An Executive Summary of the results from FSLSO's customer service survey is now available for download. During the month of June, FSLSO conducted customer service surveys of five different customer groups including Florida surplus lines agents, agency submission contacts, agency accounting contacts, IPC filers and insurer contacts.

The Executive Summary contains a review of the results from those surveys and includes the methodology used to conduct the surveys, a summary of the findings and an overview of FSLSO's recommendations addressing the findings from the survey.

Please take a moment to review the Executive Summary. The FSLSO utilizes customer suggestions, recommendations and feedback to continuously improve current services in order to provide quality assistance and programs.

For a full copy of the findings, please visit: www.fslso.com/goto.aspx?ID=150

An updated version of the Agent Procedures Manual is now available online for download. FSLSO encourages all its member agents to download the current version as it does include several changes. Changes in the manual include:

• Enforcement of penalty fees relative to late filing of quarterly affidavits
• Information relative to the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Assessment
• A Premium Allocation table

You may download the most current version by visiting the publications section of the FSLSO website

The Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) has directed the FSLSO by order to collect, on behalf of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF), an emergency assessment fee of 1% on applicable surplus lines policies issued or renewed with an effective date on or after January 1, 2007. The premium on all property and casualty policies will be subject to the assessment, except the following: Medical Malpractice, Workers Compensation, Accident and Health and National Flood Insurance. The "Assessment Period" begins on each January 1 and continues for 12 months. The emergency assessment shall be assessed in each successive "Assessment Period" until further order of OIR.

The assessment will be calculated as a percentage of the transaction's premium, as defined by Section 626.932(6) Florida Statutes, (excluding the premium receipts tax, the FSLSO service fee, the $2.00/$4.00 Emergency Management Preparedness and Assistance surcharge and the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation assessment) and will be handled in a manner similar to the collection and payment of the premium receipts tax.

The Florida Surplus Lines Service Office will collect the assessment by generating an invoice specific to the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Emergency Assessment that will be sent on a quarterly basis along with the premium receipts tax invoice.

For more information relative to the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Emergency Assessment, you may visit: www.fslso.com/goto?id=144

The Florida Surplus Lines Service Office (FSLSO) has released new versions of all Submission Software, effective October 3, 2006.

Changes were made to the Insurer Software and FTP Submission Software to include the requirement of email addresses for the insurer contact, as well as the requirement to associate all policies with at least one of three entities (agency, agent, or broker). For insurer FTP submitters, the new file format is available at: www.fslso.com/goto.aspx?id=143

Insurers may download the software by visiting www.fslso.com/software/index.aspx.

Beginning Tuesday, October 3, 2006, only submissions made using v3.0 software or SLIP (agent only) will be accepted. Submissions filed on October 3rd or beyond using previous versions of the software or not meeting the v3.0 business rules as alluded to above, will be rejected.

If you have any questions regarding the download or installation of the new versions of the software, please contact FSLSO Technical Support by calling 800-562-4496 and selecting "3" from the phone menu.