Florida Senate - 2020                                     SB 904
       
       
        
       By Senator Hooper
       
       
       
       
       
       16-01007A-20                                           2020904__
    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; specifying circumstances under which
    7         settling or cracking of a foundation, structure, or
    8         building constitutes a loss resulting from a
    9         catastrophic ground cover collapse; defining the term
   10         “dangerous”; providing applicability; providing an
   11         effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
   16  627.706, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   17         627.706 Sinkhole insurance; catastrophic ground cover
   18  collapse; definitions.—
   19         (2) As used in ss. 627.706-627.7074, and as used in
   20  connection with any policy providing coverage for a catastrophic
   21  ground cover collapse or for sinkhole losses, the term:
   22         (a) “Catastrophic ground cover collapse” means geological
   23  activity that results in all the following:
   24         1. The imminent abrupt collapse of the ground cover or;
   25         2. a depression in the ground cover clearly visible to the
   26  naked eye; and
   27         2.a.3. Structural damage to the covered building, including
   28  the foundation; or and
   29         b.4. The insured structure being:
   30         (I) Condemned and ordered to be vacated by the governmental
   31  agency authorized by law to issue such an order for that
   32  structure; or
   33         (II) Declared dangerous and a real and imminent threat to
   34  public safety by a professional engineer licensed in this state
   35  in a written notice to the governmental agency authorized by law
   36  with code enforcement for that structure.
   37  
   38  Contents coverage applies if there is a loss resulting from a
   39  catastrophic ground cover collapse. Damage consisting merely of
   40  the settling or cracking of a foundation, structure, or building
   41  does not constitute a loss resulting from a catastrophic ground
   42  cover collapse unless the structure or building has been ordered
   43  to be vacated or the structure or building has been declared
   44  dangerous by a professional engineer licensed in this state or
   45  by the governmental agency authorized by law with code
   46  enforcement for that structure or building. As used in this
   47  paragraph, the term “dangerous” has the same meaning as provided
   48  in the Florida Building Code, Building Volume, Sixth Edition.
   49         Section 2. The amendment made by this act to s. 627.706,
   50  Florida Statutes, applies to new and renewal property insurance
   51  policies issued on or after July 1, 2021.
   52         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.