Gov. DeSantis signs legislation restricting COVID vaccine mandates in Florida

3 years ago 235

BRANDON, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis, joined by Florida Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson, signed legislation to support Floridians from losing their jobs owed to COVID-19 vaccine mandates and support parents’ rights to marque healthcare decisions for students.

The bills were passed done a Special Session of the Florida Legislature and are effectual upon the Governor’s signature.

In Florida, effectual immediately:

Private Employer COVID-19 vaccine mandates are prohibited:

Employees tin take from galore exemptions, including but not constricted to, wellness oregon spiritual concerns; gestation oregon anticipated aboriginal pregnancy; and past betterment from COVID-19.
Employees tin take to opt for periodic investigating oregon PPE arsenic an exemption.
Employers indispensable screen the costs of investigating and PPE exemptions for employees.

Employers who interruption these worker wellness protections volition beryllium fined:

Small businesses (99 employees oregon less) volition look $10,000 per worker violation.
Medium and large businesses volition look $50,000 per worker violation.

Government entities whitethorn not necessitate COVID-19 vaccinations of anyone, including employees.

Educational institutions whitethorn not necessitate students to beryllium COVID-19 vaccinated.

School districts whitethorn not person schoolhouse look disguise policies.

School districts whitethorn not quarantine steadfast students.

Students and parents whitethorn writer violating schoolhouse districts and retrieve costs and attorney’s fees.

“I told Floridians that we would support their jobs and contiguous we made that the law,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Nobody should suffer their occupation owed to heavy-handed COVID mandates and we had a work to support the livelihoods of the radical of Florida. I’m thankful to the Florida Legislature for joining maine successful lasting up for freedom.”

Florida Republicans approved a sweeping measure Wednesday to hobble coronavirus vaccine mandates successful businesses, rejecting claims that they were sacrificing nationalist wellness to manus Gov. Ron DeSantis a triumph successful his combat against White House microorganism rules.

Lawmakers successful the GOP-controlled statehouse expedited the measure, on with a bundle of microorganism bills, aft hours of statement successful which Republicans maintained they were protecting workers from onerous mandates by the national government.

“If you privation to get a vaccine, you tin get a vaccine. If you don’t privation to get a vaccine, you tin take not to get a vaccine,” said Sen. Danny Burgess, a Republican. “That’s the full intent of this bill, trusting Floridians and allowing america to marque that prime for ourselves.”

DeSantis, a Republican, called the peculiar legislative league connected vaccine mandates arsenic helium waged a ineligible and media run against vaccine mandates pushed by Democratic President Joe Biden. The politician has go a prima successful the GOP done his absorption to lockdowns and different microorganism rules, boosting his illustration arsenic helium runs for reelection and eyes a imaginable 2024 statesmanlike run.

The ballot Wednesday nighttime capped a abbreviated league successful which Republicans were each but definite to walk the bills. The astir contentious measurement would forestall backstage businesses from having vaccine mandates unless they let workers to opt retired for aesculapian reasons, spiritual beliefs, immunity based connected a erstwhile infection, regular investigating oregon an statement to deterioration protective gear. The authorities wellness department, which is led by Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who opposes mandates, volition beryllium tasked with defining standards for the exemptions.

The measurement besides includes fines for businesses that occurrence a idiosyncratic without allowing the exemptions. Additionally, it bars schools and governments successful the authorities from having vaccine mandates and allows parents to writer schools with masking requirements. Another measure would artifact the nationalist merchandise of records regarding authorities investigations of vaccine policies successful businesses.

“Its conscionable mind-blowing astir days to deliberation that it is an acceptable presumption to clasp that different idiosyncratic volition get to marque the wellness attraction determination astir whether oregon not to beryllium vaccinated, that an leader would get to marque a wellness attraction determination for their employee,” said Rep. Erin Grall, a Republican.

Democrats person repeatedly slammed the authorities arsenic unsafe to the nationalist and burdensome to businesses. They besides said the peculiar league amounts to governmental theatre meant to service DeSantis’ governmental ambitions.

“Does this measure genuinely effort to support Floridians safe, oregon was it crafted to footwear disconnected a statesmanlike run for our governor?” asked Rep. Angie Nixon, a Democrat.

Separately, lawmakers passed a measure to halt the authorities wellness serviceman from being capable to mandate vaccines during a nationalist wellness emergency. Republicans besides approved a measure directing the authorities to statesman considering a withdrawal from the national Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which drafted White House vaccine requirements for businesses with much than 100 employees.

Florida — with much than 2 twelve different GOP-led states, employers and respective blimpish and concern organizations — has sued implicit the OSHA rule and a national tribunal has since placed it connected hold. The authorities has besides sued implicit different White House mandate requiring COVID-19 vaccines for national contractors.

During debate, Sen. Shevrin Jones, a Democrat, echoed frustrations his enactment has maintained since the league was called.

“Let’s telephone this precisely what it is, and this is the governor’s nonstop defiance of the president and the national government, that is the lone crushed we’re present close now,” said Jones.

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