Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the legislation Tuesday that would have changed the type of auto insurance drivers must purchase in the state. Gov. Ron DeSantis faced mounting pressure to veto the bill critics argue would push up rates for many drivers.
In the governor’s letter he wrote, “While the PIP system has flaws and Florida law regarding bad faith is deficient, CS/CS/ SB 54 does not adequately address the current issues facing Florida drivers and may have unintended consequences that would negatively impact both the market and consumers.”
The Current No-Fault Insurance system requires motorists to carry personal-injury protection, or PIP, coverage.
The mandatory $10,000 in PIP coverage helps pay medical costs for motorists injured in accidents.
Lawmakers in April passed a bill (SB 54) that would end no-fault and formally sent the bill to DeSantis on Monday. As of this tuesday, the bill has been vetoed.
Florida since 1979 has had a no-fault system and the requirement of carrying $10,000 in PIP coverage.
The bill would have required drivers to carry $25,000 in bodily injury coverage for the injury or death of one person in a crash and $50,000 in bodily injury coverage for the injury or deaths of two or more people. Similar to the current system, drivers also would be required to have $10,000 in property damage coverage. The result in this could have meant much higher insurance rates for drivers.
