HB 6517 is a claim bill that provides relief to Jose Correa for injuries he says were caused by the negligence of a Miami-Dade County bus driver. The bill recites that Mr. Correa was struck while lawfully crossing at a marked crosswalk in December 2021, suffered severe injuries including a below-knee amputation, and incurred and will continue to incur substantial medical costs and pain and suffering. It also notes that he and Miami-Dade County reached a $4.3 million settlement, but that only $200,000 can be paid under the general liability limits in section 768.28, Florida Statutes, leaving $4.1 million to be satisfied through this special act.
The bill authorizes and directs Miami-Dade County to appropriate and pay $4.1 million to Mr. Correa from unencumbered funds. It further states that the county payment under section 768.28 and the amount awarded by the act are intended to be the sole compensation for all present and future claims arising from the incident. The bill also caps total attorney and lobbying fees at 25 percent of the amount awarded under the act.
In practical terms, the bill creates a statutory exception to Florida’s sovereign immunity damage cap for this specific claim, allowing compensation beyond the normal $200,000 limit applicable to local government liability. It affects Miami-Dade County directly and does not amend the general tort claims framework, but instead provides a one-time appropriation mechanism for this individual injury claim.
The sentiment around the bill appears strongly favorable and noncontroversial in the legislative record. It passed the House Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee 15-0, the House Judiciary Committee 20-0, and the House on third reading 115-0, indicating broad bipartisan support and no recorded opposition in the available votes.
No major points of contention are reflected in the provided materials. The only notable policy issue is the use of a claim bill to pay above the statutory liability cap, but the unanimous committee and floor votes suggest legislators accepted the fairness of compensating a severely injured claimant whose damages exceeded the ordinary recovery limit.
Impact
The bill authorizes Miami-Dade County to pay $4.1 million to Jose Correa as a special claim settlement, overriding the practical effect of Florida’s sovereign immunity cap in section 768.28 for this single case. It does not change the general statute, but it creates a one-time legislative appropriation and directs the county to satisfy the remaining settlement balance from unencumbered funds. The act also limits attorney and lobbying fees to 25 percent of the award and bars additional claims arising from the same incident.
Sentiment
The legislative sentiment appears overwhelmingly supportive. The bill advanced unanimously through subcommittee, full committee, and the House floor, with no recorded dissent in the provided vote history. That pattern suggests broad agreement that the facts warranted special relief and that the claimant’s injuries and damages justified payment beyond the normal liability cap.
Contention
No significant contention is shown in the available record. The only potentially sensitive issue is the use of a claim bill to authorize payment above the statutory damages limit for a local government, which can raise fairness and precedent concerns in general. However, the unanimous votes indicate those concerns did not generate visible opposition in this case.