The bill amends various sections of Florida Statutes to introduce new regulations concerning civil actions related to former phosphate mine sites and insurance contracts. It establishes a new section, 378.213, which allows landowners to record notices identifying their property as a former phosphate mine and defines what constitutes a "former phosphate mine." Additionally, section 404.0561 mandates the Department of Health to conduct gamma radiation surveys of former phosphate lands upon request, while section 768.405 requires plaintiffs in civil actions related to phosphate mining to include documentation of radiation levels in their complaints.

Moreover, the bill revises existing provisions regarding attorney fees in civil actions involving insurance contracts by creating sections 626.9375 and 627.4275, which require courts to award reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing party in certain insurance-related civil actions. It also mandates that judges provide written findings to substantiate any award of attorney fees, calculated without a contingency risk multiplier. The bill modifies the admissibility of evidence related to medical expenses in personal injury cases, allowing for a broader range of evidence, and specifies that these amendments will apply to all causes of action that accrued after March 24, 2023, affecting insurance policies issued on or after July 1, 2025. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
H 947 c2: 624.1552, 624.123, 624.488, 627.062, 627.736, 627.756, 628.6016, 768.0427