Staff Reports- Florida Politics
The Legislature stiffed the Florida Chamber of Commerce on one of its top priorities this year — abuse of assignment of benefits agreements, or AOBs.
The Chamber isn’t hiding how it feels about that.
“Florida’s hardworking families should remember this – the Florida Senate chose to side with anti-consumer special interests, instead of stepping up and protecting consumers from an AOB loophole that has attracted plaintiffs’ attorneys like gold rush miners,” Chamber spokeswoman Edie Ousley said in a written statement shortly after the House and Senate adjourned Friday.
“Their failure to act means homeowners will be forced to spend more on property insurance in the coming year, and home ownership will become less affordable for many Floridians,” Ousley said.
An AOB bill (HB 1421) passed the House this year, but the Senate version, which was much friendlier to the trial bar, never made it to the floor.
It was the fifth year the insurance industry pressed for AOB reform. The topic was Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier’s top priority. Gov. Rick Scott was on board. Much of the business community, too.
