Florida Chamber-Backed Property Insurance Reform Approved
The Florida State Board of Administration this week approved a Florida Chamber-backed effort to protect Floridians from future hurricane tax assessments. Governor Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater approved giving the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (CAT Fund) authority to pursue transferring up to $2.2 billion in storm risk to global financial markets in an effort to prevent Floridians from paying future hurricane taxes.
“The Florida Chamber applauds the decision by the State Board of Administration to explore global financial markets to transfer risk from CAT Fund out of the state’s border,” said David Hart, Executive Vice President for the Florida Chamber. “While reinsurance rates are among the lowest in many years, and with the unpredictability of a looming hurricane season, the time to act is now.”
The Florida Chamber has long-advocated that homeowners should be provided with creative, market-based solutions to Florida’s natural disaster risks. Earlier this year, the state of Florida eliminated CAT Fund hurricane tax assessments on Floridians. Thanks to the State Board of Administration’s action this week, future storm risks may be transferred to the private reinsurance market and likely prevent Floridians from being assessed hurricane taxes in the future.
Watch Insurance Leaders Speak:
Watch Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty, CFO Jeff Atwater and other insurance industry leaders speak at the Florida Chamber’s 2015 Insurance Summit by clicking here.
