Market assistance plan; property and casualty risks.

(1) The office shall adopt a market assistance plan to assist in the placement of risks of applicants who are unable to procure property insurance as defined in s. 624.604 or casualty insurance as defined in s. 624.605(1)(b), (e), (f), (g), or (h) from authorized insurers when such insurance is otherwise generally available from insurers authorized to transact and actually writing that kind and class of insurance in this state. Through such measures as are found appropriate by the board of governors, the market assistance plan shall take affirmative steps to assist in the removal from the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation any risk that can be placed in the voluntary market. All property and casualty insurers licensed in this state shall participate in the plan.

(2)(a) Each person serving as a member of the board of governors of the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation shall also serve as a member of the board of governors of the market assistance plan.

(b) The plan shall be funded through payments from the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and annual assessments of residential property insurers in the amount of $450.

(c) The plan is not required to assist in the placement of any workers’ compensation, employer’s liability, malpractice, or motor vehicle insurance coverage.

(3)(a) The plan and the corporation shall develop a business plan and present it to the Financial Services Commission for approval by September 1, 2007, to provide for the implementation of an electronic database for the purpose of confirming eligibility pursuant to s. 627.351(6). The business plan may provide that authorized insurers or agents of authorized insurers may submit to the plan or the corporation in electronic form, as determined by the plan or the corporation, information determined necessary by the plan or the corporation to deny coverage to risks ineligible for coverage by the corporation. Any authorized insurer submitting such information that results in a risk being denied coverage by the corporation is required to offer coverage to the risk at its approved rates, for the coverage and premium quoted, for at least 1 year.

(b) There shall be no liability on the part of, and no cause of action of any nature shall arise against, any authorized insurer acting within the scope of its authority under this subsection or its agents or employees for any action taken by them in the performance of their duties or responsibilities under this subsection.