FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMISSION and FINANCIAL SERVICES ...

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF FLORIDA

FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMISSION

and FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMISSION,

OFFICE OF INSURANCE REGULATION,

Appellants,

vs.

CASE NO. SC06-2048

THE FLORIDA INSURANCE COUNCIL,

INC.,

Appellee.

____________________________________/

ANSWER BRIEF ON JURISDICTION OF APPELLEE,

THE FLORIDA INSURANCE COUNCIL, INC.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

On appeal from the First District Court of Appeal

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

CYNTHIA S. TUNNICLIFF

Florida Bar No.: 134939

BRIAN A. NEWMAN

Florida Bar No.: 00047589

PENNINGTON, MOORE, WILKINSON,

BELL & DUNBAR, P.A.

215 S. Monroe Street, 2nd Floor (32301)

Post Office Box 10095

Tallahassee, Florida 32302

Telephone: 850/222-3533

Facsimile: 850/222-2126

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

TABLE OF CITATIONS................................................................................... ii

STATEMENT OF THE CASE AND FACTS................................................ 1 - 4

SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT .......................................................................... 5

JURISDICTIONAL POINT ON APPEAL

WHETHER THE DECISION OF THE DISTRICT

COURT OF APPEAL EXPRESSLY AFFECTS A

CLASS OF CONSTITUTIONAL OR STATE

OFFICERS UNDER ARTICLE V, SECTION

3(b)(3), FLORIDA CONSTITUTION ...................................................... 6 - 8

CONCLUSION................................................................................................. 9

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE......................................................................... 10

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE ................................................................ 10

i

CITATION OF AUTHORITIES

CASE

PAGE

Florida State Board of Health v. Lewis

149 So. 2d (Fla. 1963)................................................................................. 6, 7

Spradley v. State

293 So. 2d 697 (Fla. 1974) ............................................................................. 7

OTHER AUTHORITIES

FLORIDA CONSTITUTION

Article V, Section 3(b)(3)........................................................................ 5, 6, 8

FLORIDA STATUTES

Chapter 120 ................................................................................................ 3, 5

Section 20.05.................................................................................................. 1

Section 20.121 ........................................................................................ 1, 6, 7

Section 20.121(3)........................................................................................ 1, 2

Section 20.121(3)(c) ....................................................................................... 4

Section 120.52(8)........................................................................................ 3, 7

Section 120.52(8)(a) ................................................................................... 3, 6

Section 120.54 ................................................................................................ 3

Section 120.54(3)(a) ........................................................................ 2, 4, 5, 6, 7

Section 120.54(3)(a)1. ....................................................................................... 3

FLORIDA LAW WEEKLY ........................................................................ 4, 7

ii

STATEMENT OF THE CASE AND FACTS

Section 20.05, Florida Statutes, addresses the structure and powers of the

Department. Section 20.05 provides as follows, in pertinent part:

20.05 Heads of departments; powers and duties.-(1) Each head of a department, except as otherwise

provided by law, must:

*

*

*

(b) Have authority, . . ., to execute any of the powers,

duties, and functions vested in the department or in any

administrative unit thereof through administrative units . .

. designated by the head of the department, . . . unless the

head of the department is explicitly required by law to

perform the same without delegation.

*

*

*

(e) Subject to the requirements of chapter 120,

exercise existing authority to adopt rules pursuant and

limited to the powers, duties, and functions transferred to

the department.

(R: 1737-1738).

The Financial Services Commission (Commission) was created within the

Department pursuant to Section 20.121, Fla. Stat. However, the Commission is not

¡°subject to control, supervision or direction by the Department of Financial

Services in any manner.¡± ¡ì¡ì 20.121(3), Fla. Stat. The Commission is composed

of the Governor and Cabinet, who collectively serve as the agency head of the

1

Commission. Action by the Commission can only be taken by majority vote

¡°consisting of at least three affirmative votes¡± (R: 1738).

OIR is a structural unit of the Financial Services Commission. Section

20.121(3) states in relevant part, as follows:

(a) Structure.--The major structural unit of the

commission is the office. Each office shall be headed by

a director. The following offices are established:

1.

The Office of Insurance Regulation, which shall be

responsible for all activities concerning insurers and

other risk-bearing entities .

*

*

*

(b) Organization.-- The commission shall establish by

rule any additional organizational structure of the offices.

It is the intent of the legislature to provide the

commission with the flexibility to organize the offices in

any manner they determine appropriate to promote both

efficiency and accountability.

(c) Powers.--Commission members shall serve as the

agency head for purposes of rulemaking . . . by the

commission and all subunits of the commission. .

(Emphasis supplied) (R: 1738-1739).

Section 120.54(3)(a) specifically provides:

(3) ADOPTION PROCEDURES.

(a) Notices.-1.

Prior to the adoption, amendment, or repeal of any

rule other than an emergency rule, an agency, upon

approval of the agency head shall give notice of its

2

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