Florida Senate - 2019                                     SB 566
       
       
        
       By Senator Hooper
       
       
       
       
       
       16-00951-19                                            2019566__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to sinkhole and catastrophic ground
    3         cover collapse insurance; amending s. 627.706, F.S.;
    4         revising the definition of the term “catastrophic
    5         ground cover collapse” for insurance coverage
    6         purposes; providing circumstances under which damage
    7         of a structure or building constitutes a specified
    8         loss; defining the term “dangerous”; providing
    9         applicability; providing an effective date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
   14  627.706, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   15         627.706 Sinkhole insurance; catastrophic ground cover
   16  collapse; definitions.—
   17         (2) As used in ss. 627.706-627.7074, and as used in
   18  connection with any policy providing coverage for a catastrophic
   19  ground cover collapse or for sinkhole losses, the term:
   20         (a) “Catastrophic ground cover collapse” means geological
   21  activity that results in all the following:
   22         1. The imminent abrupt collapse of the ground cover or;
   23         2. a depression in the ground cover clearly visible to the
   24  naked eye; and
   25         2.a.3. Structural damage to the covered building, including
   26  the foundation; or and
   27         b.4. The insured structure being:
   28         (I) Condemned and ordered to be vacated by the governmental
   29  agency authorized by law to issue such an order for that
   30  structure; or
   31         (II) Declared dangerous and a real and imminent threat to
   32  public safety by a professional engineer licensed in this state
   33  in a written notice to the governmental agency authorized by law
   34  with code enforcement for that structure.
   35  
   36  Contents coverage applies if there is a loss resulting from a
   37  catastrophic ground cover collapse. Damage consisting merely of
   38  the settling or cracking of a foundation, structure, or building
   39  does not constitute a loss resulting from a catastrophic ground
   40  cover collapse unless the structure or building has been ordered
   41  to be vacated or the structure or building has been declared
   42  dangerous by a professional engineer licensed in this state or
   43  by the governmental agency authorized by law with code
   44  enforcement for that structure or building. As used in this
   45  paragraph, the term “dangerous” has the same meaning as provided
   46  in the Florida Building Code, Building Volume.
   47         Section 2. The amendment made by this act to s. 627.706,
   48  Florida Statutes, applies to new and renewal property insurance
   49  policies issued on or after July 1, 2020.
   50         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.