Florida 2025 2025 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1069 Introduced / Bill

Filed 02/25/2025

                       
 
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A bill to be entitled 1 
An act relating to occupational injury benefit plans; 2 
amending s. 440.02, F.S.; revising the definition of 3 
the term "employee"; defining the term "qualified 4 
compensation alternative employer"; amending s. 5 
440.03, F.S.; providing an exception to the 6 
application of certain provisions of ch. 440, F.S.; 7 
amending s. 440.06, F.S.; specifying how an employer 8 
may elect to secure the payment of compensation; 9 
authorizing an employee of a qualified compensation 10 
alternative employer to bring a certain cause of 11 
action; specifying that the employee must prove 12 
negligence in such action; authorizing the qualified 13 
compensation alternative employer to use certain 14 
defenses in such action; prohibiting certain 15 
employers, in specified suits, from defending the suit 16 
on certain grounds; providing that a qualified 17 
compensation alternative employer is entitled to an 18 
offset to occupational injury benefits paid to and on 19 
behalf of employees under certain circumstances; 20 
providing construction; creating s. 440.065, F.S.; 21 
requiring qualified compensation arrangement employers 22 
to adopt a written occupational injury benefit plan; 23 
specifying the requirements of such plan; requiring a 24 
qualified compensation arrangement employer to grant 25     
 
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eligibility for benefits under certain circumstances; 26 
prohibiting a qualified compensation arrangement 27 
employer from charging a fee, premium, or other 28 
similar cost to the covered employee for the 29 
occupational injury benefit plan; authorizing the 30 
qualified compensation arrangement employer to select 31 
or authorize medical providers who provide treatment 32 
to covered employees under such plan; providing that 33 
the qualified compensation arrangement employer is not 34 
required to cover, and is not liable in a negligence 35 
lawsuit for, certain injuries, diseases, or 36 
conditions; creating s. 440.066, F.S.; requiring a 37 
qualified compensation arrangement employer to 38 
demonstrate financial responsibility; authorizing the 39 
qualified compensation arrangement employer to self -40 
fund or insure the benefits and liabilities under its 41 
occupational injury benefit plan; specifying the 42 
insurance requirements and coverage limits required 43 
for such insurance; specifying requirements related to 44 
the security held; creating s. 440.067, F.S.; 45 
providing that all benefit payments by a qualified 46 
compensation arrangement employer are made pursuant to 47 
workers' compensation law; providing that such law is 48 
incorporated in the act by reference; creating s. 49 
440.068, F.S.; requiring a qualified compensation 50     
 
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arrangement employer to obtain approval from the 51 
insurance carrier for administration of claims; 52 
authorizing a qualified compensation arrangement 53 
employer to self-administer or use a third party to 54 
administer claims, provided that certain requirements 55 
are met; amending ss. 440.14 and 440.385, F.S.; 56 
conforming cross-references; providing an effective 57 
date. 58 
 59 
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 60 
 61 
 Section 1.  Subsections (33) through (41) of section 62 
440.02, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (34) 63 
through (42), respectively, a new subsection (33) is added to 64 
that section, and paragraph (d) of subsection (18) of that 65 
section is amended, to read: 66 
 440.02  Definitions. —When used in this chapter, unless the 67 
context clearly requires otherwise, the following terms shall 68 
have the following meanings: 69 
 (18) 70 
 (d)  "Employee" does not include: 71 
 1.  An independent contractor who is not engaged in the 72 
construction industry. 73 
 a.  In order to meet the definition of independent 74 
contractor, at least four of the following criteria must be met: 75     
 
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 (I)  The independent contractor maintains a separate 76 
business with his or her own work facility, truck, equipment, 77 
materials, or similar accommodations; 78 
 (II)  The independent contractor holds or has applied for a 79 
federal employer identification number, unless the independent 80 
contractor is a sole proprietor who is not required to obtain a 81 
federal employer identification number under state or federal 82 
regulations; 83 
 (III)  The independent contractor receives compensation for 84 
services rendered or work performed and such compensation is 85 
paid to a business rather than to an individual; 86 
 (IV)  The independent contractor holds one or more bank 87 
accounts in the name of the business entity for purposes of 88 
paying business expenses or other expenses related to services 89 
rendered or work performed for compensation; 90 
 (V)  The independent contractor performs work or is able to 91 
perform work for any entity in addition to or besides the 92 
employer at his or her own election without the necessity of 93 
completing an employment application or process; or 94 
 (VI)  The independent contractor receives compensation for 95 
work or services rendered on a competitive -bid basis or 96 
completion of a task or a set of tasks as defined by a 97 
contractual agreement, unless such contractual agreement 98 
expressly states that an employment relationship exists. 99 
 b.  If four of the criteria listed in sub -subparagraph a. 100     
 
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do not exist, an individual may still be presumed to be an 101 
independent contractor and not an employee based on full 102 
consideration of the nature of the individual situation with 103 
regard to satisfying any of the following conditions: 104 
 (I)  The independent contractor performs or agrees to 105 
perform specific services or work for a specific amount of money 106 
and controls the means of performing the services or wor k. 107 
 (II)  The independent contractor incurs the principal 108 
expenses related to the service or work that he or she performs 109 
or agrees to perform. 110 
 (III)  The independent contractor is responsible for the 111 
satisfactory completion of the work or services that h e or she 112 
performs or agrees to perform. 113 
 (IV)  The independent contractor receives compensation for 114 
work or services performed for a commission or on a per -job 115 
basis and not on any other basis. 116 
 (V)  The independent contractor may realize a profit or 117 
suffer a loss in connection with performing work or services. 118 
 (VI)  The independent contractor has continuing or 119 
recurring business liabilities or obligations. 120 
 (VII)  The success or failure of the independent 121 
contractor's business depends on the relationship of business 122 
receipts to expenditures. 123 
 c.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this 124 
subparagraph, an individual claiming to be an independent 125     
 
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contractor has the burden of proving that he or she is an 126 
independent contractor for purposes of this chap ter. 127 
 2.  A real estate licensee, if that person agrees, in 128 
writing, to perform for remuneration solely by way of 129 
commission. 130 
 3.  Bands, orchestras, and musical and theatrical 131 
performers, including disk jockeys, performing in licensed 132 
premises as defined in chapter 562, if a written contract 133 
evidencing an independent contractor relationship is entered 134 
into before the commencement of such entertainment. 135 
 4.  An owner-operator of a motor vehicle who transports 136 
property under a written contract with a motor c arrier which 137 
evidences a relationship by which the owner -operator assumes the 138 
responsibility of an employer for the performance of the 139 
contract, if the owner -operator is required to furnish motor 140 
vehicle equipment as identified in the written contract and the 141 
principal costs incidental to the performance of the contract, 142 
including, but not limited to, fuel and repairs, provided a 143 
motor carrier's advance of costs to the owner -operator when a 144 
written contract evidences the owner -operator's obligation to 145 
reimburse such advance shall be treated as the owner -operator 146 
furnishing such cost and the owner -operator is not paid by the 147 
hour or on some other time -measured basis. 148 
 5.  A person whose employment is both casual and not in the 149 
course of the trade, business, p rofession, or occupation of the 150     
 
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employer. 151 
 6.  A volunteer, except a volunteer worker for the state or 152 
a county, municipality, or other governmental entity. A person 153 
who does not receive monetary remuneration for services is 154 
presumed to be a volunteer unle ss there is substantial evidence 155 
that a valuable consideration was intended by both employer and 156 
employee. For purposes of this chapter, the term "volunteer" 157 
includes, but is not limited to: 158 
 a.  Persons who serve in private nonprofit agencies and who 159 
receive no compensation other than expenses in an amount less 160 
than or equivalent to the standard mileage and per diem expenses 161 
provided to salaried employees in the same agency or, if such 162 
agency does not have salaried employees who receive mileage and 163 
per diem, then such volunteers who receive no compensation other 164 
than expenses in an amount less than or equivalent to the 165 
customary mileage and per diem paid to salaried workers in the 166 
community as determined by the department; and 167 
 b.  Volunteers participating in federal programs 168 
established under Pub. L. No. 93 -113. 169 
 7.  Unless otherwise prohibited by this chapter, any 170 
officer of a corporation who elects to be exempt from this 171 
chapter. Such officer is not an employee for any reason under 172 
this chapter until the notice of revocation of election filed 173 
pursuant to s. 440.05 is effective. 174 
 8.  An officer of a corporation that is engaged in the 175     
 
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construction industry who elects to be exempt from the 176 
provisions of this chapter, as otherwise permitted by this 177 
chapter. Such officer is not an employee for any reason until 178 
the notice of revocation of election filed pursuant to s. 440.05 179 
is effective. 180 
 9.  An exercise rider who does not work for a single horse 181 
farm or breeder, and who is compensated for riding on a case -by-182 
case basis, provided a written contract is entered into before 183 
prior to the commencement of such activity which evidences that 184 
an employee/employer relationship does not exist. 185 
 10.  A taxicab, limousine, or other passenger vehicle -for-186 
hire driver who operat es such said vehicles pursuant to a 187 
written agreement with a company which provides any dispatch, 188 
marketing, insurance, communications, or other services under 189 
which the driver and any fees or charges paid by the driver to 190 
the company for such services are not conditioned upon, or 191 
expressed as a proportion of, fare revenues. 192 
 11.  A person who performs services as a sports official 193 
for an entity sponsoring an interscholastic sports event or for 194 
a public entity or private, nonprofit organization that sponsor s 195 
an amateur sports event. For purposes of this subparagraph, such 196 
a person is an independent contractor. For purposes of this 197 
subparagraph, the term "sports official" means any person who is 198 
a neutral participant in a sports event, including, but not 199 
limited to, umpires, referees, judges, linespersons, 200     
 
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scorekeepers, or timekeepers. This subparagraph does not apply 201 
to any person employed by a district school board who serves as 202 
a sports official as required by the employing school board or 203 
who serves as a sports official as part of his or her 204 
responsibilities during normal school hours. 205 
 12.  Medicaid-enrolled clients under chapter 393 who are 206 
excluded from the definition of employment under s. 207 
443.1216(4)(d) and served by Adult Day Training Services under 208 
the Home and Community -Based or the Family and Supported Living 209 
Medicaid Waiver program in a sheltered workshop setting licensed 210 
by the United States Department of Labor for the purpose of 211 
training and earning less than the federal hourly minimum wage. 212 
 13. Medicaid-enrolled clients under chapter 393 who are 213 
excluded from the definition of employment under s. 214 
443.1216(4)(d) and served by Adult Day Training Services under 215 
the Family and Supported Living Medicaid Waiver program in a 216 
sheltered workshop setting licensed by the United States 217 
Department of Labor for the purpose of training and earning less 218 
than the federal hourly minimum wage. 219 
 14.  A person employed by a qualified compensation 220 
alternative employer. 221 
 (33)  "Qualified compensation alternative emplo yer" or 222 
"QCARE employer" means any employer who elects coverage for its 223 
employees under s. 440.06. 224 
 Section 2.  Section 440.03, Florida Statutes, is amended to 225     
 
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read: 226 
 440.03  Application. —Every employer and employee as defined 227 
in s. 440.02 is shall be bound by the provisions of this 228 
chapter, except for a qualified compensation alternative 229 
employer. A QCARE employer is bound by only those provisions of 230 
this chapter specifically referenced . 231 
 Section 3.  Section 440.06, Florida Statutes, is amended to 232 
read: 233 
 440.06  Election Failure to secure compensation; effect. — 234 
 (1)  An employer may elect to secure the payment of 235 
compensation, as provided in s. 440.10, or elect to be a 236 
qualified compensation alternative employer by complying with s. 237 
440.065. 238 
 (2)  An employee of a QCARE employer may bring a cause of 239 
action against the QCARE employer for negligence in causing an 240 
injury; however, there may be no QCARE employer negligence for 241 
an ordinary disease of life to which the general public is 242 
exposed. In the cause of action, the employee must prove the 243 
QCARE employer negligent. The QCARE employer may use any defense 244 
available to an alleged tortfeasor under general law. 245 
 (3)  An Every employer who fails to secure the payment of 246 
compensation, as provided in s. 440.10 , by failing to meet the 247 
requirements of s. 440.38 or who fails to secure the payment of 248 
compensation by failing to comply with s. 440.065 may not, in 249 
any suit brought against him or her by an employee subject to 250     
 
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this chapter to recover damages for injury or death, defend such 251 
a suit on the grounds that the injury was caused by the 252 
negligence of a fellow employee servant, that the employee 253 
assumed the risk of his or her employment, or that the injury 254 
was due to the comparative negligence of the employee. 255 
 (4)  A QCARE employer is entitled to an offset for the 256 
benefits paid to or on behalf of an employee, under an 257 
occupational injury benefit plan that meets the requirements of 258 
s. 440.065, against any alleged negligence liability of the 259 
QCARE employer, its off icers, directors, or agents with respect 260 
to an injury involving such employee. Benefit payments made 261 
under such occupational injury benefit plan shall be considered 262 
made by the QCARE employer and may not be considered payment 263 
from a collateral source, as t he term "collateral source" may be 264 
defined under any applicable rule, statute, judicial decision, 265 
or directive. 266 
 Section 4.  Section 440.065, Florida Statutes, is created 267 
to read: 268 
 440.065  Requirements of a qualified compensation 269 
alternative employer. — 270 
 (1)  A QCARE employer shall adopt a written occupational 271 
injury benefit plan that provides defined occupational injury 272 
benefits for covered employees on a no -fault basis. Such plan 273 
may exclude willful or intentional acts to injure oneself or 274 
another. Except for the definitions of the terms provided in 275     
 
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subsection (2), the plan must include all the definitions of 276 
other terms provided in s. 440.02, but only to the extent that 277 
such terms are relevant to the benefits required in this 278 
section. 279 
 (2)  The occupational injury benefit plan must define all 280 
of the following terms as indicated: 281 
 (a)  "Accident" means an unexpected or unusual event or 282 
result that happens suddenly. If a preexisting condition is 283 
accelerated or aggravated by an accident arising out of and i n 284 
the course of employment, only acceleration or aggravation of 285 
the preexisting condition reasonably attributable to the 286 
accident is compensable. 287 
 (b)  "Arising out of" means occupational causation. An 288 
accidental injury or death arises out of employment if work 289 
performed in the course and scope of employment is the major 290 
contributing cause of the injury or death. 291 
 (c)  "Occupational disease" means a disease that is due to 292 
causes and conditions that are characteristic of and peculiar to 293 
a particular trade, o ccupation, process, or employment. The term 294 
does not include ordinary diseases of life to which the general 295 
public is exposed. 296 
 (d)  "Wages" means the money rate at which the service 297 
rendered is recompensed under the contract of hiring in force at 298 
the time of the injury and includes only the wages earned and 299 
reported for federal income tax purposes on the job where the 300     
 
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employee is injured and any other concurrent employment where he 301 
or she is also subject to occupational injury coverage and 302 
benefits, together with the reasonable value of housing 303 
furnished to the employee by the QCARE employer which is the 304 
permanent year-round residence of the employee, and gratuities 305 
to the extent reported to the QCARE employer in writing as 306 
taxable income received in the co urse of employment from others 307 
than the QCARE employer and QCARE employer contributions for 308 
health insurance for the employee or the employee's dependents. 309 
However, housing furnished to migrant workers shall be included 310 
in wages unless provided after the t ime of injury. In employment 311 
in which an employee receives consideration for housing, the 312 
reasonable value of such housing compensation shall be the 313 
actual cost to the employer or based upon the Fair Market Rent 314 
Survey promulgated pursuant to s. 8 of the H ousing and Urban 315 
Development Act of 1974, whichever is less. However, if the 316 
QCARE employer contributions for housing or health insurance are 317 
continued after the time of the injury, the contributions are 318 
not "wages" for the purpose of calculating an employ ee's average 319 
weekly wages. 320 
 (3)  The occupational injury benefit plan must provide 321 
medical expense coverage for at least 156 weeks per covered 322 
employee, up to at least $300,000 per covered employee. 323 
 (4)  The occupational injury benefit plan must provide l ost 324 
wage compensation, beginning no later than the 4th full day of 325     
 
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disability, of at least 75 percent of the average weekly wages 326 
of the employee, for at least 156 weeks from the date of 327 
disability. 328 
 (5)  The occupational injury benefit plan must provide 329 
death benefits for a covered employee's death arising out of 330 
employment in an amount not less than $150,000, payable in no 331 
more than 60 equal monthly installments. The plan must also pay 332 
funeral expenses up to at least $10,000. 333 
 (6)  A QCARE employer must provide benefits to an employee 334 
otherwise eligible for occupational injury benefits if the 335 
employee reports an accident or a known exposure to an 336 
occupational disease within 3 days after such accident, 337 
exposure, or diagnosis. 338 
 (7)  A QCARE employer may not charge a fee, premium, or 339 
other similar expense to the covered employee for his or her 340 
coverage under the occupational injury benefit plan. 341 
 (8)  The QCARE employer may select or authorize the medical 342 
providers who provide any treatment to a covered emplo yee under 343 
the occupational injury benefit plan. 344 
 (9)  The QCARE employer is not required to cover under the 345 
occupational injury benefit plan, nor is the QCARE employer 346 
liable in a negligence lawsuit for, any injuries, diseases, or 347 
conditions arising from a ny of the following: 348 
 (a)  A subsequent injury the employee suffers as a result 349 
of an original injury arising out of employment unless the 350     
 
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original injury is the major contributing cause of the 351 
subsequent injury. The employee must demonstrate the major 352 
contributing cause by medical evidence. 353 
 (b)  Bodily injury to any person subject to any federal 354 
workers' compensation law or other federal occupational disease 355 
law, including, but not limited to, the Federal Employers' 356 
Liability Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation 357 
Act, the Defense Base Act, the Jones Act, or the Migrant and 358 
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act. 359 
 (c)  Any obligation imposed by workers' compensation, 360 
occupational disease, unemployment compensation, or disability 361 
benefits law, or any similar law, except as specifically 362 
referenced in this chapter. 363 
 Section 5.  Section 440.066, Florida Statutes, is created 364 
to read: 365 
 440.066  Financial responsibility of a qualified 366 
compensation alternative employer. — 367 
 (1)  A QCARE employer m ust demonstrate financial ability to 368 
pay benefit and negligence liability claims by complying with 369 
this section. 370 
 (2)  A QCARE employer shall insure the benefits and 371 
liabilities under its occupational injury benefit plan with any 372 
insurance carrier authoriz ed to do business in this state. The 373 
insurance must be for a minimum limit of $1 million per 374 
occurrence. The insurance must include benefit coverage and 375     
 
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negligence liability coverage. Insurance coverage obtained by a 376 
QCARE employer must be from an admitted or an approved insurer 377 
that is rated "A-" or higher by A.M. Best Company and must be 378 
obtained from a licensed insurance agent. 379 
 (3)  Any security held for purposes of compliance with this 380 
section serves to guarantee the payment of claims under this 381 
chapter. 382 
 (4)(a)  A QCARE employer with a net worth of less than $10 383 
million which insures or obtains coverage to be reimbursed for 384 
payments under the QCARE employer's occupational injury benefit 385 
plan or any negligence settlements or awards through an 386 
insurance policy that has a self -insured retention of the 387 
greater of $50,000 or 1.5 percent of net worth per occurrence is 388 
deemed to have fully insured the QCARE employer's compensation 389 
obligation. 390 
 (b)  A QCARE employer with a net worth of $10 million or 391 
more which insures or obtains coverage to be reimbursed for 392 
payments under the QCARE employer's occupational injury benefit 393 
plan or any negligence settlements or awards through an 394 
insurance policy that has a self -insured retention of the 395 
greater of $500,000 or 1.5 p ercent of net worth per occurrence 396 
is deemed to have fully insured the QCARE employer's 397 
compensation obligation. 398 
 (c)  A QCARE employer identified in paragraph (a) or 399 
paragraph (b) is not required to post any security deposit with 400     
 
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or provide any financial data to the Office of Insurance 401 
Regulation. 402 
 Section 6.  Section 440.067, Florida Statutes, is created 403 
to read: 404 
 440.067  Taxation of benefits of a qualified compensation 405 
alternative employer. —For purposes of state and federal 406 
taxation, all benefit payme nts made by a QCARE employer are 407 
deemed amounts received under a workers' compensation law as 408 
compensation for personal injury or sickness. 409 
 Section 7.  Section 440.068, Florida Statutes, is created 410 
to read: 411 
 440.068  Benefit plan disputes. —A QCARE employer must 412 
obtain approval from the insurance carrier selected in 413 
accordance with s. 440.066 for claims administration. Subject to 414 
insurance carrier approval, the QCARE employer may self -415 
administer or use a third -party claims administrator to 416 
administer claims, provided that all claims and appeals for 417 
benefits must be adjudicated by the claims administrator in 418 
accordance with the applicable fiduciary, enforcement, reporting 419 
and disclosure, and claims administration laws and regulations 420 
of the Employee Retirem ent Income Security Act of 1974, as 421 
amended. 422 
 Section 8.  Subsection (4) of section 440.14, Florida 423 
Statutes, is amended to read: 424 
 440.14  Determination of pay. — 425     
 
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 (4)  Upon termination of the employee or upon termination 426 
of the payment of fringe benefits of any employee who is 427 
collecting indemnity benefits pursuant to s. 440.15(2) or (3), 428 
the employer shall within 7 days after of such termination file 429 
a corrected 13-week wage statement reflecting the wages paid , as 430 
provided in s. 440.02(41), and the fringe benefits that had been 431 
paid to the injured employee , as provided in s. 440.02(40) . 432 
 Section 9.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 433 
440.385, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 434 
 440.385  Florida Self -Insurers Guaranty Association, 435 
Incorporated.— 436 
 (1)  CREATION OF ASSOCIATION. — 437 
 (a)  There is created a nonprofit corporation to be known 438 
as the "Florida Self -Insurers Guaranty Association, 439 
Incorporated," hereinafter referred to as "the association." 440 
Upon incorporation of the association, all indivi dual self-441 
insurers as defined in ss. 440.02(34)(a) ss. 440.02(33)(a) and 442 
440.38(1)(b), other than individual self -insurers which are 443 
public utilities or governmental entities, shall be members of 444 
the association as a condition of their authority to 445 
individually self-insure in this state. The association shall 446 
perform its functions under a plan of operation as established 447 
and approved under subsection (5) and shall exercise its powers 448 
and duties through a board of directors as established under 449 
subsection (2). The association shall have those powers granted 450     
 
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or permitted corporations not for profit, as provided in chapter 451 
617. The activities of the association shall be subject to 452 
review by the department. The department shall have oversight 453 
responsibility as set forth in this section. The association is 454 
specifically authorized to enter into agreements with this state 455 
to perform specified services. 456 
 Section 10.  This act shall take effect September 1, 2026. 457