WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A proposal to dramatically change Citizens Insurance is now part of a growing stack of bills at Florida's Capitol in 2025.
House Bill 13, sponsored by state Rep. Hillary Cassel of Broward County, would make Citizens Insurance available to all property owners in Florida and cover only windstorm damage.
WPTV was not able to reach Cassel on Monday for comment on the bill.
Cassel, who recently switched political parties from Democrat to Republican, has been a supporter of the idea for almost a year.
Real Estate News
These are the Florida bills targeting insurance relief next year
Former state Rep. Spencer Roach, R-Fort Myers, brought up this proposal back in February. He told a committee that the plan would be modeled after California's insurance program.
"It provided insurance for all claims and only claims related to natural disasters and left the private market to pick up the rest. The result is rates dropped like a stone," Roach said Feb. 7.
Despite the claims, the proposal went nowhere in the last session as many in Tallahassee remain skeptical of the idea.
"If we went down that road of being the wind-only provider of first resort in Florida, we would have to have about $3.2 trillion in insured value," Citizens CEO Tim Cerio told WPTV during a "Coverage Collapse" special in June."The price tag is untenable."
Matt Sczesny is determined every day to help you find solutions in Florida's coverage collapse. If you have a question or comment on homeowners insurance, you can reach out to him any time.
Read WPTV's latest "Coverage Collapse" stories below:
-
How this Florida bill would transform Citizens Insurance
A proposal to dramatically change Citizens Insurance is now part of a growing stack of bills at Florida's Capitol in 2025.
CONDO COSTS: Owners look at higher fees amid new regulations
Florida condominium owners are looking at higher costs from condo associations in the new year, a consequence of a safety law passed by state lawmakers in 2022.
EYE IN THE SKY: Why home insurance companies are using more drones
As nighttime drone sightings keep making news around the country, drones flying in daylight hours are increasingly doing inspection work for insurance companies.
How WPTV helped this resident get an important grant
WPTV is still getting emails from homeowners frustrated by the long wait on grant applications for the My Safe Florida Home program.
