HB 0523 2003
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to continuing education for public
3	adjusters; amending s. 626.869, F.S.; requiring continuing
4	education for public adjusters; providing requirements;
5	requiring the Office of Insurance Regulation to adopt
6	rules; providing an effective date.
7
8	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
9
10	Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 626.869, Florida
11	Statutes, is amended to read:
12	626.869 License, adjusters.--
13	(5)(a)Any person holding a license for 24 consecutive
14	months or longer and who engages in adjusting workers'
15	compensation insurance must, beginning in their birth month and
16	every 2 years thereafter, have completed 24 hours of courses, 2
17	hours of which relate to ethics, in subjects designed to inform
18	the licensee regarding the current workers' compensation laws of
19	this state, so as to enable him or her to engage in business as
20	a workers' compensation insurance adjuster fairly and without
21	injury to the public and to adjust all claims in accordance with
22	the policy or contract and the workers' compensation laws of
23	this state.
24	(b) Any individual holding a license as a public adjuster
25	for 24 consecutive months or longer, beginning in their birth
26	month and every 2 years thereafter, must have completed 24 hours
27	of courses, 2 hours of which relate to ethics, in subjects
28	designed to inform the licensee regarding the current laws of
29	this state pertaining to all lines of insurance other than life
30	and annuities, so as to enable him or her to engage in business
31	as an adjuster fairly and without injury to the public and to
32	adjust all claims in accordance with the policy or contract and
33	laws of this state.
34	(c)In order to qualify as an eligible course under this
35	subsection, the course must:
36	1.(a)Have a course outline approved by the department.
37	2.(b)Be taught at a school training facility or other
38	location approved by the department.
39	3.(c)Be taught by instructors with at least 5 years of
40	experience in the area of workers' compensation, general lines
41	of insurance, or other persons approved by the department.
42	However, a member of The Florida Bar is exempt from the 5 years'
43	experience requirement.
44	4.(d)Furnish the attendee a certificate of completion.
45	The course provider shall send a roster to the department in a
46	format prescribed by the department.
47	(d) The Office of Insurance Regulation shall adopt rules
48	necessary to implement and administer the continuing education
49	requirements of this subsection.
50	Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.