The bill, HB 145, amends section 768.28 of the Florida Statutes, which governs claims against the government, by increasing the liability limits for tort claims against the state and its agencies. Specifically, it raises the cap on individual claims from $200,000 to $350,000 and total claims from $300,000 to $500,000 for incidents arising from a single event. The bill also reduces the statute of limitations for filing tort claims from three years to 18 months and establishes that a failure by the Department of Financial Services or the relevant agency to resolve a claim within four months will be deemed a final denial. Additionally, it clarifies that municipalities are civilly liable for damages resulting from inadequate law enforcement responses during riots.

Furthermore, the bill introduces various provisions related to liability and indemnification for state agencies, employees, and private vendors. It specifies that no attorney may charge fees exceeding 25 percent of any recovery from a judgment or settlement and that state employees cannot be held personally liable for actions taken within the scope of their employment unless they acted in bad faith. The bill also mandates that contracts with agents of state university boards include indemnification provisions for the state and outlines the responsibilities of community-based care lead agencies in foster care services, including insurance requirements and liability limits. Overall, HB 145 aims to modernize the legal framework surrounding tort claims and liability protections for state entities and their interactions with private organizations.

Statutes affected:
H 145 Filed: 944.713
H 145 e1: 768.28, 39.8297, 343.811, 944.713
H 145 er: 768.28, 39.8297, 343.811, 944.713