Senate Bill sb2132

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                 SJR 2132

    By Senators Klein, Wise, Bullard, Diaz de la Portilla,
    Sebesta, Aronberg, Wilson, Hill, Miller, Smith and Geller




    30-1104B-06

  1                     Senate Joint Resolution

  2         A joint resolution proposing an amendment to

  3         Section 4 of Article IV of the State

  4         Constitution to create the position of

  5         Insurance Commissioner, who will be an elected

  6         member of the Cabinet, and the creation of

  7         Section 8 of Article VI of the State

  8         Constitution to prohibit certain campaign

  9         contributions to or solicitation of certain

10         campaign contributions by or on behalf of

11         candidates for the office of Insurance

12         Commissioner.

13  

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

15  

16         That the following amendment to Section 4 of Article IV

17  and creation of Section 8 of Article VI of the State

18  Constitution are agreed to, shall be submitted to the electors

19  of this state for approval or rejection at the next general

20  election or at an earlier special election specifically

21  authorized by law for that purpose, and, if approved, shall

22  take effect January 6, 2009, with the office of Insurance

23  Commissioner filled initially for a 2-year term at the 2008

24  general election:

25                            ARTICLE IV

26                            EXECUTIVE

27         SECTION 4.  Cabinet.--

28         (a)  There shall be a cabinet composed of an attorney

29  general, a chief financial officer, and a commissioner of

30  agriculture, and an insurance commissioner. In addition to the

31  powers and duties specified herein, they shall exercise such

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                 SJR 2132
    30-1104B-06




 1  powers and perform such duties as may be prescribed by law. In

 2  the event of a tie vote of the governor and cabinet, the side

 3  on which the governor voted shall be deemed to prevail.

 4         (b)  The attorney general shall be the chief state

 5  legal officer. There is created in the office of the attorney

 6  general the position of statewide prosecutor. The statewide

 7  prosecutor shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the state

 8  attorneys to prosecute violations of criminal laws occurring

 9  or having occurred, in two or more judicial circuits as part

10  of a related transaction, or when any such offense is

11  affecting or has affected two or more judicial circuits as

12  provided by general law. The statewide prosecutor shall be

13  appointed by the attorney general from not fewer less than

14  three persons nominated by the judicial nominating commission

15  for the supreme court, or as otherwise provided by general

16  law.

17         (c)  The chief financial officer shall serve as the

18  chief fiscal officer of the state, and shall settle and

19  approve accounts against the state, and shall keep all state

20  funds and securities.

21         (d)  The commissioner of agriculture shall have

22  supervision of matters pertaining to agriculture except as

23  otherwise provided by law.

24         (e)  The insurance commissioner shall have control and

25  supervision of matters relating to the state fire marshal,

26  risk management, insurance regulation, insurance fraud,

27  rehabilitation and liquidation of insurers, insurance agents

28  and agency services, consumer services, workers' compensation,

29  insurance consumer advocacy, and funeral and cemetery

30  services.

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                 SJR 2132
    30-1104B-06




 1         (f)(e)  The governor as chair, the chief financial

 2  officer, and the attorney general shall constitute the state

 3  board of administration, which shall succeed to all the power,

 4  control, and authority of the state board of administration

 5  established pursuant to Article IX, Section 16 of the

 6  Constitution of 1885, and which shall continue as a body at

 7  least for the life of Article XII, Section 9(c).

 8         (g)(f)  The governor as chair, the chief financial

 9  officer, the attorney general, and the commissioner of

10  agriculture shall constitute the trustees of the internal

11  improvement trust fund and the land acquisition trust fund as

12  provided by law.

13         (h)(g)  The governor as chair, the chief financial

14  officer, the attorney general, and the commissioner of

15  agriculture shall constitute the agency head of the Department

16  of Law Enforcement.

17                            ARTICLE VI

18                      SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS

19         SECTION 8.--Insurance commissioner candidates; campaign

20  contributions prohibited.--Neither an insurance company, nor a

21  company engaged in the business of funeral or cemetery

22  service, nor any other business or company that is under the

23  control and supervision of the insurance commissioner, nor any

24  employee or agent of such a company or business may make or

25  solicit a contribution, for any election, to or on behalf of

26  any candidate for the office of insurance commissioner.

27  Neither a candidate for the office of insurance commissioner

28  nor any employee of the insurance commissioner or of any state

29  agency under the control and supervision of the insurance

30  commissioner may solicit or accept a campaign contribution

31  from any such company, business, employee, or agent. This

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                 SJR 2132
    30-1104B-06




 1  section does not prevent any candidate for the office of

 2  insurance commissioner or member of that candidate's immediate

 3  family from contributing to that candidate's campaign as

 4  otherwise permitted by law.

 5         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be

 6  placed on the ballot:

 7                     CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

 8           ARTICLE IV, SECTION 4; ARTICLE VI, SECTION 8

 9         COMPOSITION OF CABINET; OFFICE OF INSURANCE

10  COMMISSIONER; LIMIT ON CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS TO, OR

11  ACCEPTANCE OF CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS BY OR ON BEHALF OF,

12  CANDIDATES FOR SUCH OFFICE.--Proposing an amendment to the

13  State Constitution to create the office of Insurance

14  Commissioner, who will be an elected member of the Cabinet and

15  responsible for the control and supervision of the State Fire

16  Marshal, risk management, insurance regulation, insurance

17  fraud, rehabilitation and liquidation of insurers, insurance

18  agents and agency services, consumer services, workers'

19  compensation, insurance consumer advocacy, and funeral and

20  cemetery services. The amendment will also prohibit campaign

21  contributions to, or solicitation of campaign contributions by

22  or on behalf of, candidates for the office of Insurance

23  Commissioner from insurance companies, funeral or cemetery

24  service companies, and other businesses or companies under the

25  control and supervision of the Insurance Commissioner and

26  their employees and agents.

27  

28  

29  

30  

31  

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