Recoupment of residual market deficit assessments.

(1) The Legislature finds and declares that all assessments paid by an insurer or insurer group as a result of a levy by any residual market entity, including regular assessments levied on insurers by Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and any other assessments levied on insurers by an insurance risk apportionment plan or assigned risk plan under s. 627.311 or s. 627.351 constitute advances of funds from the insurer to the residual market entity, and that the insurer is entitled to fully recoup such advances. An insurer or insurer group may recoup any assessments that have been paid during or after 1995 by the insurer or insurer group to defray deficits of an insurance risk apportionment plan or assigned risk plan under ss. 627.311 and 627.351, net of any earnings returned to the insurer or insurer group by the association or plan for any year after 1993. A limited apportionment company as defined in s. 627.351(6)(c) may recoup any regular assessment that has been levied by, or paid to, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation.

(2) The recoupment shall be made by applying a separate recoupment factor on policies of the same line or type as were considered by the residual markets in determining the assessment liability of the insurer or insurer group. An insurer or insurer group shall calculate a separate assessment factor for personal lines and commercial lines. The separate assessment factor shall provide for full recoupment of the assessments over a period of 1 year, unless the insurer or insurer group, at its option, elects to recoup the assessments over a longer period. The assessment factor expires upon collection of the full amount allowed to be recouped. Amounts recouped under this section are not subject to premium taxes, fees, or commissions.

(3) The recoupment factor may not be more than 3 percentage points above the ratio of the deficit assessment to the Florida direct written premium for policies for the lines or types of business as to which the assessment was calculated, as written in the year the deficit assessment was paid. If an insurer or insurer group does not collect the full amount of the deficit assessment during one 12-month period, the insurer or insurer group may apply recalculated recoupment factors to policies issued or renewed during one or more succeeding 12-month periods.

(4) The insurer or insurer group shall file with the office a statement for informational purposes only setting forth the amount of the recoupment factor and an explanation of how the factor will be applied, at least 15 days prior to the factor being applied to any policies. The informational statement shall include documentation of the assessment paid by the insurer or insurer group and the arithmetic calculations supporting the recoupment factor. The insurer or insurer group may use the recoupment factor at any time after the expiration of the 15-day period. The recoupment factor shall apply to all policies described in subsection (3) that are issued or renewed by the insurer or insurer group during a 12-month period. If full recoupment requires the insurer or insurer group to apply a recoupment factor over a subsequent 12-month period, the insurer or insurer group must file a supplemental informational statement pursuant to this subsection.

(5) No later than 90 days after the insurer or insurer group has completed the recoupment process, it shall file with the office a final accounting report documenting the recoupment. The report shall provide the amounts of assessments paid by the insurer or insurer group, the amounts and percentages recouped by year from each affected line of business, and the direct written premium subject to recoupment by year.

(6) The commission may adopt rules to implement this section.