Registration of insurance carriers; notice of cancellation or expiration of policy; suspension or revocation of authority.

(1) Each insurance carrier who desires to write workers’ compensation insurance in compliance with this chapter shall be required, before writing such insurance, to register with the department.

(2) A carrier or self-insurance fund that receives notice pursuant to s. 440.05 shall notify the contractor of the cancellation or expiration of the insurance.

(3) If the department finds, after due notice and a hearing at which the insurance carrier is entitled to be heard in person or by counsel and present evidence, that the insurance carrier has repeatedly failed to comply with its obligations under this chapter, the department may request the office to suspend or revoke the authorization of such insurance carrier to write workers’ compensation insurance under this chapter. Such suspension or revocation shall not affect the liability of any such insurance carrier under policies in force prior to the suspension or revocation.

(4) In addition to the penalties prescribed in subsection (3), violation of s. 440.381 by an insurance carrier shall result in the imposition of a fine not to exceed $1,000 per audit, if the insurance carrier fails to act on said audits by correcting errors in employee classification or accepted applications for coverage where it knew employee classifications were incorrect. Such fines shall be levied by the office and deposited into the Insurance Regulatory Trust Fund.