Legislative Session Draws Near
The 2019 Florida legislative session in only about a week away. This year’s session will be different in some respects than recent sessions, if only due to significant changes in executive branch and legislative officers. The Governor’s office often sets the tone for legislative sessions through developing proposed budgets and advancing public policy issues. The change from former Governor Rick Scott to current Governor Ron DeSantis will lead to differing priorities and styles. These changes likewise will be met with changes in other Cabinet offices, which will produce differing policy priorities for the executive branch.
Of course, the composition of the House of Representatives and Senate changes over time too. New presiding officers have differing legislative priorities and differing relationships among the chambers.
The impact on legislative proposals remains to be seen. The insurance industry will closely watch reform proposals related to assignments of benefits and auto glass. Abuses in both of these areas are affecting the availability and pricing of insurance. In addition, potential replacements for Florida’s no-fault auto insurance system seem to come up every year, along with tort reform and possible preemptive measures for workers’ compensation and medical malpractice.
These are challenging topics which often become bogged down in controversy, uncertainty and disagreement. Whether the 2019 session will be any different in these areas will be seen as this year’s session plays out over the next 60 days.