SB 986-Relating to Workers’ Compensation System Administration
On Monday, SB 986, relating to Workers’ Compensation System Administration, by Senator Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby) was heard by the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee and passed with 11 yeas and 0 nays.

SB 986 provides additional administrative tools to the deep vision of Worker's Compensation for penalty enforcement and stop work order fines. Two amendments were offered by Senator Chris Smith (D – Fort Lauderdale) and adopted by this committee to improve the bill and eliminate concerns the business community had earlier expressed about its potential unintended consequences for fraud. AIF General Counsel, Tammy Perdue, stood in support of this measure today.

SB 986 will now go to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government.

AIF supports Florida’s current workers’ compensation law and any proposed change to the workers’ compensation system- in the courtroom or Legislature- will be evaluated through the prism of coverage affordability, market stability, and employee safety.

SB 1402-Relating to Ratification of Department of Financial Services Rule
On Monday, February 1st, SB 1402, relating to Ratification of Department of Financial Services Rule, by Senator David Simmons (R-Longwood) was heard by the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee and passed with 11 yeas and 0 nays. AIF’s General Counsel, Tammy Perdue, stood in support of this bill.

SB 1402 addresses adoption of the current version of the Florida Worker's Compensation healthcare provider reimbursement manual. This manual has not been adopted or updated since 2008, leaving Florida well behind every other state in the amount of reimbursement it pays to healthcare providers for the treatment of injured workers.

This bill will now go to its last committee stop in the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee.

AIF supports legislation that will keep Florida’s Workers’ Compensation system a stable and self-executing mechanism that benefits both injured workers and Florida’s employers.