Although we filed a number of bills each attempting to address the ongoing property insurance crisis, many were NOT heard by republican leadership and not do enough to help consumers as evidenced by our insurance rates continuing to rise. I am dedicated to working to provide help to everyday Floridians, because of this I sponsored and cosponsored multiple bills this session and others to provide relief to homeowners. I will continue to sponsor and co-sponsor legislation to help the residents of District 103.

Which would have revised provisions for the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund including, retention multiple, adjusted retention multiple, reimbursement contracts, loss adjustment expense; contract obligations; reimbursements, & reimbursement premium formula; authorizes eligible Reinsurance to Assist Policyholder’s program insurers to purchase RAP coverage under the program; revises reimbursement under RAP program; removes provision prohibiting premiums from being charged for participation in the program; revises coverage layers of Florida Optional Reinsurance Assistance program; requires transfer of specified amount from FORA Fund into Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.

Robin cosponsored HB 1489 – Insurance which would have increased My Safe Florida Home Grant Program funding to $300 million, would have prohibited property insurance companies from declaring insolvency, and created an elected Insurance Commissioner who would be accountable to the voters of Florida, not the insurance industry. 

My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program, which was signed into law. For years, the My Safe Florida Home Program has been providing aid to Floridians hardening their homes. Unfortunately, condo owners have not been receiving this assistance. The bill establishes within DFS the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program (MSFCP Program), with the intent that the Program provide licensed inspectors to perform inspections for and grants to eligible associations, as funding allows. The grants are matched based on $1 provided by the association for every $2 provided by the MSFCP Program. Grant awards are limited to 50 percent of the cost of a project and a maximum of $175,000 per association.

Last year, I received many phone calls from residents who were confused when they received letters from Citizens pushing them into other insurance carriers. In an effort to help them, I brought Representatives from Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to District 103 to meet with constituents. During this time, policyholders were able to ask questions and get help specific to their issues right in my district office. If you need help with Citizens please do not hesitate to reach out to my office and we will do our best to assist you. 

I filed House Bill 1055 – Property Insurance Rebate Program for Low-Income Seniors to help our seniors, many of whom live on social security. This bill would require the Department of Financial Services to create an insurance rebate program to provide low-income seniors relief from the rising property insurance costs. To be eligible for this program you must be 65 years or older with an income less than 200% of the federal poverty level. The program would provide a rebate equal to 10% of the person's premium on their primary residence only. Seniors who own condominiums will also be entitled to a rebate based on their proportionate payment contribution to association dues for property insurance coverage. This legislation would safeguard our most vulnerable citizens. Many residents in Century Village have been forced to sell their homes because they cannot afford their monthly condo assessment. This bill will be filed again next year. 

I cosponsored HB 655 – Condominium Windstorm Pilot Program which would have established the program within the Office of Insurance Regulation. This bill would support condominiums in hardening their properties in preparation for major weather events. As hurricanes and other disasters continue to get worse and hit Florida, it is imperative that we give everyone the ability to harden their homes, including condos.

I co-sponsored -HB 1293 Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund and Reinsurance Assistance which would have revised provisions for the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund including, retention multiple, adjusted retention multiple, reimbursement contracts, loss adjustment expense; contract obligations; reimbursements, & reimbursement premium formula; authorizes eligible Reinsurance to Assist Policyholder’s program insurers to purchase RAP coverage under the program; revises reimbursement under RAP program; removes provision prohibiting premiums from being charged for participation in the program; revises coverage layers of Florida Optional Reinsurance Assistance program; requires transfer of specified amount from FORA Fund into Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.

I co-sponsored HB 1029 - My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program.  My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program, which was signed into law. For years, the My Safe Florida Home Program has been providing aid to Floridians hardening their homes. Unfortunately, condo owners have not been receiving this assistance. The bill establishes within DFS the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program (MSFCP Program), with the intent that the Program provide licensed inspectors to perform inspections for and grants to eligible associations, as funding allows. The grants are matched based on $1 provided by the association for every $2 provided by the MSFCP Program. Grant awards are limited to 50 percent of the cost of a project and a maximum of $175,000 per association.

The goal of this legislation was to create a path for homeowners to secure insurance coverage through Citizens when their property values exceed the $700,000 limit that was established about 10 years ago; without negatively impacting the private insurance sector. Due to inflation, the value of many homes is higher than the $700,000 cap which makes it difficult to find coverage in the private market.  

This bill revises certain minimum replacement costs as risk amounts ineligible for coverage by Citizens Property Insurance Corporation for personal lines residential structures; and provides exceptions to limits on rate increases on single policies issued by a corporation. I have been advocating for this change for the past three years, including sending a request to study this policy and filing amendments on the House floor during our Insurance Special Session. Currently, if the replacement cost of your home in Broward County is over $700,000, Citizens will not cover you. It should be noted that Miami-Dade County and Monroe are the only two counties in the state with a replacement cost threshold of $1,000,000; in my opinion, this is unfair, and this bill will ensure parity. With the rising costs of construction and the new replacement cost calculation, many residents in District 103 have been unable to obtain or renew insurance coverage from the private market or Citizens. This bill would have addressed this issue. For the past two years, I have been working on this issue legislatively and through my office which lead to the Office of Insurance Regulation conducting a study. I will file legislation again next session.