The COVID-19 pandemic may be in the rearview mirror for most Americans, but the fight for medical freedom continues in Florida.
But Ron DeSantis just dropped a bombshell that has the medical establishment fuming.
And Ron DeSantis just struck a massive blow against vaccine mandates with this bold Florida move.
Florida extends protections against mRNA vaccination discrimination
Governor Ron DeSantis signed a health care bill on Monday that extends protections against discrimination based on a person’s mRNA vaccination status for another two years.
The legislation, known as HB 1299, maintains the prohibition against discrimination based on vaccination status in government agencies, businesses, and schools across the Sunshine State.
“This legislation upholds personal freedom and reinforces Florida’s commitment to protecting individual rights,” the Florida Department of Health announced.
The law specifically prohibits health care providers and facilities from discriminating against patients based solely on their vaccination status and affirms patients’ rights to impartial access to treatment regardless of whether they’ve received an mRNA vaccine.
DeSantis continues his fight for medical freedom
This latest move builds on DeSantis’s long-standing position defending Floridians’ right to make their own medical decisions without fear of discrimination or coercion.
Since the early days of the pandemic, DeSantis has prioritized individual choice through a series of executive orders and legislative actions from 2021 to 2023.
The bill passed both the Florida House and Senate with unanimous votes during the most recent legislative session, showing strong bipartisan support for medical freedom in the state.
The legal definition of mRNA in the bill covers “any vaccine that uses laboratory-produced messenger ribonucleic acid to trigger the human body’s immune system to generate an immune response.”
This includes COVID-19 vaccines and those approved under “emergency use” authorization.
The bill tackles other health care issues
While the extension of mRNA vaccination discrimination protections grabbed headlines, the bill also addresses several other important health care matters, including:
● Medical marijuana treatment centers must now report theft, attempted theft, or loss of cannabis to the state Department of Health, in addition to law enforcement;
● Employees, owners, officers, board members, and managers of medical marijuana businesses and testing labs must undergo fingerprint-based criminal history checks;
● Physician assistants must be licensed to practice in a state or Washington, D.C. (not U.S. territories) to be eligible for a temporary certificate to practice in areas of critical need; and
● Revises criteria for out-of-state health care workers with malpractice issues who apply to work in Florida, providing options to still be licensed if the action doesn’t violate state rules.
Florida leads the nation on medical freedom
Florida has consistently been at the forefront of protecting citizens’ medical freedoms since the pandemic began.
While many blue states continue pushing for vaccine mandates and restrictions, Florida has charted a different course by emphasizing personal choice and individual rights.
The new law takes effect on July 1 and will provide Floridians with continued protection against discrimination based on their personal medical decisions regarding mRNA vaccines.
As other states continue to grapple with the balance between public health measures and personal liberty, Florida has made its position clear: your vaccination status should not determine your rights or access to services.
