Florida HB 909: Electronic Filing of Records with the Department of State

Bill Text

HB 909 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb909-00
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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 coverage by Citizens Property 2
Insurance Corporation; amending s. 627.351, F.S.; 3
revising eligibility for coverage of residential 4
structures in certain counties by Citizens Property 5
Insurance Corporation; requiring the corporation to 6
implement certain rate increases annually in such 7
counties for single policies issued by the 8
corporation; providing additional policies issued by 9
the corporation which do not require policyholders to 10
purchase flood insurance as a condition for 11
maintaining the policies; providing an effective date. 12
13
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 14
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Section 1. Paragraphs (a), (n), and (aa) of subsection (6) 16
of section 627.351, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 17
627.351 Insurance risk apportionment plans.— 18
(6) CITIZENS PROPERTY INSURANCE CORPORATION.— 19
(a) The public purpose of this subsection is to ensure 20
that there is an orderly market for property insurance for 21
residents and businesses of this state. 22
1. The Legislature finds that private insurers are 23
unwilling or unable to provide affordable property insurance 24
coverage in this state to the extent sought and needed. The 25

HB 909 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb909-00
Page 2 of 10
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

absence of affordable property insurance threatens the public 26
health, safety, and welfare and likewise threatens the economic 27
health of the state. The state therefore has a compelling public 28
interest and a public purpose to assist in assuring that 29
property in the state is insured and that it is insured at 30
affordable rates so as to facilitate the remediation, 31
reconstruction, and replacement of damaged or destroyed property 32
in order to reduce or avoid the negative effects otherwise 33
resulting to the public health, safety, and welfare, to the 34
economy of the state, and to the revenues of the state and local 35
governments which are needed to provide for the public welfare. 36
It is necessary, therefore, to provide affordable property 37
insurance to applicants who are in good faith entitled to 38
procure insurance through the voluntary market but are unable to 39
do so. The Legislature intends, therefore, that affordable 40
property insurance be provided and that it continue to be 41
provided, as long as necessary, through Citizens Property 42
Insurance Corporation, a government entity that is an integral 43
part of the state, and that is not a private insurance company. 44
To that end, the corporation shall strive to increase the 45
availability of affordable property insurance in this state, 46
while achieving efficiencies and economies, and while providing 47
service to policyholders, applicants, and agents which is no 48
less than the quality generally provided in the voluntary 49
market, for the achievement of the foregoing public purposes. 50

HB 909 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb909-00
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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

Because it is essential for this government entity to have the 51
maximum financial resources to pay claims following a 52
catastrophic hurricane, it is the intent of the Legislature that 53
the corporation continue to be an integral part of the state and 54
that the income of the corporation be exempt from federal income 55
taxation and that interest on the debt obligations issued by the 56
corporation be exempt from federal income taxation. 57
2. The Residential Property and Casualty Joint 58
Underwriting Association originally created by this statute 59
shall be known as the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. 60
The corporation shall provide insurance for residential and 61
commercial property, for applicants who are entitled, but, in 62
good faith, are unable to procure insurance through the 63
voluntary market. The corporation shall operate pursuant to a 64
plan of operation approved by order of the Financial Services 65
Commission. The plan is subject to continuous review by the 66
commission. The commission may, by order, withdraw approval of 67
all or part of a plan if the commission determines that 68
conditions have changed since approval was granted and that the 69
purposes of the plan require changes in the plan. For the 70
purposes of this subsection, residential coverage includes both 71
personal lines residential coverage, which consists of the type 72
of coverage provided by homeowner, mobile home owner, dwelling, 73
tenant, condominium unit owner, and similar policies; and 74
commercial lines residential coverage, which consists of the 75

HB 909 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb909