Florida Senate - 2026                             CS for SB 1600
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and
       Senator Yarborough
       
       
       
       
       586-02686-26                                          20261600c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to community-based care lead agency
    3         liability insurance; amending s. 409.993, F.S.;
    4         requiring the Office of Insurance Regulation, in
    5         collaboration with the Department of Children and
    6         Families and other entities, to review and analyze
    7         certain data; requiring the office to provide a
    8         certain report to the Governor and Legislature;
    9         authorizing the office to levy fines or otherwise
   10         penalize insurance companies, and the department to
   11         levy fines or otherwise penalize community-based care
   12         lead agencies, for failure to timely reply to certain
   13         requests for information; limiting the amount of
   14         certain fines to specified amounts; requiring the
   15         transfer of such fines to the General Revenue Fund;
   16         providing for legislative review and repeal; providing
   17         an effective date.
   18          
   19  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   20  
   21         Section 1. Subsection (5) is added to section 409.993,
   22  Florida Statutes, to read:
   23         409.993 Lead agencies and subcontractor liability.—
   24         (5)OFFICE OF INSURANCE REGULATION REVIEW.—
   25         (a)The Office of Insurance Regulation, in collaboration
   26  with the Department of Children and Families and communitybased
   27  care lead agencies and their subcontracted providers, shall
   28  review all available, relevant, and appropriate data from the
   29  previous 5 fiscal years related to liability insurance coverage
   30  and availability to analyze the following:
   31         1.Access to and availability of liability insurance
   32  through authorized insurance companies, surplus lines companies,
   33  and self-insurance funds;
   34         2.Factors affecting the ability to obtain and maintain
   35  liability insurance;
   36         3.Cost of general liability insurance based on insurance
   37  premium documentation;
   38         4.Claims data;
   39         5.Settlement and judicial disposition data;
   40         6.Community-based care lead agency operating budget and
   41  expenses;
   42         7.Impact of insurance costs on the financial condition of
   43  community-based care lead agencies and their subcontractors; and
   44         8.Consistency of statutory insurance requirements with the
   45  general insurance market.
   46         (b)The Office of Insurance Regulation shall develop a
   47  report on the findings of its review and analysis, including,
   48  but not limited to:
   49         1.Summary of the methods used and data obtained for review
   50  and analysis;
   51         2.Trends in insurance premium rates;
   52         3.Trends in claims and settlements;
   53         4.Trends in liability coverage affordability and
   54  availability; and
   55         5.Actionable recommendations for agency and legislative
   56  changes to ensure affordable and available liability insurance
   57  for community-based care lead agencies and their subcontractors.
   58         (c)The report must be provided to the Governor, the
   59  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
   60  Representatives by January 1, 2027.
   61         (d)The Office of Insurance Regulation is authorized to
   62  levy fines or otherwise penalize an insurance company for
   63  failure to reply to any request for information within 30
   64  calendar days after such request. Any fine schedule set by the
   65  office may not exceed $500 per day for the first 3 days late and
   66  $1000 per day for each late day thereafter, which shall be
   67  transferred to the General Revenue Fund.
   68         (e)The Department of Children and Families is authorized
   69  to levy fines or otherwise penalize a community-based care lead
   70  agency or subcontractor for failure to reply to any request for
   71  information within 30 calendar days after such request. Any fine
   72  schedule set by the department may not exceed $500 per day for
   73  the first 3 days late and $1000 for each late day thereafter,
   74  which shall be transferred to the General Revenue Fund.
   75         (f)This subsection shall stand repealed on July 1, 2027,
   76  unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the
   77  Legislature.
   78         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.