Bill Text: FL S0904 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Sinkhole and Catastrophic Ground Cover Collapse Insurance
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2020-03-14 - Died in Banking and Insurance [S0904 Detail]
Download: Florida-2020-S0904-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2020 SB 904 By Senator Hooper 16-01007A-20 2020904__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to sinkhole and catastrophic ground 3 cover collapse insurance; amending s. 627.706, F.S.; 4 revising the definition of the term “catastrophic 5 ground cover collapse” for insurance coverage 6 purposes; specifying circumstances under which 7 settling or cracking of a foundation, structure, or 8 building constitutes a loss resulting from a 9 catastrophic ground cover collapse; defining the term 10 “dangerous”; providing applicability; providing an 11 effective date. 12 13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 14 15 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section 16 627.706, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 17 627.706 Sinkhole insurance; catastrophic ground cover 18 collapse; definitions.— 19 (2) As used in ss. 627.706-627.7074, and as used in 20 connection with any policy providing coverage for a catastrophic 21 ground cover collapse or for sinkhole losses, the term: 22 (a) “Catastrophic ground cover collapse” means geological 23 activity that results inallthe following: 24 1. The imminentabruptcollapse of the ground cover or;252.a depression in the ground cover clearly visible to the 26 naked eye; and 27 2.a.3.Structural damage to the covered building, including 28 the foundation; orand29 b.4.The insured structure being: 30 (I) Condemned and ordered to be vacated by the governmental 31 agency authorized by law to issue such an order for that 32 structure; or 33 (II) Declared dangerous and a real and imminent threat to 34 public safety by a professional engineer licensed in this state 35 in a written notice to the governmental agency authorized by law 36 with code enforcement for that structure. 37 38 Contents coverage applies if there is a loss resulting from a 39 catastrophic ground cover collapse. Damage consisting merely of 40 the settling or cracking of a foundation, structure, or building 41 does not constitute a loss resulting from a catastrophic ground 42 cover collapse unless the structure or building has been ordered 43 to be vacated or the structure or building has been declared 44 dangerous by a professional engineer licensed in this state or 45 by the governmental agency authorized by law with code 46 enforcement for that structure or building. As used in this 47 paragraph, the term “dangerous” has the same meaning as provided 48 in the Florida Building Code, Building Volume, Sixth Edition. 49 Section 2. The amendment made by this act to s. 627.706, 50 Florida Statutes, applies to new and renewal property insurance 51 policies issued on or after July 1, 2021. 52 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.