Florida's chief financial officer said he has recommended legislation that would require insurers to speed up payments to policyholders for living expenses and repairs after their homes were damaged by hurricanes.
The measure being suggested by Tom Gallagher, Florida's CFO, would ensure that homeowners immediately receive insurance money for additional living expenses and lost personal contents, as well as 20 percent of the insurance proceeds to repair structural damage, without the need for an endorsement from their financial institution.
“This legislation will ensure faster payment for storm victims following a major catastrophe,” said Mr. Gallagher in a statement. “It will make it easier for families to get the money they deserve.”
Mr. Gallagher said he is recommending the measure as part of a comprehensive package of reforms he has put forward to strengthen Florida's homeowners insurance market and improve coverage options and protections for homeowners.
The request, he said, comes after numerous meetings with policyholders who said they had to wait weeks for payments for temporary housing or to secure a contractor to start storm repairs.
According to Mr. Gallagher, the Department of Financial Services he oversees heard from more than 350,000 consumers following the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, and a majority complained about the delays in receiving insurance payments.
Mr. Gallagher said he also is lobbying state lawmakers to earmark surplus sales tax revenue collected in the wake of hurricanes to offset hurricane assessments against homeowners. He also is pushing for standardizing Florida's building code statewide and capping coverage of homes in excess of $1 million by Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state's insurer of last resort.
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