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There are 1.5 million Citizens Property Insurance Customers and a thousand more are added each day. Citizens doesn�t have near enough money to pay claims if a major storm hits Florida. As Whitney Ray tells us, when the 2012 legislative session begins next week lawmakers will consider several bills to lessen the state�s risk.

It�s been a record six straight years since a hurricane hit Florida and insurance experts fear the state is due for a storm. Private Insurance organizations teamed up for a news conference Wednesday to talk about problems the state faces because Citizens is growing by a thousand policies a day.

�We do support anything that lessens the impact and decreases the amount of policies going into Citizens,� said Donovan Brown with Property Casualty Insurers.

Several bills would lessen the state�s risk by enticing more private insurers to write policies in Florida and forcing some citizens� customers onto surplus lines.

Surplus line companies are less regulated and more expensive than Citizens. The bill would allow customers forced in to surplus companies to opt back into Citizens.

�It would be the same take out process used today for admitted carriers,� said Don Brown with Reinsurers Association of America.

If a major storm destroys Citizens properties, private insurers would have 30 days to pay millions of dollars in Citizens assessments. There is a bill to reduce the amount of the assessments and give insurers more time to come up with the cash.

�So it�s not the shock to the bank account of the company, the immediate shock. They would get to collect it then remit it,� said Don Brown.

Industry Experts says the plan isn�t perfect, but it�s a start. The industry doesn�t expect a bill with massive changes to the insurance market this session because lawmakers will be busy with redistricting and the budget.