TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida's special session is underway, with a goal of tackling the state's property insurance crisis.

Tens of thousands of homeowners are being kicked off their insurance plans — with storm season starting in just a few days.

The Florida Senate Appropriations Committee passed two measures Monday, both sponsored by State Senator Jim Boyd. The bills, if passed in their current state, would prevent insurance companies from denying coverage of homes based on the roof's age. They would also allow for $150 million in matching grants for "home hardening," as well as authorize $2 billion in addiitonal funidng for the state's Hurricane Catastrophe Fund. 

The measure now heads to the full Senate, where it will face debate. Lawmakers are expected to include additional amendments to flesh out the bill further, but reports indicate that there is a general sense of agreement between Republican and Democratic leaders about the main tenents of the measure. 

The special sesson is scheduled to meet from this Monday until Friday. After the measure passes the State Senate, it will then go on to the House for further deliberation. 

Some lawmakers are warning the state is already underwater if a major storm hits. There are several proposals on the table this week.

State Sen. Jim Boyd says the legislature is long overdue in addressing the out of control property insurance crisis.

“My own homeowner’s insurance went up 15% last year, so I understand,” he said.

Boyd is sponsoring a pair of bills that would prevent insurers from refusing to write or renew policies solely because a home roof is 15 years old. It’s at this age that many insurers require homeowners to pay out of pocket to replace the roof, whether it needs to be or not.

“I’m still weighing it and not sure where I’m at with concerns with provisions mandating companies write roofs over 15 years,” said State Sen. Jeff Brandes of St. Petersburg.

Brandes is talking in part about Florida’s high level of lawsuits involving roof replacements and property insurance.

According to Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation, Florida has 8 percent of claims – but 79% of lawsuits – far more than any other state.

Boyd’s legislation also targets this by strengthening oversight, and limiting attorney fees.

“(The) reality is I think the burden is today is the homeowner insurance going through the roof in terms of premiums because of bad actors in this market that have caused this problem,” Boyd said.

With just a week slotted for this special session – and a new hurricane season days away – senators know the clock is ticking.

“Our constituents and the people of Florida need relief right now,” said Sen. Lauren Book. “People are being dropped by their insurance, we’re marching into hurricane season and they need relief.”

The house won’t start their share of the session until Tuesday. And it is considering other elements as well including funding for home hardening and mitigation inspections.

WHAT HAS CAUSED THE RISE IN RATES?

Several issues have contributed to rising insurance rates in the state, including high rates of insurance litigation that drive up premiums and massive underwriting losses for insurance companies that have resulted in insolvency or canceled policies, among other things.

Bob Rickey, with Tampa’s American Integrity Insurance Group, said lawmakers have to do something to bring down soaring costs that have created chaos in the insurance market.

“We sure as hell can control the fraud part in insurance,” Rickey said. “And the average premium in the state of Florida is $3,600. I would say to you at least a third of that premium over the last seven years have developed because of the legal fraud and we’ve got to help homeowners.”

Rickey said he sees a simple solution.

He said insurance companies should mandate roof evaluations along the way, so it's easy to spot when there's average wear and tear, which is not covered by homeowners insurance, and when there's actual damage caused by something like a storm, which is covered.

That would take help from lawmakers to happen, though.

Lawmakers will discuss ways to speed up reimbursements to insurers on hurricane losses, improving accessibility and protecting policyholders from non-renewal, and preventing those fraud claims.

Rickey says these changes can't come fast enough for Florida homeowners.

“When I’m seeing folks who can’t afford their insurance anymore, the calls I’m getting from homeowners having to decide whether to put food on their table or pay for a couple hundred dollars a month increase in their homeowners insurances, families going without insurance, I shudder at that,” Rickey said.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT CITIZENS?

Lawmakers could also exact changes to Citizens Property Insurance, a state-backed insurer meant to be a last resort for property owners unable to find private coverage. Amid problems in the state’s market, Citizens Property Insurance has seen policies increase at a rapid rate and is expected to reach over a million policies by the end of the year.

The special session comes after lawmakers failed to pass insurance legislation during their regular session, which ended in March and was dominated by partisan rancor over bills dealing with abortion, race and gender and sexual orientation. Separately, lawmakers last month finished another contentious special session on congressional redistricting and legislation to dissolve a private government Walt Disney World controls on its property in the state.

The session is set to run May 23 to May 27.

Information from the Assocaited Press was used in this report.