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HB1243 • 2026

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Conerly
Last action
2026-03-13
Official status
House - Died in Insurance & Banking Subcommittee
Effective date
2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's status indicates it did not pass and died in committee, so the described changes are not enacted into law.

Workers' Compensation Insurance Changes

This bill changes rules for insurance companies regarding excess rates and the composition of a board related to workers' compensation.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows insurers to use higher rates (excess rates) on up to 20% of their workers' compensation policies, instead of limiting it to 10%.
  • Specifies that certain types of workers' compensation policies are excluded from the excess rate limit for three years after they start.
  • Changes the composition of the board overseeing the Florida Workers' Compensation Insurance Guaranty Association by adding two more members.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Insurance companies that provide workers' compensation coverage in Florida.
  • Employers who purchase workers' compensation insurance from these companies.
  • The Florida Workers' Compensation Insurance Guaranty Association and its board of directors.

Terms To Know

Excess rates
Higher than normal rates that an insurer can charge for certain policies under specific conditions.
Workers' Compensation Insurance Guaranty Association
An organization in Florida that provides a safety net for workers' compensation insurance claims when insurers cannot pay out due to financial difficulties.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass the final stages of approval and died in committee, so it will not become law as written.
  • It is unclear how many employers or insurance companies will be directly affected by these changes.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-13 House

    • Died in Insurance & Banking Subcommittee

  2. 2026-01-15 House

    • Referred to Insurance & Banking Subcommittee • Referred to Commerce Committee • Now in Insurance & Banking Subcommittee

  3. 2026-01-13 House

    • 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)

  4. 2026-01-08 House

    • Filed

Official Summary Text

Workers’ Compensation Insurance; Authorizes insurer to use excess rates for specified percentage of its workers' compensation insurance policies; specifies workers' compensation policies that are excluded from such percentage; removes provisions relating to exclusion of specified commercial insurance policies from percentage of policies that are subject to excess rates; revises composition of board of directors of Florida Workers' Compensation Insurance Guaranty Association, Incorporated.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB 1243 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1243-00
Page 1 of 3
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to workers' compensation insurance; 2
amending s. 627.171, F.S.; authorizing an insurer to 3
use excess rates for a specified percentage of its 4
workers' compensation insurance policies; specifying 5
the workers' compensation policies that are excluded 6
from such percentage; removing provisions relating to 7
the exclusion of specified commercial insurance 8
policies from the percentage of policies that are 9
subject to excess rates; amending s. 631.912, F.S.; 10
revising the composition of the board of directors of 11
the Florida Workers' Compensation Insurance Guaranty 12
Association, Incorporated; providing an effective 13
date. 14
15
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 16
17
Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 627.171, Florida 18
Statutes, is amended to read: 19
627.171 Excess rates.— 20
(2)(a) An insurer may not use excess rates pursuant to 21
this section, only as follows: 22
1. For no more than 10 percent of its commercial insurance 23
policies written or renewed in each calendar year for any line 24
of commercial insurance, other than workers' compensation. 25

HB 1243 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1243-00
Page 2 of 3
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

2. For no more than 20 percent of its workers' 26
compensation insurance policies written or renewed in each 27
calendar year. or 28
3. For no more than 5 percent of its personal lines 29
insurance policies written or renewed in each calendar year for 30
any line of personal insurance. 31
(b) In determining the 20 percent 10-percent limitation 32
for workers' compensation commercial insurance policies, the 33
insurer shall exclude any workers' compensation policy that was 34
written for an employer who had coverage in the joint 35
underwriting plan created by s. 627.311(5) immediately before 36
prior to the writing of the policy by the insurer and any 37
workers' compensation policy that was written for an employer 38
who had been offered coverage in the joint underwriting plan but 39
who was written a policy by the insurer in lieu of accepting the 40
joint underwriting plan policy. Such These workers' compensation 41
policies must shall be excluded from the 20 percent 10-percent 42
limitation for the first 3 years of coverage. 43
Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 631.912, Florida 44
Statutes, is amended to read: 45
631.912 Board of directors.— 46
(1) The board of directors of the corporation shall be 47
composed consist of nine 11 persons, one 1 of whom is the 48
insurance consumer advocate appointed under s. 627.0613 or his 49
or her designee and one 1 of whom is designated by the Chief 50

HB 1243 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1243-00
Page 3 of 3
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

Financial Officer. The department shall appoint to the board 51
four 6 persons selected by private carriers from among the 20 52
workers' compensation insurers with the largest amount of direct 53
written premium as determined by the department, one person 54
nominated by a statewide trade association representing Florida 55
employers, which is designated by the Chief Financial Officer, 56
and one person nominated by the largest property and casualty 57
insurance agents association in this state. The Chief Financial 58
Officer may appoint and 2 persons selected by the self-insurance 59
funds or other persons with experience in workers' compensation 60
insurance to the board to serve in place of a nominee of either 61
association as determined by the Chief Financial Officer. These 62
appointments are deemed to be within the scope of the exemption 63
provided in s. 112.313(7)(b). The Governor shall appoint one 64
person who has commercial insurance experience. At least two of 65
the private carriers shall be foreign carriers authorized to do 66
business in this state. The board shall elect a chair 67
chairperson from among its members. The Chief Financial Officer 68
may remove any board member for cause. Each board member shall 69
be appointed to serve a 4-year term and may be reappointed. A 70
vacancy on the board must shall be filled for the remaining 71
period of the term in the same manner by which the original 72
appointment was made. 73
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 74