Special Session update

By Jeff Scott, Esq. 
FMA General Counsel

Back in January, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a proclamation setting a special session of the Florida Legislature for the week of April 20th for the purpose of reapportioning the state’s congressional districts. On April 15, Gov. DeSantis amended the proclamation to move the special session to April 28-May 1 and include two additional issues in the call:  the Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights (filed as SB 2D) and of interest to the FMA, the Medical Freedom bill (filed as SB 6D). These two issues passed the Senate during the regular session (as SB 482 and SB 1756) but were not taken up by the House. Both SB 2D and SB 6D were filed in the same form as the version that passed the Senate.  

On the first day of the special session, rather unexpectedly, the House convened at the appointed time, swore in three new members, and then Speaker Danny Perez announced that the House would take up the redistricting bill and pass it out on the floor tomorrow. However, Speaker Perez emphatically stated that the House would not be taking up the AI Bill of Rights or the Medical Freedom bills. 

There had been speculation that perhaps a deal was in the works on the Medical Freedom bill, but the Speaker’s announcement laid such speculation to rest. It is clear that this bill will not pass during this special session. There is the possibility, however, that the Medical Freedom bill will be included in a subsequent special session, perhaps in conjunction with a property tax bill.