Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced a priority initiative to develop a statewide business court in Florida to support small businesses and job creators statewide. Florida's courts have the most extensive case backlog in the country, and this proposal will expedite complicated business cases and relieve the burden of these cases on the state's overwhelmed court dockets.

Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) & State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis toured the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Training Facility. The CFO surveyed live firefighter and paramedic training and received a brief regarding post-storm relief and rescue efforts following Hurricane Milton, including Urban Search and Rescue assets. These assets included swift water boats, high-water vehicles, wave runners, and more.

Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis issued a letter to the State Board of Administration (SBA) requesting a report on the feasibility, risk, and potential benefits of directing a portion of state retirement system monies into cryptocurrency.

Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced the arrest of WM Roofing owner, Wilmer Maldonado, for allegedly Unlicensed Contracting During State of Emergency and Failure to Secure Worker's Compensation Insurance. Maldonado was arrested by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Disaster Fraud Action Strike Teams (DFAST) deployed by CFO Patronis to fight fraud in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

Today, at a press conference in West Palm Beach, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis launched the 'Check My Contract' portal to fight post-storm fraud following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The Florida Department of Financial Services' (DFS) 'Check My Contract' portal is designed to assist residential or commercial property insurance policyholders who have entered into a repair contract with contractors, restoration professionals, or public adjusters related to an insurance claim.

Today, Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis discussed the health of Florida's economy and insurance market at the 2024 Florida Chamber of Commerce Future of Florida Forum in Orlando.

Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced that the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Consumer Services is hosting four insurance villages in critical locations around the state impacted by Hurricanes Milton and Helene. The villages serve as an opportunity for policyholders to meet with their insurance carriers in person and work together to file insurance claims.

Today, Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis issued the following statement on an Amicus Curiae Brief submitted by the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) in support of an appeal by a St. Johns’ County firefighter seeking heart disease disability benefits under Florida Statute 112.18(1).

Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis highlighted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers activation of Operation Blue Roof for several counties in Florida impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced that the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Consumer Services is hosting four insurance villages in critical locations around the state impacted by Hurricanes Milton and Helene. The villages will serve as an opportunity for policyholders to meet with their insurance carriers in person and work together to file insurance claims.

Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced that the Florida Department of Financial Services' Division of Consumer Services is hosting an insurance village in Bradenton beginning Monday, October 14th from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Eastern. The village will serve as an opportunity for policyholders to meet with their insurance carriers in-person and work together to file insurance claims related to Hurricanes Milton and Helene. Additional Insurance Villages are expected to be announced in the coming days.

Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) & State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis deployed mental health resources for first responders to areas impacted by Hurricane Milton. The Florida Mental Wellness Team has been actively deployed under the State Emergency Response Plan (SERP) through ESF 4 & 9, managed by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. The team, which is comprised of nearly 25 members from 16 fire departments across Florida, receives essential clinical support from the 2nd Alarm Project and UCF RESTORES, ensuring a comprehensive mental wellness approach for the state’s first responders.

Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis activated his Disaster Fraud Action Strike Teams (DFAST), which have been deployed to the affected counties to protect Floridians from storm-related fraud following the impacts of Hurricane Milton. This deployment consists of three teams with 18 sworn law enforcement officers who are working to educate and inform the public on signs of post-storm fraud and ensure contractors are following Florida workers’ compensation law while conducting repairs. Since deploying DFAST, officers have interacted with nearly 100 homeowners, businesses, and contractors in storm affected counties.

Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis provides insurance tips and resources to aid Floridians as they work to recover from Hurricane Milton. The Department of Financial Services' (DFS) Division of Insurance Consumer Services provides information and resources to help guide policyholders through the insurance claims process. DFS also operates the state's insurance helpline at 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (693-5236) to aide policyholders and provide insurance assistance. The helpline is now open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern. Consumers can also request assistance online at MyFloridaCFO.com.

Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) & State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis issued an Emergency Rule to enhance transparency in the claims adjusting process for insurance consumers by requiring adjusters to identify and provide detailed explanations for any changes made to damage estimates.

Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) & State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis provided an update on the pre-staging and response efforts of Florida's Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) Task Forces ahead of the impacts of Hurricane Milton.

Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis issued a warning to residents and first responders about an alarming fire hazard with Lithium-ion batteries, Electric Vehicles (EV), as well as hybrid and fuel cell vehicles in preparation of Hurricane Milton, now a Category 5 storm. The CFO's Division of State Fire Marshal has confirmed 48 lithium-ion battery fires related to storm surge from Hurricane Helene, with 11 of those fires associated with EVs. Consumer items containing lithium-ion batteries include cars, scooters, hover boards, golf carts or children's toys. The CFO also called on EV manufacturers to be pro-active by alerting consumers to place their EVs to higher ground. Finally, the CFO provided tips on Lithium-Ion Battery safety and how to prepare similar devices in areas prone to storm surge flooding.

Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis urges Floridians to take the necessary precautions to prepare their homes and property ahead of Hurricane Milton. Currently a major Category 5 storm, Milton is expected to bring devastating wind, rain, and widespread flooding to communities along the Florida Peninsula. The storm could potentially bring enormous coastal flooding, so Floridians should be aware of recovery tips and resources offered by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Currently, 51 Florida counties are under a declared state of emergency , and some communities are currently under evacuation orders.

Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced that the Florida Department of Financial Services' Division of Consumer Services is hosting an Insurance Village Friday, October 4th through Sunday, October 6th from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Eastern

Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced that grant funds associated with the “My Safe Florida Home” program have been fully obligated and that he will ask the Florida Legislature to direct sales tax dollars generated from hurricane recovery efforts to be reinvested into the program to support more homeowners.