Florida HB 1079: Child Welfare

Bill Text

HB 1079 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1079-00
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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 a small employer health carrier 2
reinsurance program; amending s. 627.6699, F.S.; 3
removing and revising definitions; removing provisions 4
relating to the creation of the Florida Small Employer 5
Carrier Reinsurance Program; amending s. 627.642, 6
F.S.; conforming a cross-reference; amending s. 7
627.6475, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made 8
by the act; conforming cross-references; amending ss. 9
627.657 and 627.66997, F.S.; conforming a cross-10
reference; providing an effective date. 11
12
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 13
14
Section 1. Paragraphs (c) through (o) and (r) through (w) 15
of subsection (3) of section 627.6699, Florida Statutes, are 16
redesignated as paragraphs (b) through (n) and (o) through (t), 17
respectively, subsections (12) through (17) are renumbered as 18
subsections (11) through (16), respectively, and subsection (2), 19
present paragraphs (b), (p), (q), and (s) of subsection (3), 20
paragraph (d) of subsection (9), paragraphs (b) and (c) of 21
subsection (10), and present subsection (11) of that section are 22
amended, to read: 23
627.6699 Employee Health Care Access Act.— 24
(2) PURPOSE AND INTENT.—The purpose and intent of this 25

HB 1079 2026

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section is to promote the availability of health insurance 26
coverage to small employers regardless of their claims 27
experience or their employees' health status, to establish rules 28
regarding renewability of that coverage, to establish 29
limitations on the use of exclusions for preexisting conditions, 30
to provide for establishment of a reinsurance program for 31
coverage of small employers, and to improve the overall fairness 32
and efficiency of the small group health insurance market. 33
(3) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 34
(b) "Board" means the board of directors of the program. 35
(p) "Plan of operation" means the plan of operation of the 36
program, including articles, bylaws, and operating rules, 37
adopted by the board under subsection (11). 38
(q) "Program" means the Florida Small Employer Carrier 39
Reinsurance Program created under subsection (11). 40
(p)(s) "Reinsuring carrier" means a small employer carrier 41
that elects to comply with reinsurance the requirements set 42
forth in subsection (11). 43
(9) SMALL EMPLOYER CARRIER'S ELECTION TO BECOME A RISK-44
ASSUMING CARRIER OR A REINSURING CARRIER.— 45
(d) A small employer carrier that elects to cease 46
participating as a reinsuring carrier and to become a risk-47
assuming carrier is prohibited from reinsuring or continuing to 48
reinsure any small employer health benefits plan under 49
subsection (11) as soon as the carrier becomes a risk-assuming 50

HB 1079 2026

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carrier and must pay a prorated assessment based upon business 51
issued as a reinsuring carrier for any portion of the year that 52
the business was reinsured. A small employer carrier that elects 53
to cease participating as a risk-assuming carrier and to become 54
a reinsuring carrier is permitted to reinsure small employer 55
health benefit plans under the terms set forth in subsection 56
(11) and must pay a prorated assessment based upon business 57
issued as a reinsuring carrier for any portion of the year that 58
the business was reinsured. 59
(10) ELECTION PROCESS TO BECOME A RISK-ASSUMING CARRIER.— 60
(b) In determining whether to approve an application by a 61
small employer carrier to become a risk-assuming carrier, the 62
office shall consider: 63
1. The carrier's financial ability to support the 64
assumption of the risk of small employer groups. 65
2. The carrier's history of rating and underwriting small 66
employer groups. 67
3. The carrier's commitment to market fairly to all small 68
employers in the state or its service area, as applicable. 69
4. The carrier's ability to assume and manage the risk of 70
enrolling small employer groups without the protection of the 71
reinsurance program provided in subsection (11). 72
(c) A small employer carrier that becomes a risk-assuming 73
carrier pursuant to this subsection is not subject to 74
reinsurance the assessment provisions of subsection (11). 75

HB 1079 2026

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

(11) SMALL EMPLOYER HEALTH REINSURANCE PROGRAM.— 76
(a) There is created a nonprofit entity to be known as the 77
"Florida Small Employer Health Reinsurance Program." 78
(