Atwater Backs House Approval of Workers’ Compensation Fraud Bill

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater released the following statement regarding the House Economic Affairs Committees passage of HB 1277 that cracks down on those in the check-cashing services industry that aid in workers compensation premium fraud.

As a result of bringing all stakeholders to the table last fall, we were able to recommend policy solutions to the Legislature that protect the responsible players in the marketplace while ensuring those who are diverting more than a billion dollars from Floridas economy are caught and held accountable.

Rep. (Daniel) Davis (R-Jacksonville) was the first to recognize that this complex workers comp fraud scheme was putting pressure on rates and crippling the business community, and I commend him for his passion and leadership in this issue, along with Chair (Dorothy) Hukill (R-Port Orange) and Sen. (John) Thrasher (R-Jacksonville).