If Gov. Ron DeSantis gets his way, a key part of the 2022 Florida legislative session will involve putting his executive orders banning local mask and vaccine mandates into law.
DeSantis on Thursday called for a special session of the legislature so that lawmakers could provide protections to employees threatened with terminations based on their COVID-19 vaccine status. The legislature should also pass legislation to provide parents with stronger protections to make health care decisions for their children, including the right to opt out of school districts’ mask policies.
DeSantis’ position dovetails with efforts by state Sen. Keith Perry (R-Gainesville), who this week filed two pieces of legislation for the 2022 legislative session, Senate Bill 592 and SB 594. The former bill would prohibit school boards, superintendents or school principals from issuing or adopting orders mandating the wearing of face masks.
State Sen. Keith Perry
| Florida State Senate
SB 594 would ban government agencies in the state from mandating proof of coronavirus vaccination as a condition for licensure or certification. It would also prohibit employers from requiring that workers show proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment.
“Yesterday, I filed two bills that would narrowly and effectively address unlawful mandates for face coverings and experimental vaccinations,” Perry told the Florida Record in an email on Friday. “While we are still awaiting the governor’s plan for special session, it is imperative that we protect Floridians and their right to work. Legislation brought by the governor could change the necessity to address such mandates during a regular session, and I look forward to the debate and public comment that is to come on these issues.”
The Florida League of Cities is currently gathering information about Perry’s legislation but has not taken an official position on the bills as of yet, according to a league spokeswoman. Some local governments and school districts have defied DeSantis’ executive order prohibiting mask and vaccine mandates, leading some local agencies to face financial penalties.
“When the vaccines first came out, we worked very hard to provide it,” DeSantis said in a prepared statement this week, “particularly to our elderly, but we said from day one: We will make it available for all, but we will mandate it on none because ultimately we want individuals to make the determinations about what is right for them.”