Florida Senate - 2024                                     SB 840
       
       
        
       By Senator DiCeglie
       
       
       
       
       
       18-01035-24                                            2024840__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the appointment of a general lines
    3         agency as an agent for a tax collector; amending s.
    4         320.03 F.S.; requiring the tax collector, upon
    5         petition, to appoint an agent in charge of a general
    6         lines agency as an agent for the tax collector to
    7         carry out certain duties; requiring all general lines
    8         agencies appointed as agents for the tax collector to
    9         fulfill certain requirements; authorizing agents of
   10         general lines to have discretion in whether to provide
   11         certain services; limiting the locations where agents
   12         of general lines may provide services; requiring the
   13         tax collector to be approved for access to the
   14         electronic filing system; subjecting the general lines
   15         agent acting as an agent of the tax collector to
   16         certain provisions of law; authorizing the Department
   17         of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to adopt rules;
   18         providing an effective date.
   19          
   20  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   21  
   22         Section 1. Subsection (11) is added to section 320.03,
   23  Florida Statutes, to read:
   24         320.03 Registration; duties of tax collectors;
   25  International Registration Plan.—
   26         (11)(a) Upon petition by the agent in charge of a general
   27  lines agency licensed pursuant to chapter 626 and appointed to
   28  write motor vehicle insurance, each tax collector may appoint
   29  such agency as an agent for the tax collector for purposes of
   30  issuing registration certificates, registration license plates,
   31  validation stickers, and mobile home stickers to applicants and
   32  providing to such applicants the option to register emergency
   33  contact information and the option to be contacted with
   34  information about state and federal benefits available as a
   35  result of military service, subject to the requirements of law,
   36  in accordance with the rules of the department.
   37         (b) A general lines agency appointed as an agent for a tax
   38  collector under this subsection:
   39         1. Must provide a performance bond of $2 million to the
   40  department;
   41         2. Must provide audited financial statements from a
   42  certified public accountant licensed to practice in this state
   43  for each of the previous 2 years demonstrating the agency has
   44  produced policy premiums in excess of 500 million in each of the
   45  previous 2 years;
   46         3. Is not required to provide services described in
   47  paragraph (a) to the general public and may provide such
   48  services solely to its customers in the normal course of
   49  business;
   50         4. May not offer such services at more than five locations
   51  in each county where the agency has a branch office;
   52         5. Must be approved by the tax collector pursuant to
   53  paragraph (10)(c) for access to the electronic filing system;
   54  and
   55         6. Is subject to all provisions of law as though such agent
   56  were a private tag agency or agent, except where the context
   57  clearly indicates otherwise.
   58         (c) The department may adopt rules to administer this
   59  subsection, including, but not limited to, rules establishing
   60  information that must be contained in a petition to offer
   61  services under this subsection and information that must be
   62  contained in the audited financial statements and enforcement
   63  authority for noncompliance.
   64         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.