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OIR Gathers Input on Mitigation Verification Form and Notice

OIR Gathers Input on Mitigation Verification Form and Notice

The Office of Insurance Regulation held a public hearing on December 21 to continue gathering feedback about revisions to its Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form and its Notice of Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation.  The hearing attracted relatively few comments on the discount notice form.  A few participants commented that the description of mandatory […]

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State Farm Florida and OIR Resolve Withdrawal Request

State Farm Florida and OIR Resolve Withdrawal Request

State Farm Florida Insurance Company and the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation have entered into a Consent Order resolving a dispute arising from the insurer’s planned withdrawal from the Florida property insurance market.  State Farm Florida filed a withdrawal plan with the Office of Insurance Regulation announcing that it intended to discontinue its property insurance […]

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Two Florida Legislators Revive Deregulation Bill

Two Florida Legislators Revive Deregulation Bill

During the 2009 Legislative session Representative Bill Proctor, R-St. Augustine and Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton guided a “deregulation bill” through the Florida Legislature.  The bill would have permitted many large insurers to offer homeowners insurance policies at rates that exceeded the approved rates they had on file.  To be eligible for this reduced rate regulation, […]

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FSU Panel Discussion to Cover Regulatory Reform

FSU Panel Discussion to Cover Regulatory Reform

The Risk Management & Insurance department of the Florida State University College of Business is hosting a luncheon and panel discussion on January 28, 2010, on the topic of insurance regulatory reform.   Florida Insurance Commissioner McCarty has agreed to participate on the panel, along with Moira Campion McConaghy, manager of government relations for the NAIC, and […]

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OIR Approves Citizens’ High Risk Account Rates

OIR Approves Citizens’ High Risk Account Rates

The Office of Insurance Regulation has issued an order approving rates for the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation High Risk Account (HRA).  The HRA consists of Citizens’ most coastal exposures and includes personal residential, commercial residential, and traditional commercial exposures. By law, Citizens submits rate filings to the Office of Insurance Regulation, but unlike for typical […]

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Court Sides With USDOL and Orders Restaurant Operators to Pay More than $2 Million In Back Wages and Penalties

Court Sides With USDOL and Orders Restaurant Operators to Pay More than $2 Million In Back Wages and Penalties

Two restaurant owners-operators who managed five restaurants called Oriental Forest have been ordered by a federal court judge to pay $2,030,430 in minimum wage and overtime pay and damages owed to 129 workers following an investigation by the USDOL’s Wage and Hour Division. The court also ordered the business owners not to violate minimum wage and […]

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CPSC Releases Additional Chinese Drywall Results

CPSC Releases Additional Chinese Drywall Results

On November 23, 2009, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released additional information in its ongoing review of the corrosive effects of Chinese drywall.  The CPSC released the results of a 51-home indoor air quality study, an electrical component corrosion study, and a fire safety component corrosion study.  The executive summary of the CPSC’s […]

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Title II of Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act Effective Today

Title II of Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act Effective Today

Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) is effective today, November 21, 2009.  Title II of GINA prohibits an employer’s use of genetic information in making decisions related to any terms, conditions, or privileges of employment.  GINA also prohibits employers from intentionally acquiring genetic information, requires confidentiality with respect to genetic information (with limited exceptions), and […]

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USDOL Secretary Solis Announces Hiring of 250 New Wage and Hour Investigators

USDOL Secretary Solis Announces Hiring of 250 New Wage and Hour Investigators

Yesterday, USDOL Secretary Hilda Solis announced that USDOL has hired 250 new Wage and Hour investigators.  The hiring will result in a 33% increase in investigative staff which, no doubt, will herald more investigations.  As the Secretary’s press release stated, “America’s workers should rest assured that protecting worker rights is a top priority at the […]

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This Is The Last Week The EEOC Will Receive Written Comments About New ADAA Regulations

This Is The Last Week The EEOC Will Receive Written Comments About New ADAA Regulations

November 23, 2009, is the last day that the EEOC will receive any further written comments upon its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for new regulations to implement the the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAA) which took effect on January 1st of this year.  The NPRM proposes a significant adjustment in how the EEOC will […]

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