‘Medical freedom’ measure gets facelift in final Senate Committee

A strike-all amendment, public objections and bipartisan critique greeted Sen. Clay Yarborough’s bill intended to protect parental rights regarding childhood vaccines, among other issues under the “medical freedom” umbrella.

While the Senate Rules Committee advanced the legislation (SB 1756), questions remain about not just how it will do on the floor, but also about what future it has beyond a full Senate vote. Similar legislation in the House has stalled amid the ongoing conflict between the two legislative branches.

Yarborough’s amendment maintained language requiring informed consent from parents about vaccines before administering, immunizing doctors from penalties and liability if they give out ivermectin and allowing pharmacists to do the same upon request, and keeps the “conscience-based objection.”

The Jacksonville Republican said the delete-all amendment reflected “a lot of movement” in previous Committees, and attempted to mollify the concerns of previously skeptical Republican Sens. Gayle Harrell and Ralph Massullo.

New additions include repealing the sunset date for mRNA vaccine requirements, compelling the Board of Medicine and the Board of Osteopathic Medicine to create information about vaccines, exemption forms from the Department of Health website, and board-approved educational materials.

An amendment to the amendment by Sen. Colleen Burton allowing private schools to opt out of exemptions and establish their own guidelines was voted down, despite support from the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“Since when do we tell private entities what they have to do?” Burton said, regarding schools. “I believe we should give them a choice.”

Yarborough deemed the amendment unfriendly, saying it created inconsistency.

The changes didn’t convince all Republicans, including Harrell, who wanted a requisite consultation with a medical provider as part of the bill, but didn’t get it. That gave her “major concern” about the bill compromising “herd immunity” given surges in measles and whooping cough cases in recent years.

Burton also opposes the bill, saying it infringes on “parental choice” and “medical freedom.”

Sen. Don Gaetz, meanwhile, was a conditional “yes” on the “extraordinarily contentious and difficult bill.” He said he backs the bill based on “representations” Yarborough made to him, and the “plain text” of the bill. He does expect a glitch bill down the road to refine this measure, however, once more information is known.

Yet independent Sen. Jason Pizzo, who once led the Democratic caucus in the Senate, came around on Yarborough’s proposal. He said that he had evolved on the question of forced vaccinations, saying leaders are “wildly hypocritical” on the issue of “medical freedom,” and supporting the bill was consistent with his philosophy.

Even if the bill passes the full Senate, it’s difficult to see where it goes in the House, given companion legislation was never heard in Committee. While it could be taken up in messages, it’s highly unlikely given other priorities will take center stage in the last days of the Legislative Session.