HB 4061

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to a uniform home grading scale;
3repealing s. 215.55865, F.S., relating to the required
4adoption by the Financial Services Commission of a
5uniform home grading scale to grade the ability of a
6home to withstand the wind load from certain tropical
7storms or hurricanes; amending s. 215.5586, F.S., to
8conform; providing an effective date.
9
10Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12     Section 1.  Section 215.55865, Florida Statutes, is
13repealed.
14     Section 2.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
15215.5586, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
16     215.5586  My Safe Florida Home Program.-There is
17established within the Department of Financial Services the My
18Safe Florida Home Program. The department shall provide fiscal
19accountability, contract management, and strategic leadership
20for the program, consistent with this section. This section does
21not create an entitlement for property owners or obligate the
22state in any way to fund the inspection or retrofitting of
23residential property in this state. Implementation of this
24program is subject to annual legislative appropriations. It is
25the intent of the Legislature that the My Safe Florida Home
26Program provide trained and certified inspectors to perform
27inspections for owners of site-built, single-family, residential
28properties and grants to eligible applicants as funding allows.
29The program shall develop and implement a comprehensive and
30coordinated approach for hurricane damage mitigation that may
31include the following:
32     (1)  HURRICANE MITIGATION INSPECTIONS.-
33     (a)  Certified inspectors to provide home-retrofit
34inspections of site-built, single-family, residential property
35may be offered to determine what mitigation measures are needed,
36what insurance premium discounts may be available, and what
37improvements to existing residential properties are needed to
38reduce the property's vulnerability to hurricane damage. The
39Department of Financial Services shall contract with wind
40certification entities to provide hurricane mitigation
41inspections. The inspections provided to homeowners, at a
42minimum, must include:
43     1.  A home inspection and report that summarizes the
44results and identifies recommended improvements a homeowner may
45take to mitigate hurricane damage.
46     2.  A range of cost estimates regarding the recommended
47mitigation improvements.
48     3.  Insurer-specific information regarding premium
49discounts correlated to the current mitigation features and the
50recommended mitigation improvements identified by the
51inspection.
52     4.  A hurricane resistance rating scale specifying the
53home's current as well as projected wind resistance
54capabilities. As soon as practical, the rating scale must be the
55uniform home grading scale adopted by the Financial Services
56Commission pursuant to s. 215.55865.
57     Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.


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