Florida Senate - 2022                                     SB 578
       
       
        
       By Senator Hooper
       
       
       
       
       
       16-00860-22                                            2022578__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Hurricane Loss Mitigation
    3         Program; amending s. 215.559, F.S.; deleting
    4         construction relating to Citizens Property Insurance
    5         Corporation coverage rates; delaying the future repeal
    6         of the Hurricane Loss Mitigation Program; providing an
    7         effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and subsection
   12  (7) of section 215.559, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   13         215.559 Hurricane Loss Mitigation Program.—A Hurricane Loss
   14  Mitigation Program is established in the Division of Emergency
   15  Management.
   16         (2)
   17         (b)1. The Manufactured Housing and Mobile Home Mitigation
   18  and Enhancement Program is established. The program shall
   19  require the mitigation of damage to or the enhancement of homes
   20  for the areas of concern raised by the Department of Highway
   21  Safety and Motor Vehicles in the 2004-2005 Hurricane Reports on
   22  the effects of the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes on manufactured and
   23  mobile homes in this state. The mitigation or enhancement must
   24  include, but need not be limited to, problems associated with
   25  weakened trusses, studs, and other structural components caused
   26  by wood rot or termite damage; site-built additions; or tie-down
   27  systems and may also address any other issues deemed appropriate
   28  by Tallahassee Community College, the Federation of Manufactured
   29  Home Owners of Florida, Inc., the Florida Manufactured Housing
   30  Association, and the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
   31  Vehicles. The program shall include an education and outreach
   32  component to ensure that owners of manufactured and mobile homes
   33  are aware of the benefits of participation.
   34         2. The program shall be a grant program that ensures that
   35  entire manufactured home communities and mobile home parks may
   36  be improved wherever practicable. The moneys appropriated for
   37  this program shall be distributed directly to Tallahassee
   38  Community College for the uses set forth under this subsection.
   39         3. Upon evidence of completion of the program, the Citizens
   40  Property Insurance Corporation shall grant, on a pro rata basis,
   41  actuarially reasonable discounts, credits, or other rate
   42  differentials or appropriate reductions in deductibles for the
   43  properties of owners of manufactured homes or mobile homes on
   44  which fixtures or construction techniques that have been
   45  demonstrated to reduce the amount of loss in a windstorm have
   46  been installed or implemented. The discount on the premium must
   47  be applied to subsequent renewal premium amounts. Premiums of
   48  the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation must reflect the
   49  location of the home and the fact that the home has been
   50  installed in compliance with building codes adopted after
   51  Hurricane Andrew. Rates resulting from the completion of the
   52  Manufactured Housing and Mobile Home Mitigation and Enhancement
   53  Program are not considered competitive rates for the purposes of
   54  s. 627.351(6)(d)1. and 2.
   55         4. On or before January 1 of each year, Tallahassee
   56  Community College shall provide a report of activities under
   57  this subsection to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
   58  and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The report must
   59  set forth the number of homes that have taken advantage of the
   60  program, the types of enhancements and improvements made to the
   61  manufactured or mobile homes and attachments to such homes, and
   62  whether there has been an increase in availability of insurance
   63  products to owners of manufactured or mobile homes.
   64  
   65  Tallahassee Community College shall develop the programs set
   66  forth in this subsection in consultation with the Federation of
   67  Manufactured Home Owners of Florida, Inc., the Florida
   68  Manufactured Housing Association, and the Department of Highway
   69  Safety and Motor Vehicles. The moneys appropriated for the
   70  programs set forth in this subsection shall be distributed
   71  directly to Tallahassee Community College to be used as set
   72  forth in this subsection.
   73         (7) This section is repealed June 30, 2032 2022.
   74         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.