Latest Florida Headlines
All the headlines from our Florida Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Florida Passes Bill Seeking to Ease Post-Hurricane Outages
May 9 2019 // Florida utilities would have to come up with a 10-year plan to strengthen and bury power lines in an effort to ease post-hurricane power outages under a bill waiting to be signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Senate...
‘Thrust Reverser’ Broken On Plane that Slid Into Florida River
May 8 2019 // A component meant to slow an aircraft on landing was inoperative on the Boeing jetliner that slid off a runway into a river at a Florida military base, injuring 22 people, investigators said on Sunday. The failure of the...
Insurers of Collapsed Florida Bridge Builder to Pay $42M to Victims
May 8 2019 // Insurers will pay up to $42 million to surviving victims of a 2018 Florida bridge collapse and the families of those killed, under a deal announced Friday between the now-bankrupt construction company that built the...
Florida Approves Allowing Rideshare Firms to Deploy Autonomous Vehicles
May 7 2019 // Self-driving vehicles could be operated in Florida without a human on board under a bill going to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Senate unanimously passed the bill with no debate May 1, a move that could pave the way...
Rivard Appointed to Citizens Board of Governors
May 6 2019 // Florida’s insurer of last resort, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., has a new board member. Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis has appointed Bo Rivard insurer’s Board of Governors, effective immediately. His term...
NTSB: ‘Range of Factors’ May Explain Boeing 737 Florida Runway Skid
May 6 2019 // The National Transportation Safety Board will evaluate a range of factors that could help explain how a Boeing 737-800 plane arriving from Cuba slipped into a river after skidding off a runway in Florida, from human error...
Florida Passes Industry-Backed AOB Reform Bill
May 6 2019 // After seven years of failed attempts, Florida legislators passed property insurance reform to address the abuse of a policyholder benefit known as assignment of benefits (AOB). The insurance industry and consumer advocates...
Business Moves
May 6 2019 // National ProAg, AmTrust Agriculture Producers Ag Insurance Group Inc. has agreed to acquire Leawood, Kan.-based managing general agent AmTrust Agriculture Insurance Services. The deal, which is subject to regulatory...
Florida Forms Task Force, Commits $3M to Study Toxic Algae Blooms
May 3 2019 // Florida’s governor has created a new task force to help clean up the state’s lakes and rivers as lawmakers approved funding for research into toxic red tide that has affected the state’s coastline. Gov....
‘Operation Rubicon’ Nets 9 Arrests in $600K Florida Insurance Fraud Scheme
May 2 2019 // Nine individuals and business owners have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a large-scale organized scheme to defraud insurance companies out of more than $600,000 in fraudulent insurance claims, according to...
Insurtech Agency Nsure Launches Personal Lines Platform in Florida
May 2 2019 // Nsure, an all-digital licensed insurance agency based in Florida, has introduced technology to provide real-time quote comparisons for home and auto insurance through a digital platform that allows customers to purchase...
A Quick First Look at Florida’s New AOB Bill
May 1 2019 // I have a new hobby. It compliments one of my other hobbies, reading insurance policies. What is it? I’ve started reading legislation. What a thrill to print (yes, print) 16 pages of legislation. The numbered lines,...
Florida Lawmakers Pass Text While Driving Ban, Hands-Free Requirement
May 1 2019 // The Florida House on Monday passed a compromise bill that would make texting while driving a primary offense, as well as create a hands-free area within school zones and construction zones where workers are present. The...
High Net Worth Insurer Vault Expands Into 3 States in Northeast
May 1 2019 // Vault, an insurer focused on the needs of the high net worth market, has received approvals to underwrite in Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. This adds to their existing operations in Florida and South Carolina...
Appalachian Underwriters Taps Florida-Based Kidd to Lead Commercial Auto
Apr 30 2019 // Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. has hired transportation broker Mary Kidd to focus on large commercial transportation accounts in its Sarasota, Fla., office. Kidd will work with accounts with more than $25,000 in premium,...
Florida Man Suspected in Multiple Fires Arrested
Apr 30 2019 // A Florida man believed to be responsible for multiple fires in the Umatilla area of Lake County, Fla., has been arrested, according to a statement by Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis. James Anthony Bennett was arrested this...
Florida Officials Call on U.S. Lawmakers to Pass Hurricane Michael Aid Package
Apr 29 2019 // A bipartisan group of Florida Cabinet members and state lawmakers is demanding that U.S. lawmakers pass a disaster-relief package for Hurricane Michael victims. Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, Attorney General...
Florida Senate Passes Texting While Driving Ban
Apr 29 2019 // Texting while driving would become a primary traffic offense along with talking on a handheld cellphone in school and construction zones under a bill passed by the Florida Senate. The Senate’s 33-5 vote on Thursday...
Florida Supreme Court Rules Against Parkland Sheriff
Apr 26 2019 // The Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled against a sheriff who fought his removal from office after the governor claimed he failed to prevent last year’s Parkland school shooting. Florida’s highest court...
New AAIS Florida Homeowners By-Peril Program Approved by State Regulator
Apr 26 2019 // AAIS (the American Association of Insurance Services) has received approval for its new Florida Homeowners By-Peril Insurance Program from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR). The AAIS Florida Homeowners...
