Florida 2024 2024 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1149 Introduced / Bill

Filed 01/03/2024

                       
 
HB 1149  	2024 
 
 
 
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 
hb1149-00 
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A bill to be entitled 1 
An act relating to policy cancellations and 2 
nonrenewals by property insurers; amending s. 3 
627.4133, F.S.; prohibiting insurers from canceling 4 
and nonrenewing within certain timeframes policies 5 
covering commercial properties damaged by hurricanes 6 
and wind losses; providing that such prohibition 7 
applies to flood damages caused by hurricanes under 8 
certain circumstances; providing exceptions; providing 9 
construction; authorizing the Financial Services 10 
Commission to adopt rules and the Commissioner of 11 
Insurance Regulation to issue orders; providing 12 
conditions under which a structure is deemed repaired; 13 
providing a definition; requiring commercial property 14 
policies to contain specified terms under certain 15 
circumstances; prohibiting eligible surplus lines 16 
insurers from canceling and nonrenewing within certain 17 
timeframes policies covering dwellings and residential 18 
properties damaged by hurricanes and wind losses; 19 
providing that such prohibition applies to flood 20 
damages caused by hurricanes under certain 21 
circumstances; providing exceptions to prohibitions 22 
against insurers' policy cancellations and nonrenewals 23 
within certain timeframes; revising conditions under 24 
which a structure is deemed to be repaired; revising 25     
 
HB 1149  	2024 
 
 
 
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 
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the definition of the term "insurer" to include 26 
eligible surplus lines insurers; requiring personal 27 
lines and commercial residential insurance property 28 
policies to contain specified terms under certain 29 
circumstances; providing an effective date. 30 
 31 
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 32 
 33 
 Section 1.  Paragraph (e) of subsection (2) of section 34 
627.4133, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (e) is 35 
added to subsection (1) of that section, to read: 36 
 627.4133  Notice of cancellation, nonrenewal, or renewal 37 
premium.— 38 
 (1)  Except as provi ded in subsection (2): 39 
 (e)1.  An insurer may not cancel or nonrenew a property 40 
insurance policy covering a commercial property located in this 41 
state: 42 
 a.  For a period of 90 days after the commercial property 43 
has been repaired, if such property has been d amaged as a result 44 
of a hurricane or wind loss that is the subject of the 45 
declaration of emergency pursuant to s. 252.36 and the filing of 46 
an order by the Commissioner of Insurance Regulation. Damage 47 
under this sub-subparagraph includes flood damage caused by a 48 
hurricane if flood is a covered peril under the commercial 49 
property insurance policy or under a separate flood insurance 50     
 
HB 1149  	2024 
 
 
 
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 
hb1149-00 
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policy. If flood is not a covered peril under the commercial 51 
property insurance policy or under a separate flood insurance 52 
policy and the property has been damaged as a result of flood 53 
caused by a hurricane, an insurer may not cancel or nonrenew the 54 
commercial property insurance policy until the earlier of when 55 
the property has been repaired or 1 year after the date of loss. 56 
 b.  Until the earlier of when the commercial property has 57 
been repaired or 1 year after the insurer issues the final claim 58 
payment, if such property was damaged by any covered peril and 59 
sub-subparagraph a. does not apply. 60 
 2.  However, an insurer or agent may ca ncel or nonrenew 61 
such a policy prior to the repair of the commercial property: 62 
 a.  Upon 10 days' notice for nonpayment of premium; or 63 
 b.  Upon 45 days' notice: 64 
 (I)  For a material misstatement or fraud related to the 65 
claim; 66 
 (II)  If the insurer determi nes that the insured has 67 
unreasonably caused a delay in the repair of the dwelling; or 68 
 (III)  If the insurer has paid policy limits for a loss to 69 
each insured structure that was damaged. 70 
 3.  If the insurer elects to nonrenew a policy covering a 71 
commercial property that has been damaged, the insurer shall 72 
provide at least 90 days' notice to the insured that the insurer 73 
intends to nonrenew the policy 90 days after the commercial 74 
property has been repaired. This paragraph does not prevent the 75     
 
HB 1149  	2024 
 
 
 
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 
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insurer from canceling or nonrenewing the policy 90 days after 76 
the repairs are complete for the same reasons the insurer would 77 
otherwise have canceled or nonrenewed the policy but for the 78 
limitations of subparagraph 1. The Financial Services Commission 79 
may adopt rules, and the Commissioner of Insurance Regulation 80 
may issue orders, necessary to implement this paragraph. 81 
 4.  For purposes of this paragraph: 82 
 a.  A structure is deemed to be repaired when subs tantially 83 
completed and restored to the extent that it is insurable by: 84 
 (I)  Another authorized insurer writing policies in this 85 
state if the structure is currently insured by an authorized 86 
insurer; or 87 
 (II)  Another authorized or eligible surplus lines i nsurer 88 
writing policies in this state if the structure is currently 89 
insured by an eligible surplus lines insurer. 90 
 b.  The term "insurer" means an authorized insurer or an 91 
eligible surplus lines insurer. 92 
 c.  If a policy is extended or renewed to comply wi th this 93 
paragraph or with any other provision of the Commissioner of 94 
Insurance Regulation's order, it must contain the same policy 95 
terms as the policy being extended or renewed. 96 
 (2)  With respect to any personal lines or commercial 97 
residential property in surance policy, including, but not 98 
limited to, any homeowner, mobile home owner, farmowner, 99 
condominium association, condominium unit owner, apartment 100     
 
HB 1149  	2024 
 
 
 
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building, or other policy covering a residential structure or 101 
its contents: 102 
 (e)1.  An authorized insurer may not cancel or nonrenew a 103 
personal residential or commercial residential property 104 
insurance policy covering a dwelling or residential property 105 
located in this state: 106 
 a.  For a period of 90 days after the dwelling or 107 
residential property has been repai red, if such property has 108 
been damaged as a result of a hurricane or wind loss that is the 109 
subject of the declaration of emergency pursuant to s. 252.36 110 
and the filing of an order by the Commissioner of Insurance 111 
Regulation. Damage under this sub -subparagraph includes flood 112 
damage caused by a hurricane if flood is a covered peril under 113 
the personal residential or commercial residential property 114 
insurance policy or under a separate flood insurance policy. If 115 
flood is not a covered peril under the personal re sidential or 116 
commercial residential property insurance policy or under a 117 
separate flood insurance policy and the property has been 118 
damaged as a result of flood caused by a hurricane, an insurer 119 
may not cancel or nonrenew the personal residential or 120 
commercial residential property insurance policy until the 121 
earlier of when the property has been repaired or 1 year after 122 
the date of loss. 123 
 b.  Until the earlier of when the dwelling or residential 124 
property has been repaired or 1 year after the insurer issues 125     
 
HB 1149  	2024 
 
 
 
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 
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the final claim payment, if such property was damaged by any 126 
covered peril and sub -subparagraph a. does not apply. 127 
 2.  However, an insurer or agent may cancel or nonrenew 128 
such a policy prior to the repair of the dwelling or residential 129 
property: 130 
 a.  Upon 10 days' notice for nonpayment of premium; or 131 
 b.  Upon 45 days' notice: 132 
 (I)  For a material misstatement or fraud related to the 133 
claim; 134 
 (II)  If the insurer determines that the insured has 135 
unreasonably caused a delay in the repair of the dwelling; or 136 
 (III)  If the insurer has paid policy limits under a 137 
personal residential property insurance policy for a loss to the 138 
insured dwelling that was damaged, or policy limits under a 139 
commercial residential property insurance policy for a loss to 140 
each insured structure that was damaged . 141 
 3.  If the insurer elects to nonrenew a policy covering a 142 
property that has been damaged, the insurer shall provide at 143 
least 90 days' notice to the insured that the insurer intends to 144 
nonrenew the policy 90 days after the dwelling or residential 145 
property has been repaired. Nothing in This paragraph does not 146 
shall prevent the insurer from canceling or nonrenewing the 147 
policy 90 days after the repairs are complete for the same 148 
reasons the insurer would otherwise have canceled or nonren ewed 149 
the policy but for the limitations of subparagraph 1. The 150     
 
HB 1149  	2024 
 
 
 
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 
hb1149-00 
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Financial Services Commission may adopt rules, and the 151 
Commissioner of Insurance Regulation may issue orders, necessary 152 
to implement this paragraph. 153 
 4.  This paragraph shall also apply to pers onal residential 154 
and commercial residential policies covering property that was 155 
damaged as the result of Hurricane Ian or Hurricane Nicole. 156 
 5.  For purposes of this paragraph: 157 
 a.  A structure is deemed to be repaired when substantially 158 
completed and restored to the extent that it is insurable by : 159 
 (I) Another authorized insurer writing policies in this 160 
state if the structure is currently insured by an authorized 161 
insurer; or 162 
 (II)  Another authorized or eligible surplus lines insurer 163 
writing policies in t his state if the structure is currently 164 
insured by an eligible surplus lines insurer . 165 
 b.  The term "insurer" means an authorized insurer or an 166 
eligible surplus lines insurer . 167 
 c.  If a policy is extended or renewed to comply with this 168 
paragraph or with an y other provision of the Commissioner of 169 
Insurance Regulation's order, it must contain the same policy 170 
terms as the policy being extended or renewed. 171 
 Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 172