Florida HB 1531: Climate Resilience and Drinking Water Standards

Bill Text

HB 1531 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1531-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to government-facilitated purchases 2
and sales of individual and small employer health and 3
dental plans; creating s. 627.4463, F.S.; providing a 4
short title; providing purpose and legislative intent; 5
providing definitions; establishing the Florida Health 6
Insurance Exchange within the Office of Insurance 7
Regulation to facilitate purchase and sale of 8
qualified health plans; providing duties of the 9
exchange; authorizing the exchange to contract with an 10
eligible entity to perform the exchange's functions 11
under certain circumstances; authorizing the exchange 12
to enter into agreements with governmental agencies 13
and entities to carry out the exchange's 14
responsibilities under certain circumstances; 15
providing general requirements and prohibitions for 16
the exchange; providing certifications by the exchange 17
of health and dental benefit plans; authorizing the 18
Commissioner of Insurance Regulation and the office to 19
contract with a vendor to build and manage the 20
exchange; providing rulemaking authority; providing 21
construction; providing a contingent effective date. 22
23
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 24
25

HB 1531 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1531-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

Section 1. Section 627.4463, Florida Statutes, is created 26
to read: 27
627.4463 Florida Health Insurance Exchange; government-28
facilitated purchases and sales of individual and small employer 29
health and dental plans.— 30
(1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the "Florida 31
Health Insurance Exchange Act." 32
(2) PURPOSE AND INTENT.—The purpose of this section is to 33
provide for the establishment of the Florida Health Insurance 34
Exchange to facilitate the purchase and sale of qualified health 35
plans in the individual market in this state and to provide for 36
the establishment of a Small Business Health Options Program to 37
assist qualified small employers in this state in facilitating 38
the enrollment of their employees in qualified health plans 39
offered in the small group market. The intent of the Florida 40
Health Insurance Exchange is to reduce the number of uninsured 41
persons, provide a transparent marketplace and consumer 42
education, and assist persons with access to programs, premium 43
assistance tax credits, and cost-sharing reductions. 44
(3) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 45
(a) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Insurance 46
Regulation. 47
(b) "Educated health care consumer" means a person who is 48
knowledgeable about the health care system and has a background 49
or experience in making informed decisions regarding health, 50

HB 1531 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1531-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

medical, and scientific matters. 51
(c) "Exchange" means the Florida Health Insurance Exchange 52
established in this section. 53
(d)1. "Health benefit plan" means a policy, a contract, a 54
certificate, or an agreement offered or issued by a health 55
carrier to provide, deliver, arrange for, pay for, or reimburse 56
any of the costs of health care services. 57
2. The term does not include: 58
a. Coverage only for accident, disability income 59
insurance, or any combination thereof; 60
b. Coverage issued as a supplement to liability insurance; 61
c. Liability insurance, including general liability 62
insurance and motor vehicle liability insurance; 63
d. Workers' compensation or similar insurance; 64
e. Motor vehicle medical payment insurance; 65
f. Credit-only insurance; 66
g. Coverage for onsite medical clinics; or 67
h. Other similar insurance coverage, specified in federal 68
regulations issued under the Health Insurance Portability and 69
Accountability Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-191, under which 70
benefits for health care services are secondary or incidental to 71
other insurance benefits. 72
3. The term does not include the following benefits if the 73
benefits are provided under a separate policy, certificate, or 74
contract of insurance or are otherwise not an integral part of 75

HB 1531 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1531-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

the plan: 76
a. Limited scope dental or vision benefits; 77
b. Benefits for long-term care, nursing home care, home 78
health care, community-based care, or any combination thereof; 79
or 80
c. Other similar, limited benefits specified in federal 81
regulations issued under the Health Insurance Portability and 82
Accountability Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-191. 83
4. The term d