Cámara says that, under the bills, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation would have authority to review and approve flood-insurance rates, although insureds would retain the right to grant explicit consent to choose an alternative rating method not reviewed by the OIR.

Surplus-lines agents also would have the ability to export policies to surplus-lines carriers without obtaining three declinations, which would usually be required by law.

Insurers with less than $35 million in surplus would need to submit a plan of operations to begin offering the coverage. The bill also would add an expert in floodplain modeling to the Hurricane Loss Modeling Commission, allow the commission to review floodplain models used by private insurers and grant flexibility in how private insurers reach their actuarial models for flood loss.

The RAA also used the occasion to strongly criticize initiatives in the U.S. Senate to delay the flood-insurance rate increases imposed by a 2012.

Frank Nutter, RAA president, said that would "leave taxpayers at risk and the bankrupt [National Flood Insurance Program] weakened and potentially unable to pay its claims."

Nutter notes, "Rather than irresponsibly delaying reforms, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates would cost billions, the RAA supports targeted reforms to help homeowners most in need, while maintaining the benefits of risk-based rates and incenting community and individual mitigation."