Florida Senate - 2025                                     SB 194
       
       
        
       By Senator Berman
       
       
       
       
       
       26-00167-25                                            2025194__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Insurance Solutions Advisory
    3         Council; creating the advisory council within the
    4         Office of Insurance Regulation of the Financial
    5         Services Commission for specified purposes; providing
    6         for membership and meetings of the advisory council;
    7         requiring the office to provide the advisory council
    8         with staffing and administrative assistance; requiring
    9         the advisory council to submit a specified report
   10         annually; providing for expiration of the advisory
   11         council; providing an effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Insurance Solutions Advisory Council.—
   16         (1)The Insurance Solutions Advisory Council, an advisory
   17  council as defined in s. 20.03(7), Florida Statutes, is created
   18  within the Office of Insurance Regulation of the Financial
   19  Services Commission to analyze and compile available data and
   20  evaluate relevant and applicable information relating to this
   21  state’s property and automobile insurance markets. The advisory
   22  council shall serve in an advisory capacity to the office and
   23  the Legislature.
   24         (2)The advisory council shall be composed of the following
   25  members:
   26         (a) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the House of
   27  Representatives, as follows:
   28         1. One member representing a property and casualty
   29  residential insurer that has issued at least 150,000 homeowners
   30  insurance policies in this state at the time of the creation of
   31  the advisory council.
   32         2. One member representing a surplus lines insurance
   33  company.
   34         3.One member who is a trial attorney.
   35         (b) Three members appointed by the President of the Senate,
   36  as follows:
   37         1. One member representing a property and casualty
   38  commercial nonresidential insurer.
   39         2. One member representing a property and casualty
   40  residential insurer that has issued fewer than 150,000
   41  homeowners’ insurance policies in this state at the time of the
   42  creation of the advisory council.
   43         3.One member who is a public adjuster.
   44         (c) Three members appointed by the Governor who are not
   45  employed by or professionally affiliated with an insurance
   46  company or a subsidiary of an insurance company, at least one of
   47  whom must be a consumer advocate or a member of a consumer
   48  advocacy organization or agency and one of whom must be
   49  recommended by the Florida Insurance Council. The Governor shall
   50  appoint one such member as the advisory council’s chair.
   51         (d) Two members appointed by the Chief Financial Officer,
   52  representing insurance agents in this state.
   53         (e) One member representing Citizens Property Insurance
   54  Corporation, selected by the chair of the board of directors of
   55  the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation.
   56         (f) The commissioner of the Office of Insurance Regulation
   57  of the Financial Services Commission or his or her designee.
   58         (3)Advisory council members must be appointed no later
   59  than August 1, 2025. Members serve at the pleasure of the
   60  officer who appointed them, and a vacancy on the advisory
   61  council must be filled in the same manner as the original
   62  appointment. Advisory council members shall serve without
   63  compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem and
   64  travel expenses pursuant to s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.
   65         (4)The advisory council shall meet at the call of the
   66  chair at a time and location in this state designated by the
   67  chair.
   68         (5)The Office of Insurance Regulation of the Financial
   69  Services Commission shall provide staffing and administrative
   70  assistance to the advisory council in performing its duties.
   71         (6)Beginning October 1, 2025, the advisory council shall
   72  submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature
   73  regarding its analysis as specified in subsection (1) and any
   74  recommendations related to property and automobile insurance in
   75  this state.
   76         (7)This section expires June 30, 2030, unless reviewed and
   77  saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.
   78         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.