements of the board of governors of the

  7         corporation relating to losses from wind-only

  8         coverage and the quota share program; deleting

  9         certain duties of the board relating to

10         reduction of boundaries of certain areas

11         eligible for certain coverage under certain

12         circumstances; providing an effective date.

13  

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

15  

16         Section 1.  Paragraphs (o), (p), (q), and (r) of

17  subsection (6) of section 627.351, Florida Statutes, are

18  amended to read:

19         627.351  Insurance risk apportionment plans.--

20         (6)  CITIZENS PROPERTY INSURANCE CORPORATION.--

21         (o)  It is the intent of the Legislature that the

22  amendments to this subsection enacted in 2002 should, over

23  time, reduce the probable maximum windstorm losses in the

24  residual markets and should reduce the potential assessments

25  to be levied on property insurers and policyholders statewide.

26  In furtherance of this intent:

27         1.  The board shall, on or before February 1 of each

28  year, provide a report to the President of the Senate and the

29  Speaker of the House of Representatives showing the reduction

30  or increase in the 100-year probable maximum loss attributable

31  to wind-only coverages and the quota share program under this

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






    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1994
    17-1508-06                                          See HB 721




 1  subsection combined, as compared to the benchmark 100-year

 2  probable maximum loss of the Florida Windstorm Underwriting

 3  Association. For purposes of this paragraph, the benchmark

 4  100-year probable maximum loss of the Florida Windstorm

 5  Underwriting Association shall be the calculation dated

 6  February 2001 and based on November 30, 2000, exposures. In

 7  order to ensure comparability of data, the board shall use the

 8  same methods for calculating its probable maximum loss as were

 9  used to calculate the benchmark probable maximum loss.

10         2.  Beginning February 1, 2007, if the report under

11  subparagraph 1. for any year indicates that the 100-year

12  probable maximum loss attributable to wind-only coverages and

13  the quota share program combined does not reflect a reduction

14  of at least 25 percent from the benchmark, the board shall

15  reduce the boundaries of the high-risk area eligible for

16  wind-only coverages under this subsection in a manner

17  calculated to reduce such probable maximum loss to an amount

18  at least 25 percent below the benchmark.

19         3.  Beginning February 1, 2012, if the report under

20  subparagraph 1. for any year indicates that the 100-year

21  probable maximum loss attributable to wind-only coverages and

22  the quota share program combined does not reflect a reduction

23  of at least 50 percent from the benchmark, the boundaries of

24  the high-risk area eligible for wind-only coverages under this

25  subsection shall be reduced by the elimination of any area

26  that is not seaward of a line 1,000 feet inland from the

27  Intracoastal Waterway.

28         (o)(p)  In enacting the provisions of this section, the

29  Legislature recognizes that both the Florida Windstorm

30  Underwriting Association and the Residential Property and

31  Casualty Joint Underwriting Association have entered into

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1994
    17-1508-06                                          See HB 721




 1  financing arrangements that obligate each entity to service

 2  its debts and maintain the capacity to repay funds secured

 3  under these financing arrangements. It is the intent of the

 4  Legislature that nothing in this section be construed to

 5  compromise, diminish, or interfere with the rights of

 6  creditors under such financing arrangements. It is further the

 7  intent of the Legislature to preserve the obligations of the

 8  Florida Windstorm Underwriting Association and Residential

 9  Property and Casualty Joint Underwriting Association with

10  regard to outstanding financing arrangements, with such

11  obligations passing entirely and unchanged to the corporation

12  and, specifically, to the applicable account of the

13  corporation. So long as any bonds, notes, indebtedness, or

14  other financing obligations of the Florida Windstorm

15  Underwriting Association or the Residential Property and

16  Casualty Joint Underwriting Association are outstanding, under

17  the terms of the financing documents pertaining to them, the

18  governing board of the corporation shall have and shall

19  exercise the authority to levy, charge, collect, and receive

20  all premiums, assessments, surcharges, charges, revenues, and

21  receipts that the associations had authority to levy, charge,

22  collect, or receive under the provisions of subsection (2) and

23  this subsection, respectively, as they existed on January 1,

24  2002, to provide moneys, without exercise of the authority

25  provided by this subsection, in at least the amounts, and by

26  the times, as would be provided under those former provisions

27  of subsection (2) or this subsection, respectively, so that

28  the value, amount, and collectability of any assets, revenues,

29  or revenue source pledged or committed to, or any lien thereon

30  securing such outstanding bonds, notes, indebtedness, or other

31  financing obligations will not be diminished, impaired, or

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1994
    17-1508-06                                          See HB 721




 1  adversely affected by the amendments made by this act and to

 2  permit compliance with all provisions of financing documents

 3  pertaining to such bonds, notes, indebtedness, or other

 4  financing obligations, or the security or credit enhancement

 5  for them, and any reference in this subsection to bonds,

 6  notes, indebtedness, financing obligations, or similar

 7  obligations, of the corporation shall include like instruments

 8  or contracts of the Florida Windstorm Underwriting Association

 9  and the Residential Property and Casualty Joint Underwriting

10  Association to the extent not inconsistent with the provisions

11  of the financing documents pertaining to them.

12         (p)(q)  The corporation shall not require the securing

13  of flood insurance as a condition of coverage if the insured

14  or applicant executes a form approved by the office affirming

15  that flood insurance is not provided by the corporation and

16  that if flood insurance is not secured by the applicant or

17  insured in addition to coverage by the corporation, the risk

18  will not be covered for flood damage. A corporation

19  policyholder electing not to secure flood insurance and

20  executing a form as provided herein making a claim for water

21  damage against the corporation shall have the burden of

22  proving the damage was not caused by flooding. Notwithstanding

23  other provisions of this subsection, the corporation may deny

24  coverage to an applicant or insured who refuses to execute the

25  form described herein.

26         (q)(r)  A salaried employee of the corporation who

27  performs policy administration services subsequent to the

28  effectuation of a corporation policy is not required to be

29  licensed as an agent under the provisions of s. 626.112.

30         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

31  

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