TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A bill that would give Florida homeowners more options when disputing claims with Citizens Insurance has passed the state House of Representatives.
The legislation, HB 863, was filed in December, would allow policyholders with the state-run insurer to choose between arbitration or a jury trial when resolving disputes.
WATCH BELOW: Citizens insurance disputes: Bill would give homeowners more power
The push for change comes after months of mounting criticism over Citizens' claims process.
A WPTV investigation found claimants currently face a single judge paid by Citizens, and in a year's worth of final hearing cases, those judges ruled in favor of Citizens 99% of the time.
Bill sponsor state Rep. Yvette Benarroch, R-Naples, said that finding helped drive the legislative change.
"The optics are not good, and so this is what we're trying to fix," Benarroch said. "And it was never the intent of the legislature to take the rights of citizens away from access, you know, from having access to the court. It was never our intent. All we're doing now is specifying and giving that option back to the consumer."
"Government shouldn't be taking their rights away from anyone. Those are constitutional rights, and we have no right to do that," Benarroch said.
Citizens has defended the arbitration process, saying it saves time and money for all parties involved.
The bill now heads to the Florida Senate for consideration.
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