The Florida Senate

627.711  Notice of premium discounts for hurricane loss mitigation; uniform mitigation verification inspection form.--

(1)  Using a form prescribed by the Office of Insurance Regulation, the insurer shall clearly notify the applicant or policyholder of any personal lines residential property insurance policy, at the time of the issuance of the policy and at each renewal, of the availability and the range of each premium discount, credit, other rate differential, or reduction in deductibles, and combinations of discounts, credits, rate differentials, or reductions in deductibles, for properties on which fixtures or construction techniques demonstrated to reduce the amount of loss in a windstorm can be or have been installed or implemented. The prescribed form shall describe generally what actions the policyholders may be able to take to reduce their windstorm premium. The prescribed form and a list of such ranges approved by the office for each insurer licensed in the state and providing such discounts, credits, other rate differentials, or reductions in deductibles for properties described in this subsection shall be available for electronic viewing and download from the Department of Financial Services' or the Office of Insurance Regulation's Internet website. The Financial Services Commission may adopt rules to implement this subsection.

(2)  By July 1, 2007, the Financial Services Commission shall develop by rule a uniform mitigation verification inspection form that shall be used by all insurers when submitted by policyholders for the purpose of factoring discounts for wind insurance. In developing the form, the commission shall seek input from insurance, construction, and building code representatives. Further, the commission shall provide guidance as to the length of time the inspection results are valid. An insurer shall accept as valid a uniform mitigation verification form certified by the Department of Financial Services or signed by:

(a)  A hurricane mitigation inspector certified by the My Safe Florida Home program;

(b)  A building code inspector certified under s. 468.607;

(c)  A general, building, or residential contractor licensed under s. 489.111;

(d)  A professional engineer licensed under s. 471.015 who has passed the appropriate equivalency test of the building code training program as required by s. 553.841;

(e)  A professional architect licensed under s. 481.213; or

(f)  Any other individual or entity recognized by the insurer as possessing the necessary qualifications to properly complete a uniform mitigation verification form.

(3)  An individual or entity who knowingly provides or utters a false or fraudulent mitigation verification form with the intent to obtain or receive a discount on an insurance premium to which the individual or entity is not entitled commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083

History.--s. 22, ch. 2005-111; s. 91, ch. 2006-1; s. 31, ch. 2007-1; s. 2, ch. 2008-248; s. 12, ch. 2009-87.