By PAT RAIA, [email protected]
A bill that would have repealed Florida’s current No-Fault Motor Vehicle insurance law has been vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Currently, every owner and registrant of a motor vehicle in this state must maintain Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. PIP pays for injuries a driver sustains in an accident regardless of who was at fault in the accident.
SB 54 would have repealed the current law, and required that drivers carry bodily injury (BI) liability coverage instead. BI liability insurance pays for injuries a driver causes to another if the driver is at fault in the accident.
According to the legislators who supported it, the change would lower insurance premiums for Florida drivers. Opponents argued that the measure would actually increase the cost of auto insurance.
On June 29 DeSantis vetoed SB 54 on grounds that the measure would not help keep auto insurance costs down.
“While the PIP system has flaws, and Florida law regarding bad faith is deficient,” DeSantis wrote in his veto statement, “(SB54) does not adequately address the current issues facing Florida drivers and may have unintended consequences that would negatively impact both the market and consumers.”
Rep. Blaise Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill) applauded the Governor’s decision.
“Like Gov. DeSantis, I voted against this bill to protect millions of Floridians from paying higher insurance bills,” Ingoglia said. “I agree with Gov. DeSantis on this veto and for standing with everyday Floridians.
Had it been signed into law, SB 54 would have become effective on Jan. 1, 2022.
