A number of Senate Republicans, including Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, have been working to derail legislation aimed at meeting Gov. Rick Scotts call to shrink Citizens Property Insurance.
A vote on the bill was postponed for the third consecutive day on Thursday.
Still, Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, said an end could be in sight.
I believe the votes are there to pass it but it is very tight, Haridopolos said, speaking to reporters Thursday.
The bill was postponed at the request of Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples, the sponsor of SB 578.
Richter has said he is ready to defend the bill, which would allow third parties, known as surplus-line carriers, to take over policies from the bloated state-backed Citizens.
Surplus-line carriers are not regulated by the Office of Insurance Regulation and can differ greatly from the states admitted insurers, a point opponents of the bill have pushed repeatedly.
But Fasano and Sens. Thad Altman, R-Melbourne, Ronda Storms, R-Brandon, and Anitere Flores, R-Miami, have filed 10 amendments that have tied up the bill.
Id like for the clock to run out and surplus lines to never come up for a hearing, said Fasano, who has fought Citizens on a number of consumer issues in the past year, including a spike in sinkhole coverage premiums.
Fasano, who along with Storms was part of the Senate GOP revolt over privatizing prisons in Central and South Florida, said customers need assurances that the companies that pick up many of Citizens 1.5 million customers are regulated, to avoid steep rate increases and little consumer protection.
You cannot have unregulated companies come into this state, Fasano said.
On Wednesday, the House narrowly passed a bill, HB 245, that would allow the surplus-line carriers to take over Citizens policies on condition the carrier has at least $50 million in surplus, at least an A-minus rating from A.M. Best and is willing to offer homeowners coverage that is similar to their Citizens policy.
Policyholders would have to agree to the switch and could change their minds later.
Jim Turner can be reached at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or (850) 727-0859.
