House Adds Ammo To Ban On Insurers Discriminating Against Gun Owners

February 20, 2014

Insurance companies could face tougher penalties if they impose higher rates or take other actions against auto or homeowner policyholders due to lawful gun ownership — or ammunition possession — under a measure that received its second House committee backing on Wednesday.

While Florida law already prohibits such actions, the House Civil Justice Subcommittee in an 8-2 vote approved a bill  by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, that would provide a court remedy to policyholders.

Along with higher rates, the bill would target insurers who refuse to issue or renew policies or cancel policies.

“The laws that we have on the books now only allow the government to step in and stop an insurance company from discriminating against someone for exercising a constitutional right,” Gaetz said. “As of now they would be blocked at the courthouse steps.”

The committee also agreed to amend the bill, backed by the National Rifle Association and Unified Sportsmen of Florida, to include a ban on crafting insurance policies that discriminate against people for possession of ammunition. The measure must still get through the House Regulatory Affairs Committee.

The Senate version (SB 424) has already been backed by the Banking and Insurance and the Criminal Justice committees and has only to clear the Appropriations Committee before reaching the Senate floor.

by The News Service of Florida

Comments

5 Responses to “House Adds Ammo To Ban On Insurers Discriminating Against Gun Owners”

  1. Tim B on February 22nd, 2014 3:52 pm

    Dumbness prevails again. Why address a cultural problem with legislation? It won’t cure the problem, just convince more people that more government is the answer. The correct answer for anyone facing this kind of discrimination is to immediately switch companies and proclaim to all who will listen the reason why they’re doing so. Gun owners are, what, 40% or more of the population? Any company that offends that many people to the point where those people quit buying the company’s product is in deep doo doo. A policy that has this great an effect on the company’s bottom line will soon be changed…or the company will soon cease to exist.

    Note: What would the effect on a company’s business in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama an Louisiana of a heavily hyped boycott in Florida over gun rights? What happened to B of A when it was disclosed that they were discriminating against gun owners and gun businesses in several states? Haven’t the credit card processing companies that canceled processing for gun related businesses been paying a price for that decision? All without the necessity for any “government action” to compel more reasonable activity in the business world at large. I am shocked, SHOCKED I say, that anyone could even conceive of any such solution that would not include immediate, targeted, decisive action on the part of our elected masters!

  2. Ray on February 21st, 2014 6:03 pm

    They should take this one step further and make sure the insurance application forms do not have a question about firearms, otherwise it gets more difficult to prove you were discriminated against

  3. Philip R. Tripp on February 21st, 2014 3:08 pm

    Gun banners are calling for gun owners to be required to purchase liability insurance more and more as their attempts at registration fail.

    Preemptive laws like this are good for gun rights, but they’re really a reaction.

    The Obamastration and banner’s want to have your doctor report if you own weapons, especially if there are children in the house. I’m curious. Would they report it to your insurance company, IRS, or some other Agency or Department?

    They also want to ask kids in school if Mommy and Daddy have guns at home. I wonder if they teach about Hitler’s Germany in Common Core. Kids in school were encouraged to report on their parents, friends, and neighbors before they were even old enough to join the Hitlerjugend, or Hitler Youth Corps, at 10.

  4. Keith P. on February 21st, 2014 2:22 pm

    Many people here, pool their money and when someone is going to the sporting goods shop, or one of the fire arms dealers, he or she buys for everyone. The fun part is most of the time the person that buys the ammo for us is the one guy who doesn’t own a gun, he is a Bowhunter and ex navy seal.

  5. Robert S. on February 20th, 2014 5:58 pm

    Just a thought.
    When you buy ammo directly from a store, pay in cash and do not provide your Zip Code or phone number to the merchants.

    Lately, places like sporting goods stores are “requesting” your Postal Zip Code for all purchases of any merchandise.
    They cannot require that for your purchase so just politely say, I don’t do that” and they will be pleased to sell you whatever.