Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis issued an emergency order extending the rescission period for public adjuster contracts to 30 days and mandating prompt communication and clear identification from claims representatives to protect consumers during Florida’s recovery from Hurricane Debby.

Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis issued an emergency order on Wednesday that introduces provisions aimed at enhancing consumer protection during the state’s recovery efforts following Hurricane Debby’s landfall.

The emergency order extends the rescission period for public adjuster contracts from 10 days to 30 days, providing policyholders additional time to review and evaluate the terms and conditions of such contracts. The order additionally mandates that all claims representatives working on behalf of insurance carriers respond to policyholders within seven days in order to prevent delays in communication.

Furthermore, the emergency order stipulates that adjusters must verbally identify themselves and their employers before signing any contracts with policyholders.

“Following any disaster, fly by night contractors and so called claims representatives will swoop into a storm-impacted area and try to come between you and your insurance policy,” Patronis said in a statement. “Most of the time, these bad actors give legitimate adjusters and contractors a bad name and are only in it to make a quick buck off vulnerable Floridians. It’s truly despicable. This emergency order will allow consumers more time to get out of bad contracts, will require claims representatives to be more responsive to policyholders, and requires claims reps to identify themselves and who they work for.”

The emergency order follows Gov. Ron DeSantis’ declaration of a state of emergency last week ahead of the impact of Hurricane Debby, which made landfall near Steinhatchee last weekend, causing flooding across the Big Bend region. The Category 1 storm, with sustained winds of 80 mph, left thousands of residents without electricity. Patronis’ order will remain in effect until the expiration of the governor’s declared state of emergency.