Florida Senate - 2026                          SENATOR AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 524
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì3163387Î316338                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                                       .                                
                                       .                                
                                       .                                
                  Floor: WD            .                                
             03/03/2026 05:52 PM       .                                
       —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————




       —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
       Senator Simon moved the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 184 - 405
    4  and insert:
    5         (b)“Agent” means a general lines agent as defined in s.
    6  626.015, a life agent as defined in s. 626.015, a health agent
    7  as defined in s. 626.015, a surplus lines agent as defined in s.
    8  626.914, a professional bail bond agent as defined in s. 648.25,
    9  a limited surety agent as defined in s. 648.25, a limited lines
   10  agent, a legal expense insurance sales representative who must
   11  meet the requirements of s. 642.034, or a title insurance agent
   12  as defined in s. 626.841. The term includes a producer but does
   13  not include a customer representative, limited customer
   14  representative, or service representative.
   15         (c)“Applicant for licensure” means a person that has
   16  applied to the department for a license.
   17         (d)“Control person,” with respect to a licensee or an
   18  applicant for licensure, means any of the following:
   19         1.A person who holds the title of owner, partner,
   20  director, president, senior vice president, treasurer, or
   21  limited liability company member.
   22         2.A person who holds any of the officer, general partner,
   23  manager, or managing member positions named in the governing
   24  documents. As used in this subparagraph, the term “governing
   25  documents” includes bylaws, articles of incorporation or
   26  organization, partnership agreements, shareholder agreements,
   27  and management or operating agreements.
   28         3.A director on the board of directors.
   29         4.A shareholder in whose name shares are registered in the
   30  records of a corporation for profit, whether incorporated under
   31  the laws of this state or organized under the laws of any other
   32  jurisdiction and existing in that legal form, who directly or
   33  indirectly has the power to vote 10 percent or more of a class
   34  of voting securities, or to sell or direct the sale of 10
   35  percent or more of a class of voting securities. As used in this
   36  subparagraph, the term “shareholder” means a person who owns at
   37  least one share of a corporation and whose ownership is
   38  reflected in the records of the corporation.
   39         (e)“License” means a license issued by the Department of
   40  Financial Services to an agent, an insurance agency as defined
   41  in s. 626.015, a title insurance agency as defined in 626.841,
   42  an adjuster, an adjusting firm as defined in s. 626.8695, a
   43  customer representative as defined in s. 626.015, a service
   44  representative as defined in s. 626.015, or a navigator as
   45  defined in s. 626.9951.
   46         (f)“Licensee” means a person that has a license.
   47         (g) “Limited lines agent” means an agent whose license is
   48  issued pursuant to s. 626.321.
   49         (h) “Person” has the same meaning as in s. 1.01.
   50         (i)“Producer” means a person required to be licensed under
   51  the laws of this state to sell, solicit, or negotiate insurance.
   52         (2) The Department of Law Enforcement shall may accept and
   53  process fingerprints taken of an individual who is a licensee,
   54  an applicant for licensure, or a control person of a licensee or
   55  an applicant for licensure organizers, incorporators,
   56  subscribers, officers, stockholders, directors, or any other
   57  persons involved, directly or indirectly, in the organization,
   58  operation, or management of:
   59         (a) Any insurer or proposed insurer transacting or
   60  proposing to transact insurance in this state.
   61         (b) Any other entity which is examined or investigated or
   62  which is eligible to be examined or investigated under the
   63  provisions of the Florida Insurance Code.
   64         (2) The Department of Law Enforcement may accept
   65  fingerprints of individuals who apply for a license as an agent,
   66  customer representative, adjuster, service representative, or
   67  navigator or the fingerprints of the majority owner, sole
   68  proprietor, partners, officers, and directors of a corporation
   69  or other legal entity that applies for licensure with the
   70  department or office under the Florida Insurance Code.
   71         (3)A full set of fingerprints of an individual described
   72  in subsection (2) must be submitted to the Department of
   73  Financial Services or to a vendor, an entity, or an agency
   74  authorized under s. 943.053(13). The Department of Financial
   75  Services, vendor, entity, or agency shall forward the
   76  fingerprints to the Department of Law Enforcement for state
   77  processing, and the Department of Law Enforcement shall forward
   78  the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for
   79  national processing pursuant to s. 624.34(5). Fees for state and
   80  federal fingerprint processing must be borne by the person
   81  submitting them. The state cost for fingerprint processing is as
   82  provided in s. 943.053(3)(e).
   83         (4)(3) The Department of Law Enforcement may, to the extent
   84  authorized provided for by federal law, exchange state, national
   85  multistate, and federal criminal history records with the
   86  Department of Financial Services department or office for the
   87  purpose of the issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation of a
   88  certificate of authority, certification, or license to operate
   89  in this state.
   90         (5)The full set of fingerprints for each individual
   91  described in subsection (2) must be submitted in accordance with
   92  rules adopted by the Department of Financial Services.
   93         (a)Fingerprints may be submitted through a third-party
   94  vendor authorized by the Department of Law Enforcement.
   95         (b)The Department of Law Enforcement shall conduct a state
   96  criminal history background check, and a federal criminal
   97  history background check must be conducted through the Federal
   98  Bureau of Investigation.
   99         (c)The Department of Financial Services shall review the
  100  results of the state and federal criminal history background
  101  checks and determine whether the applicant for licensure or
  102  licensee meets the requirements for a license to operate in this
  103  state.
  104         (4) The Department of Law Enforcement may accept
  105  fingerprints of any other person required by statute or rule to
  106  submit fingerprints to the department or office or any applicant
  107  or licensee regulated by the department or office who is
  108  required to demonstrate that he or she has not been convicted of
  109  or pled guilty or nolo contendere to a felony or a misdemeanor.
  110         (5) The Department of Law Enforcement shall, upon receipt
  111  of fingerprints from the department or office, submit the
  112  fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to check
  113  federal criminal history records.
  114         (6) The Department of Financial Services shall use the
  115  statewide criminal records obtained through the Department of
  116  Law Enforcement, the federal criminal records obtained through
  117  the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the local criminal
  118  records obtained through local law enforcement agencies shall be
  119  used by the department and office for the purpose of issuance,
  120  denial, suspension, or revocation of certificates of authority,
  121  certifications, or licenses issued to operate in this state.
  122         Section 6. Effective upon becoming a law, section 624.341,
  123  Florida Statutes, is created to read:
  124         624.341Authority of Department of Law Enforcement to
  125  accept fingerprints of, and exchange criminal history records
  126  with respect to, certain persons applying to the Office of
  127  Insurance Regulation.—
  128         (1)As used in this section, the term:
  129         (a)“Applicant for licensure” means a person that has
  130  applied to the office for a license.
  131         (b)“Control person,with respect to a licensee or an
  132  applicant for licensure, means key managerial personnel with
  133  authority over the financial and operational decisions of the
  134  entities licensed, certified, registered, or holding a
  135  certificate of authority under the Florida Insurance Code, and
  136  includes any of the following as required by the office:
  137         1.Incorporators, stockholders, officers, directors, and
  138  attorneys in fact captured under s. 624.404(3)(c), s.
  139  628.071(1)(c), s. 629.091(2), s. 632.638(3), or s. 641.22(6)(c).
  140         2. Trustees, officers, directors, and individuals
  141  responsible for the management of and conduct of the management
  142  of a multiple-employer welfare arrangement under s. 624.439(2).
  143         3.Individuals employed or retained by an administrator who
  144  are responsible for the conduct of the affairs of an
  145  administrator, including all members of the board of directors,
  146  board of trustees, executive committee, or other governing board
  147  or committee, and the principal officers in the case of a
  148  corporation or the partners or members in the case of a
  149  partnership or association of an administrator under s.
  150  626.8805.
  151         4. Individuals responsible for the affairs of a viatical
  152  settlement provider, members of the board of directors, board of
  153  trustees, executive committee, or other governing board or
  154  committee, and any person or entity owning or having the right
  155  to acquire 10 percent or more of the voting securities of a
  156  viatical settlement provider under s. 626.9912.
  157         5.Management of a premium finance company under ss.
  158  627.829(1) and 627.832(1)(g) and (j).
  159         6.Directors, officers, trustees, and other individuals
  160  performing duties similar to those of a director, officer or
  161  trustee of a corporation, association, or trust under s.
  162  628.461(3)(a).
  163         7.Directors, officers, and trustees if a corporation, and
  164  partners, owners, managers, joint venturers, and others
  165  performing functions similar to those of a director, officer, or
  166  trustee, if not a corporation, of a specialty insurer under s.
  167  628.4615(5)(a)7.
  168         8. Managers of a motor vehicle service agreement company
  169  under s. 634.041(2), a home warranty association under s.
  170  634.304(2), or a service warranty association under s.
  171  634.404(2).
  172         9. Members of the board of directors, board of trustees,
  173  executive committee, or other governing board or committee, the
  174  officers, contracted management company personnel, and any
  175  person or entity owning or having the right to acquire 10
  176  percent or more of the voting securities of a prepaid limit
  177  health service organization under s. 636.008 or a discount plan
  178  organization under s. 636.204(2)(c).
  179         10.Persons responsible for the conduct of the affairs of a
  180  prepaid health clinic under s. 641.405(2)(c), including all
  181  members of the governing body, the officers and directors in the
  182  case of a corporation, and the partners or associates in the
  183  case of a partnership or association.
  184         11.Individuals who are directors and officers, and each
  185  shareholder who owns or controls 10 percent or more of the
  186  shares of the corporation, of a legal expense insurance business
  187  under ss. 642.021 and 642.032.
  188         12.Members, shareholders, and persons in charge of
  189  providing care under a certificate of authority subject to s.
  190  651.022(2)(c).
  191         (c)“License” means a certificate of authority,
  192  certification, registration, or license issued by the office.
  193         (d)“Licensee” means a person that has a license.
  194         (e) “Person” has the same meaning as in s. 1.01.
  195         (2)The Department of Law Enforcement shall accept and
  196  process fingerprints taken of an individual who is a licensee,
  197  an applicant for licensure, or a control person of a licensee or
  198  an applicant for licensure.
  199         (3)A full set of fingerprints of an individual described
  200  in subsection (2) must be submitted to the office or to a
  201  vendor, an entity, or an agency authorized under s. 943.053(13).
  202  The office, vendor, entity, or agency shall forward the
  203  fingerprints to the Department of Law Enforcement for state
  204  processing, and the Department of Law Enforcement shall forward
  205  the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for
  206  national processing pursuant to s. 624.34(5). Fees for state and
  207  federal fingerprint processing must be borne by the person
  208  submitting them. The state cost for fingerprint processing is as
  209  provided in s. 943.053(3)(e).
  210         (4)The Department of Law Enforcement may, to the extent
  211  authorized by federal law, exchange state, national, and federal
  212  criminal history records with the office for the purpose of the
  213  issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation of a certificate of
  214  authority, certification, registration, or license to operate in
  215  this state.
  216         (5)The full set of fingerprints for each individual
  217  described in subsection (2) must be submitted in accordance with
  218  rules adopted by the commission.
  219         (a)Fingerprints may be submitted through a third-party
  220  vendor authorized by the Department of Law Enforcement.
  221         (b)The Department of Law Enforcement shall conduct a state
  222  criminal history background check, and a federal criminal
  223  history background check shall be conducted through the Federal
  224  Bureau of Investigation.
  225         (c)The office shall review the results of the state and
  226  federal criminal history background checks and determine whether
  227  the applicant for licensure or licensee meets the requirements
  228  for a license to operate in this state.
  229         (6)The office shall use the statewide criminal records
  230  
  231  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  232  And the title is amended as follows:
  233         Delete lines 23 - 56
  234  and insert:
  235         624.34, F.S.; defining terms; requiring the Department
  236         of Law Enforcement to accept and process fingerprints
  237         taken of natural persons who are control persons of a
  238         licensee or are applicants for licensure; deleting
  239         provisions authorizing the department to accept
  240         fingerprints of specified persons or entities;
  241         requiring that a full set of fingerprints of a certain
  242         natural person be submitted to the Department of
  243         Financial Services or specified authorized vendors,
  244         entities, or agencies; requiring the forwarding of the
  245         fingerprints to specified entities; authorizing the
  246         Department of Law Enforcement to exchange criminal
  247         history records with the Department of Financial
  248         Services for a specified purpose; requiring that the
  249         full set of fingerprints be submitted in accordance
  250         with rules adopted by the Department of Financial
  251         Services; providing duties and responsibilities
  252         regarding the fingerprints and fingerprinting;
  253         requiring the Department of Financial Services to use
  254         certain criminal history records for specified
  255         purposes; creating s. 624.341, F.S.; defining terms;
  256         requiring the Department of Law Enforcement to accept
  257         and process fingerprints taken of natural persons who
  258         are control persons of a licensee or are applicants
  259         for licensure; requiring that a full set of
  260         fingerprints of a certain natural person be submitted
  261         to the Office of Insurance Regulation of the Financial
  262         Services Commission or specified authorized vendors,
  263         entities, or agencies; requiring the forwarding of the
  264         fingerprints to specified entities; authorizing the
  265         department to