DeSantis credits litigation reforms with pulling private insurers back into Florida market

Governor Ron DeSantis told the Tallahassee audience that litigation reforms enacted in 2022 and 2023 helped bring private insurers back into Florida's market and reduced premiums for consumers.

"Most of that litigation was Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach…when that was done, we knew it would take some time," DeSantis said, connecting legal reforms to market stabilization. He cited company-specific reductions — mentioning Progressive and USAA as examples of insurers cutting rates — and told the audience that Citizens Insurance approved a nearly 14% decrease in Broward and Miami-Dade premiums.

DeSantis said the result was roughly 1,000,000 fewer policies in Citizens than two years earlier and that reducing litigation exposure lowered costs for drivers and homeowners. "100%, if you ask them why did that happen, 100% will say it was because of the legal reforms," he said.

He described this as an economic benefit that reached consumers and small contractors, and argued the changes reduced litigation-related expense ratios that previously distorted insurance pricing.

The transcript contains the governor’s description and attribution of market effects to legislative action; it does not include on-record responses from insurers, regulators, or consumer advocates within this event.