Gov. Ron DeSantis has asked legislators to host a special legislative session to consider insurance-related issues statewide. The Governor requested the special session on Oct. 20 after signing an executive order that suspends deadlines for payment of property taxes in counties that have been impacted by Hurricane Ian.
Specifically, the Special Session will consider ways to stabilize Florida’s property insurance market by introducing legislation that will foster competition as well as policies that will lower prices for consumers.
“Through this Executive Order, we are providing temporary relief until we can get the Legislature back to Tallahassee to establish more permanent solutions for property taxes, provide additional economic relief to Southwest Florida, and to implement necessary reforms to the property insurance market,” DeSantis said during a press conference in Fort Myers on Oct. 20. “I’ve already spoken with incoming President of the Florida Senate Kathleen Passidomo as well as the incoming House Speaker Paul Renner and they are eager to come back.”
The special legislative session would take place after the Nov. 8 election and before the end of the year.
That session would be the latest effort to institute insurance reforms since May 2022 when DeSantis signed legislation that among other things prohibited insurance companies from denying coverage solely based on the age of a roof if the roof is less than 15 years old or if the roof is determined to have at least 5 years of useful life remaining. It also requires insurance companies to provide policyholders with a reasonable explanation when they do deny or partially deny a claim and provide consumers with greater access to information during the claim adjustment process.
