Florida Senate - 2026                                     SB 158
       
       
        
       By Senator Jones
       
       
       
       
       
       34-00429-26                                            2026158__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to pet insurance; amending s.
    3         626.2815, F.S.; requiring licensees who sell pet
    4         insurance to complete specified continuing education;
    5         amending s. 627.71545, F.S.; revising requirements for
    6         disclosures from a pet insurer to a policyholder;
    7         requiring pet insurers to file annually a specified
    8         report with the Office of Insurance Regulation;
    9         specifying the requirements of such report; providing
   10         an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Paragraph (k) is added to subsection (3) of
   15  section 626.2815, Florida Statutes, to read:
   16         626.2815 Continuing education requirements.—
   17         (3) Each licensee except a title insurance agent must
   18  complete a 4-hour update course every 2 years which is specific
   19  to the license held by the licensee. The course must be
   20  developed and offered by providers and approved by the
   21  department. The content of the course must address all lines of
   22  insurance for which examination and licensure are required and
   23  include the following subject areas: insurance law updates,
   24  ethics for insurance professionals, disciplinary trends and case
   25  studies, industry trends, premium discounts, determining
   26  suitability of products and services, and other similar
   27  insurance-related topics the department determines are relevant
   28  to legally and ethically carrying out the responsibilities of
   29  the license granted. A licensee who holds multiple insurance
   30  licenses must complete an update course that is specific to at
   31  least one of the licenses held. Except as otherwise specified,
   32  any remaining required hours of continuing education are
   33  elective and may consist of any continuing education course
   34  approved by the department under this section.
   35         (k) For a licensee who sells pet insurance, the continuing
   36  education required under this section must include 2 hours of
   37  continuing education relating to pet insurance during each
   38  biennial compliance period.
   39         Section 2. Present subsections (10) and (11) of section
   40  627.71545, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections
   41  (11) and (12), respectively, a new subsection (10) is added to
   42  that section, and paragraph (e) of subsection (6) of that
   43  section is amended, to read:
   44         627.71545 Pet insurance; noninsurance wellness programs.—
   45         (6)
   46         (e) At the time a pet insurance policy is issued or
   47  delivered to a policyholder, the pet insurer shall provide the
   48  policyholder with a copy of the Insurer Disclosure of Important
   49  Policy Provisions document required under paragraph (d), in at
   50  least 12-point type. At such time, the pet insurer shall also
   51  include a written disclosure with all of the following:
   52         1. Contact information for the Division of Consumer
   53  Services of the department, including a link and toll-free
   54  telephone number, for consumers to submit inquiries and
   55  complaints relating to pet insurance products regulated by the
   56  department or office.
   57         2. The address and customer service telephone number of the
   58  pet insurance agent.
   59         3. A summary of the key policy features, written in plain
   60  language and on a form adopted by the commission by rule,
   61  including, at a minimum, coverage limits and deductibles,
   62  waiting periods, exclusions, preexisting condition rules, and
   63  whether the policy includes wellness benefits.
   64         (10) Each pet insurer authorized to transact pet insurance
   65  under this section shall file with the office by March 1 of each
   66  year a report containing all of the following information for
   67  the preceding calendar year:
   68         (a) The number of pet insurance policies issued, renewed,
   69  and canceled.
   70         (b) Aggregate premium and claims data.
   71         (c) Data on policy denials and rescissions, including the
   72  reason for each denial or rescission.
   73         (d) Information on waiting periods, exclusions, and
   74  wellness program offerings.
   75         (e) Any other information required by rule of the
   76  commission.
   77         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.