Senate Bill sb0764c1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2006                            CS for SB 764

    By the Committee on Banking and Insurance; and Senators
    Aronberg, Alexander, Margolis and Atwater




    597-1958-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to travel-limited life

  3         insurance coverage; amending s. 626.9541, F.S.;

  4         specifying prohibited activities by insurers

  5         relating to lawful travel; providing

  6         exceptions; authorizing the adoption of rules

  7         by the Financial Services Commission to

  8         implement the act and allow for limited

  9         exceptions based on emergencies and public

10         policy; providing an effective date.

11  

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

13  

14         Section 1.  This act may be cited as "The Freedom To

15  Travel Act."

16         Section 2.  Paragraph (dd) is added to subsection (1)

17  of section 626.9541, Florida Statutes, to read:

18         626.9541  Unfair methods of competition and unfair or

19  deceptive acts or practices defined.--

20         (1)  UNFAIR METHODS OF COMPETITION AND UNFAIR OR

21  DECEPTIVE ACTS.--The following are defined as unfair methods

22  of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices:

23         (dd)  Life insurance limitations based on past foreign

24  travel experiences or future foreign travel plans.--

25         1.  An insurer may not refuse life insurance to, refuse

26  to continue life insurance of, or limit the amount, extent, or

27  kind of life insurance coverage available to an individual

28  based solely on the individual's past lawful foreign travel

29  experiences.

30         2.  An insurer may not refuse life insurance to, refuse

31  to continue life insurance of, or limit the amount, extent, or

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






    Florida Senate - 2006                            CS for SB 764
    597-1958-06




 1  kind of life insurance coverage available to an individual

 2  based solely on the individual's future lawful travel plans

 3  unless the insurer can demonstrate and the Office of Insurance

 4  Regulation determines that insureds who intend to travel are a

 5  separate actuarially supportable class whose risk of loss is

 6  different from those insureds who do not intend to travel.

 7         3.  The commission may adopt rules necessary to

 8  implement this paragraph and may provide for limited

 9  exceptions that are based upon national or international

10  emergency conditions that affect the public health, safety,

11  and welfare and that are consistent with public policy.

12         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

13  

14          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
15                         Senate Bill 764

16                                 

17  Cites the act as the "The Freedom To Travel Act."

18  Creates a new unfair or deceptive trade practice provision
    under the Insurance Code (s. 626.9541, F.S.) which would
19  prohibit life insurers from refusing coverage or otherwise
    discriminating against an individual solely on the basis of
20  the individual's past lawful foreign travel experiences.

21  Prohibits life insurers from refusing coverage or otherwise
    discriminating against an individual solely on the basis of
22  that individual's "future" lawful foreign travel plans, unless
    life insurers demonstrate, and the Office of Insurance
23  Regulation determines, that insureds who intend to travel are
    a seperate actuarilly supportable class whose risk of loss is
24  different from those insureds who do not intend to travel.

25  Authorizes the Financial Services Commission (Governor and
    Cabinet) to develop rules to implement these provisions and
26  provides authority to the Commission to allow for limited
    exceptions based on national or international emergency
27  conditions affecting public health, safety, and welfare that
    are consistent with public policy.
28  

29  

30  

31  

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