Fla. insurance discrimination bill passes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- A Florida bill that would forbid insurance companies from refusing to serve or charging higher rates to applicants based on their ownership of a firearm has been sent to Gov. Rick Scott to sign.

The measure passed the House 74-44 on Tuesday. The bill also prohibits an insurer from disclosing information related to the ownership of weapons by a client without the consent of the insured. It extends to both existing and new policies.

Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation found in a study last fall that one of the state's top five property insurers addressed the presence of firearms as a factor in underwriting costs.