- Connell Consulting Business Agency, LLC advocates for immediate amendment before 2026 Florida Legislative Deadline on January 9th
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Jan. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Connell Consulting Business Agency, LLC, as Florida lawmakers race toward final action on the Motor Vehicle Insurance (PIP) repeal bill, consumer advocates warn that the legislature is down to just 48 hours to fix a bill that could undo recent progress in lowering auto insurance premiums.
A new public information site, www.twopathsforfloridadrivers.com, outlines what advocates describe as two starkly different outcomes now facing Florida drivers.
One path repeals PIP without replacing it with any requirement that injured drivers receive an in-person or telemedical evaluation before benefits are denied the same structural flaw that led Governor Ron DeSantis to veto nearly identical legislation in 2021.
The other path corrects the bill before it reaches the Governor’s desk by adding a narrow, commonsense amendment requiring a medical evaluation by a qualified professional before benefits are determined.
“The issue isn’t whether PIP is repealed,” says Liam Connell, Lobbyist at Connell Consulting Business Agency, LLC. “The issue is whether repeal is done responsibly, with evidence and medical integrity or rushed through with no safeguards.”
According to advocates, the current bill still lacks:
- Florida-specific actuarial evidence showing repeal will lower premiums
- Any requirement for an in-person or telemedical evaluation before benefits are denied
- Protections against paper reviews, billing-driven decisions, and fraud-driven cost shifting
This comes despite recent data showing Florida auto insurance premiums have begun to stabilize following years of reform efforts.
“Signing a repeal with no proof of consumer benefit risks undoing that progress,” says Jeff Applebaum. “It also contradicts the reasoning behind the Governor’s own prior veto.”
Advocates emphasize that this is not a veto ultimatum, but a time-sensitive opportunity for lawmakers to fix the bill before final passage.
At a minimum, they are calling for an amendment that requires:
- A mandatory in-person or telemedical evaluation
- Conducted by a qualified medical professional
- Before benefits are denied or terminated
“No paper reviews. No shortcuts. No loopholes,” the advocates proclaim on the website.
Supporters argue the amendment would not block repeal, but instead make it defensible, protect access to care, limit fraud, and preserve recent premium reductions for Florida drivers.
With only two days remaining before the filing deadline, advocates are urging lawmakers and the public to review www.twopathsforfloridadrivers.com and act now.
“The Governor has already shown where he stands on evidence-based policy,” says both Connell and Applebaum. “Now the Legislature must decide whether to meet that standard — or ask him to make the same decision twice because the bill didn’t change.”
For further information:
Liam E. Connell
Lobbyist
Connell Consulting Business Agency, LLC
www.connellconsulting.biz
