Gov. Ron DeSantis

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Thursday that prohibits employers from requiring COVID-19 vaccines and blocks schools from having face mask policies.

The bills were passed in a special session of the state legislature this week.

“I told Floridians that we would protect their jobs and today we made that the law,” DeSantis said at a press conference in Brandon. “Nobody should lose their job due to heavy-handed COVID mandates and we had a responsibility to protect the livelihoods of the people of Florida. I’m thankful to the Florida Legislature for joining me in standing up for freedom.”

According to a summary of the Protect Florida Jobs legislation provided by the Office of Gov. Ron DeSantis:

* Private Employer COVID-19 vaccine mandates are prohibited.

‣ Employees can choose from numerous exemptions, including but not limited to, health or religious concerns; pregnancy or anticipated future pregnancy; and past recovery from COVID-19.

‣ Employees can choose to opt for periodic testing or PPE as an exemption.

‣ Employers must cover the costs of testing and PPE exemptions for employees.

* Government entities may not require COVID-19 vaccinations of anyone, including employees.

* Educational institutions may not require students to be COVID-19 vaccinated.

* School districts may not have school face mask policies.

* School districts may not quarantine healthy students.

* Students and parents may sue violating school districts and recover costs and attorney’s fees.

* Employers who violate these employee health protections will be fined.

‣ Small businesses (99 employees or less) will face $10,000 per employee violation.

‣ Medium and big businesses will face $50,000 per employee violation.

The legislation was indirect response to pending federal mandates, officials said.

“We will not allow the Biden Administration to make political pawns of the very people who put their lives on the line to keep our economy running while everyone else was safe at home, and we certainly will never cede the responsibility of parenting to the school system or bureaucrats in the federal government. Florida respects the dignity of work, the responsibility to parent and the right to live in freedom,” said State Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-District 10.

State House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-District 65, took a similar view.

“We are proud to stand alongside every Florida parent and worker and say that forced masking of our kids in schools and forced vaccinations to keep your job stops here in Florida,” he said. “We are proud to stand alongside businesses and provide some sanity and options to treat their employees as the individuals they are instead of succumbing to a one-size-fits-all federal mandate. The result of this week’s work is simple: No one who is subject to Florida law will be forced to get a vaccine who does not want one.”