Florida Senate - 2021                                    SB 1066
       
       
        
       By Senator Taddeo
       
       
       
       
       
       40-01275-21                                           20211066__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the insurance consumer advocate;
    3         amending s. 627.0613, F.S.; authorizing the insurance
    4         consumer advocate to collect certain information from
    5         entities issued a certificate of authority by the
    6         Office of Insurance Regulation; providing an effective
    7         date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Subsection (5) is added to section 627.0613,
   12  Florida Statutes, to read:
   13         627.0613 Consumer advocate.—The Chief Financial Officer
   14  must appoint a consumer advocate who must represent the general
   15  public of the state before the department and the office. The
   16  consumer advocate must report directly to the Chief Financial
   17  Officer, but is not otherwise under the authority of the
   18  department or of any employee of the department. The consumer
   19  advocate has such powers as are necessary to carry out the
   20  duties of the office of consumer advocate, including, but not
   21  limited to, the powers to:
   22         (5) Collect information from any entity issued a
   23  certificate of authority by the Office of Insurance Regulation
   24  relating to subject matter that is necessary to carry out the
   25  duties of the office of consumer advocate. Aggregate information
   26  may include information asserted as trade secret information
   27  unless the trade secret information can be individually
   28  extrapolated, in which case the trade secret information remains
   29  protected as provided in s. 624.4213.
   30         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.