| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to personal injury protection insurance; |
| 3 | amending s. 627.733, F.S.; expanding an exemption to the |
| 4 | requirement to maintain personal injury protection |
| 5 | security on a motor vehicle for members of the United |
| 6 | States Armed Forces on active duty to include the |
| 7 | dependent spouses of such servicemembers; providing |
| 8 | conditions for eligibility; providing an effective date. |
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| 10 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
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| 12 | Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 627.733, Florida |
| 13 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 14 | 627.733 Required security.-- |
| 15 | (5) In addition to other persons who are not required to |
| 16 | provide required security as required under this section and s. |
| 17 | 324.022, the owner or registrant of a motor vehicle is exempt |
| 18 | from such requirements if she or he is a member of the United |
| 19 | States Armed Forces and is called to or on active duty outside |
| 20 | the state or the United States or if she or he is the dependent |
| 21 | spouse of an active duty servicemember who resides with the |
| 22 | active duty servicemember and the vehicle is maintained at the |
| 23 | location at which they reside in an emergency situation. The |
| 24 | exemption provided by this subsection applies only as long as |
| 25 | the member of the armed forces is on such active duty outside |
| 26 | the state or the United States and applies only while the |
| 27 | vehicle covered by the security required by this section and s. |
| 28 | 324.022 is not operated by any person. Upon receipt of a written |
| 29 | request by the insured to whom the exemption provided in this |
| 30 | subsection applies, the insurer shall cancel the coverages and |
| 31 | return any unearned premium or suspend the security required by |
| 32 | this section and s. 324.022. Notwithstanding subsection (6), the |
| 33 | Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles may not suspend |
| 34 | the registration or operator's license of any owner or |
| 35 | registrant of a motor vehicle during the time she or he |
| 36 | qualifies for an exemption under this subsection. Any owner or |
| 37 | registrant of a motor vehicle who qualifies for an exemption |
| 38 | under this subsection shall immediately notify the department |
| 39 | prior to and at the end of the expiration of the exemption. |
| 40 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |