Florida Senate - 2011                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1500
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Barcode 466760                          
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
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       The Committee on Banking and Insurance (Bogdanoff) recommended
       the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 64 - 197
    4  and insert:
    5         (h) Other than an entity to which s. 768.28 applies, any
    6  eligible lead community-based provider, as defined in paragraph
    7  (e), or its employees or officers, except as otherwise provided
    8  in paragraph (i), must, as a part of its contract, obtain
    9  general liability coverage for a minimum of $1 million per
   10  occurrence or claim with a policy limit aggregate of/ $2 $3
   11  million per incident in general liability insurance coverage.
   12         1. The eligible lead community-based provider must also
   13  require that staff who transport client children and families in
   14  their personal automobiles in order to carry out their job
   15  responsibilities obtain minimum bodily injury liability
   16  insurance in the amount of $100,000 per person claim, $300,000
   17  per accident incident, on their personal automobiles. In lieu of
   18  personal motor vehicle insurance, the lead community-based
   19  provider’s casualty, liability, or motor vehicle insurance
   20  carrier may provide nonowned automobile liability coverage. This
   21  insurance provides liability insurance for automobiles that the
   22  provider uses in connection with the provider’s business but
   23  does not own, lease, rent, or borrow. This coverage includes
   24  automobiles owned by the employees of the provider or a member
   25  of the employee’s household but only while the automobiles are
   26  used in connection with the provider’s business. The nonowned
   27  automobile coverage for the provider applies as excess coverage
   28  over any other collectible insurance. The personal automobile
   29  policy for the employee of the provider shall be primary
   30  insurance, and the nonowned automobile coverage of the provider
   31  acts as excess insurance to the primary insurance. The provider
   32  shall provide a minimum limit of $1 million per occurrence and
   33  $2 million in the aggregate for in nonowned automobile coverage.
   34         2. In any tort action brought against such an eligible lead
   35  community-based provider or employee, net economic damages are
   36  shall be limited to $1 million per occurrence, $2 million in the
   37  aggregate, liability claim and $100,000 per automobile claim,
   38  including, but not limited to, past and future medical expenses,
   39  wage loss, and loss of earning capacity, offset by any
   40  collateral source payment paid or payable. In any tort action
   41  brought against such an eligible lead community-based provider,
   42  noneconomic damages are shall be limited to $200,000 per
   43  occurrence and $400,000 in the aggregate claim.
   44         3. A claims bill may be brought on behalf of a claimant
   45  pursuant to s. 768.28 for any amount exceeding the limits
   46  specified in this paragraph. Any offset of collateral source
   47  payments made as of the date of the settlement or judgment shall
   48  be in accordance with s. 768.76. The lead community-based
   49  provider is shall not be liable in tort for the acts or
   50  omissions of its subcontractors or the officers, agents, or
   51  employees of its subcontractors.
   52         (j) Any subcontractor of an eligible lead community-based
   53  provider, as defined in paragraph (e), which is a direct
   54  provider of foster care and related services to children and
   55  families, and its employees or officers, except as otherwise
   56  provided in paragraph (i), must, as a part of its contract,
   57  obtain general liability insurance coverage for a minimum of $1
   58  million per occurrence or claim with a policy limit aggregate
   59  of/ $2 $3 million per incident in general liability insurance
   60  coverage.
   61         1. The subcontractor of an eligible lead community-based
   62  provider must also require that staff who transport client
   63  children and families in their personal automobiles in order to
   64  carry out their job responsibilities obtain minimum bodily
   65  injury liability insurance in the amount of $100,000 per person
   66  claim, $300,000 per accident incident, on their personal
   67  automobiles. In lieu of personal motor vehicle insurance, the
   68  subcontractor’s casualty, liability, or motor vehicle insurance
   69  carrier may provide nonowned automobile liability coverage. This
   70  insurance provides liability insurance for automobiles that the
   71  subcontractor uses in connection with the subcontractor’s
   72  business but does not own, lease, rent, or borrow. This coverage
   73  includes automobiles owned by the employees of the subcontractor
   74  or a member of the employee’s household but only while the
   75  automobiles are used in connection with the subcontractor’s
   76  business. The nonowned automobile coverage for the subcontractor
   77  applies as excess coverage over any other collectible insurance.
   78  The personal automobile policy for the employee of the
   79  subcontractor is shall be primary insurance, and the nonowned
   80  automobile coverage of the subcontractor acts as excess
   81  insurance to the primary insurance. The subcontractor shall
   82  provide a minimum limit of $1 million per occurrence and $2
   83  million in the aggregate in nonowned automobile coverage.
   84         2. In any tort action brought against such subcontractor or
   85  employee, net economic damages are shall be limited to $1
   86  million per occurrence, $2 million in the aggregate, liability
   87  claim and $100,000 per automobile claim, including, but not
   88  limited to, past and future medical expenses, wage loss, and
   89  loss of earning capacity, offset by any collateral source
   90  payment paid or payable. In any tort action brought against such
   91  subcontractor, noneconomic damages shall be limited to $200,000
   92  per claim and $400,000 in the aggregate.
   93         3. A claims bill may be brought on behalf of a claimant
   94  pursuant to s. 768.28 for any amount exceeding the limits
   95  specified in this paragraph. Any offset of collateral source
   96  payments made as of the date of the settlement or judgment shall
   97  be in accordance with s. 768.76.
   98         (l) The Legislature is cognizant of the increasing costs of
   99  goods and services each year and recognizes that fixing a set
  100  amount of compensation actually has the effect of a reduction in
  101  compensation each year. Accordingly, the conditional limitations
  102  on damages in this section shall be increased at the rate of 5
  103  percent each year, prorated from the effective date of this
  104  paragraph to the date at which damages subject to such
  105  limitations are awarded by final judgment or settlement.
  106         (2)(a) The Department of Children and Family Services may
  107  contract for the delivery, administration, or management of
  108  protective services, the services specified in subsection (1)
  109  relating to foster care, and other related services or programs,
  110  as appropriate. The department shall use diligent efforts to
  111  ensure that retain responsibility for the quality of contracted
  112  services and programs and shall ensure that services are of high
  113  quality and delivered in accordance with applicable federal and
  114  state statutes and regulations. However, the department is not
  115  liable in tort for the acts or omissions of an eligible lead
  116  community-based provider or the officers, agents, or employees
  117  of the provider, nor is the department liable in tort for the
  118  acts or omissions of the subcontractors of eligible lead
  119  community-based providers or the officers, agents, or employees
  120  of its subcontractors. The department may not require an
  121  eligible lead community-based provider or its subcontractors to
  122  indemnify the department for the department’s own acts or
  123  omissions, nor may the department require an eligible lead
  124  community-based provider or its subcontractors to include the
  125  department as an additional insured on any insurance policy. A
  126  lead community-based provider may not require its subcontractors
  127  to add the lead community-based provider as an additional
  128  insured on a liability policy. The department shall must adopt
  129  
  130  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  131         And the title is amended as follows:
  132         Delete lines 2 - 9
  133  and insert:
  134         An act relating to community-based care providers;
  135         amending s. 409.1671, F.S.; decreasing the aggregate
  136         amount of insurance coverage required for lead
  137         community-based providers and their subcontractors;
  138         providing immunity from liability for the department
  139         for acts or omissions of a community-based provider or
  140         subcontractor, or the officers, agents, or employees
  141         thereof; prohibiting the department from requiring the
  142         lead agency to indemnify the department or a
  143         subcontractor from requiring its subcontractors to add
  144         the lead agency as an additional insured; providing an
  145         effective date.