Latest news with #SB1270
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Senate defers vote on Department of Health bill, a DeSantis priority
The bill amends the existing 'Florida Patient's Bill of Rights' to permanently permanently enshrine policy changes regarding vaccinations that DeSantis put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Senate on Monday deferred a vote on a priority health care bill for Ron DeSantis that would prohibit healthcare providers and facilities from discriminating against patients based solely on vaccination status. SB 1270 was one of a slew of bills that the Florida Senate chose to temporarily pass. That means the chamber puts the debate over a bill on hold for the time being. Senate leaders said they intend to vote on the health bill time permitting as the session enters it's final scheduled week and the state budget for next fiscal year still subject to House-Senate negotiation. Sen. Jay Collins is the bill sponsor. The bill amends the existing 'Florida Patient's Bill of Rights' to permanently permanently enshrine policy changes regarding vaccinations that DeSantis put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. The bill is problematic for Sen. Gayle Harrell, who worries that it opens physicians to increased medical malpractice lawsuits because it requires physicians to treat patients regardless of whether they reject their advice to be vaccinated. Another section of SB 1270 includes a fix to a 2024 law to allow the Florida Board of Medicine to approve an applicant's licensure by endorsement in certain circumstances, a move that the board supports. That's the route for any doctor who holds a medical license in one state to apply to practice in another. The 2024 law law quashed the board's ability approve by endorsement any physician applying for Florida licensure who: Has a complaint, an allegation, or an investigation pending before a licensing entity in another state or territory. Has been convicted of, or pleaded no contest to, any felony or misdemeanor related to the practice of a healthcare profession, regardless of adjudication, Has had a healthcare provider license revoked or suspended by another state, Has voluntarily surrendered any license in lieu of having disciplinary action taken against the license. Has been reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, which includes medical malpractice settlements. The National Practitioner Data Bank includes information on medical malpractice settlements. SB 1270 allows the Board of Medicine to approve an applicant's licensure by endorsement as long as the offense reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank 'would not constitute a violation of any law or rule in this state.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Newsweek
22-04-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Florida Doctors Aren't Treating Unvaccinated Kids, Surgeon General Says
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo is urging the passing of statewide legislation to minimize purported incidents of doctors rejecting patients due to being unvaccinated. Newsweek reached out to the Florida Department of Health for comment. Why It Matters In March, Lapado and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged Florida lawmakers to pass legislation making it illegal for businesses and government entities to fire or refuse to hire employees based on their vaccination status, as well as to implement a permanent ban on mRNA vaccine mandates in Florida—which Ladapo compared to the "horrific things" doctors did to Jewish people in Nazi concentration camps. What To Know Ladapo, in remarks made Monday during a Senate Committee on Rules meeting, lamented how parents across Florida have purportedly had trouble finding pediatricians due to certain doctors refusing to see children "if they deviate at all from the vaccine schedule issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)." Florida's Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo speaks during a press conference at the University of Miami Health System Don Soffer Clinical Research Center on May 17, 2022 in Miami, Florida. Florida's Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo speaks during a press conference at the University of Miami Health System Don Soffer Clinical Research Center on May 17, 2022 in Miami, Florida."We're in a new era," Ladapo said. "There are more people now asking questions about 'what's really best for my kid' after the last few years we've been in. There are way more parents; most of these parents aren't even parents that don't want any vaccines for their kids. That's the minority of the parents. "Most of them are parents who just don't feel like it's appropriate, it's in the best interest of their kid to get four vaccines in one visit—which is part of the CDC schedule." WATCH: @FLSurgeonGen Dr. Joseph Ladapo says parents in Florida are having trouble finding a pediatrician in their area because certain doctors refuse to see children "if they deviate at all from the vaccine schedule issued by the CDC" He urged lawmakers to pass SB 1270 (carried... — Florida's Voice (@FLVoiceNews) April 22, 2025 Ladapo claimed that pediatric practices, including "most of them" in Pinellas County, will not entertain deviations for parents who want to spread out vaccines for their kids. Florida state data shows that nearly all 67 counties have seen a decline in childhood immunizations among kindergartners since COVID started in 2020, according to the Miami Herald. As religious exemptions to vaccinations continue to increase, the number of kindergartners with mandatory vaccinations decreased to 88 percent in the 2023-24 school year—down from 94 percent in 2019-20, equating to "several thousand kids" passing on vaccinations. Later on Monday, the Florida Senate Rules Committee approved Senate Bill 1270 for advancement to the floor by a 17-6 vote. The legislation, sponsored by Senator Jay Collins, prohibits discrimination by health care providers and facilities based on patients' vaccination status. The bill also ensures that mRNA vaccine definitions are not repealed and that individual health decisions remain allowed. Newsweek reached out to Collins' office for comment. "This is a really a prohibition on discrimination based on whatever vaccine preferences a person may have," Ladapo said, adding that the legislation allows doctors to do their due diligence but should not mean that they can't see patients with different perspectives on vaccinations. What People Are Saying Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on X last month: "Guided by common sense and sound science, Florida has led the way in protecting patients' rights. Now is the time to secure these protections and do even more to defend medical freedom. Joseph Ladapo, Casey DeSantis, and I are calling on the Legislature to expand our Patient's Bill of Rights by prohibiting health care providers from refusing to treat patients based on vaccination status. Florida first lady Casey DeSantis speaking last month: "It is absolutely ridiculous and unconscionable that at this point, with what we know about the mRNA COVID vaccine—and frankly, what we don't know about the mRNA COVID vaccine—that the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] would still put this shot on their recommended vaccine list for our children. And I think that is an utter disgrace, and I think that they need to take that down. This should be evidence-based, not agenda-driven." What Happens Next It remains unknown when SB 1270 will be heard on the Florida Senate floor.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Senate panel OKs no-shots, pot, and docs bill
Healthcare professional in protective gloves and workwear holding a tray of COVID-19 vaccine vials. (Stock photo by Getty Images) A top priority for Gov. Ron DeSantis this legislative session is to prohibit healthcare providers and facilities from discriminating against patients based solely on vaccination status. That moved closer to becoming law when a Senate panel this week on a 5-3 vote, to approve the bill (SB 1270), which amends the existing 'Florida Patient's Bill of Rights' and includes provision related to medical marijuana treatment centers and physician licensing. DeSantis argues that lawmakers need to permanently enshrine policy changes he put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. But some of the language drew opposition from Republicans, including Sen. Gayle Harrell, who has long supported the positions of organized medicine, such as the Florida Medical and Florida Osteopathic associations. She was one of the three 'no' votes on the bill Thursday in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services meeting. The bill requires physicians to treat patients, regardless of whether they reject their advice to be vaccinated, Harrell said, and provides them with no protection against potential medical malpractice lawsuits. The mandate for doctors to treat unvaccinated patients wasn't the only concern committee members had with the proposal. Bill sponsor Sen. Jay Collins tagged an amendment onto the proposal addressing background screenings that adds in statutory definitions of owners, managers, and employees at medical marijuana treatment centers. Collins said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement told him the changes were necessary if the state wants to continue to tap into that agency's background check system. But Sens. Lori Berman, Jason Brodeur, and Joe Gruters (A Democrat and two Republicans), worried the definitions might be too broad. 'You've got publicly traded companies in marijuana. So would some poor person who just gets on their Schwab account and goes to invest in some company need to get background checks because he's doing some kind of publicly traded company? Because I'm worried about it.' Collins said, 'I don't believe that is the intent of this law.' Another provision tweaks legislation Collins spearheaded last year (SB 1600) regarding professions regulated by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPRS) as well as the Florida Department of Health (DOH). Specific to the DOH, the 2024 law eliminated a statute regarding medical licensure by endorsement and created a new universal endorsement statute that applies to medical doctors and a dozen-plus other medical professionals. Licensure by endorsement is the route for any doctor who holds a medical license in one state but applies to practice in another. The 2024 law eliminated the Board of Medicine's ability to approve by endorsement any physician applying for Florida licensure who: Has a complaint, an allegation, or an investigation pending before a licensing entity in another state or territory. Has been convicted of, or pleaded no contest to, any felony or misdemeanor related to the practice of a healthcare profession, regardless of adjudication, Has had a healthcare provider license revoked or suspended by another state, Has voluntarily surrendered any license in lieu of having disciplinary action taken against the license. Has been reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, which includes medical malpractice settlements. The National Practitioner Data Bank includes information on medical malpractice settlements. Although SB 1600 made it harder for domestically trained physicians to be licensed in Florida, another 2024 bill signed into law by DeSantis (SB 7016) allowed internationally trained physicians to be licensed by endorsement as long as they graduated from World Health Organization-recognized medical schools and complete international medical residencies that are 'substantially similar' to those endorsed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Members of the Board of Medicine complained the Legislature was making it harder for domestically trained physicians to get licensed in Florida but easier for internationally trained physicians, and considered asking DeSantis to veto Collins' bill but did not. Aware of the angst, Collins includes a fix: SB 1270 tweaks the 2024 law to allow the BOM to approve an applicant's licensure by endorsement as long as the offense reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank 'would not constitute a violation of any law or rule in this state.' Collins said the DOH supports the bill. State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo is secretary of the department. The House companion measure (HB 1299), meanwhile, is slated to be heard by the House Health & Human Services Committee next. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Is it dangerous? AZ drivers could be fined for having pet on their lap with proposed bill
Flagstaff resident and retired Marine pilot Larry Larkin started noticing a trend in the 45 years he's lived in Flagstaff — more and more people drove with their pets in their laps. "I yelled at one gentleman one day with a dog in his lap, and he said, 'That's a seeing-eye dog,'" he laughed as he spoke with the state Senate Public Safety Committee on Feb. 19. He likened driving with a pet in your lap to driving while on your phone. Larkin went to the local police and the Coconino County Sheriff's Office to see if there were any rules against it and quickly found out that there weren't. He set out to change that with his Senate representative, Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff. Rogers introduced Senate Bill 1270 which would fine motorists for driving with pets in their laps. The measure passed with bipartisan support in the Public Safety Committee. Sen. David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista, was the only one on the seven-person committee who opposed, saying the wording needed some work because "animals will just do what they do in a vehicle sometimes." If passed by the Legislature, SB 1270 aims to increase roadway safety by prohibiting motorists from driving with an animal on their lap. Those who violate the rule could face a fine of up to $150, with repeat offenders facing upwards of $250. The fines would begin Jan. 1, 2026. A violation of this rule would not be considered for a license suspension or revocation, according to the bill. "This simple but key step will help prevent distractions, reduce accidents and ultimately protect both drivers and animals. With civil penalties for violations, this bill takes a sensible approach to addressing a growing concern," Rosanna Gabaldón, D-Green Valley, said in a statement to The Arizona Republic. She voted in favor of the bill during the committee session. Other bills are impacting roadways: Here's slow drivers could procure a hefty fine under this proposed bill Two animal welfare groups, the Humane Voters of Arizona and the Animal Defense League of Arizona, have publicly given their support for this bill, along with 13 people. "Driving with an animal on your lap is a danger to the animal, it's a danger to the driver, and it's a danger to other drivers," said Karen Michael, who spoke on behalf of the Humane Voters of Arizona and the Animal Defense League of Arizona. She is a board member of both organizations. An LGBTQ+ organization, the Stonewall Democrats of Arizona, and three people have opposed. The Stonewall Democrats of Arizona could not be reached for comment. A previous bill was introduced by Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, in 2018. Senate Bill 1116 created a $100 fine for drivers with an animal on their lap. The bill was on the agenda of the Senate Transportation and Technology Committee but did not receive a hearing. Hawaii bans a motorist having a pet on their lap, and other states may be able to charge drivers under distracted driving laws, animal cruelty laws, or laws against unrestrained pets in a moving vehicle. According to AAA, an unrestrained 10-pound dog in a crash at only 30 mph will exert roughly 300 pounds of pressure. "It wouldn't take a major collision to be deadly," Michael said, noting that an airbag deployment could also hurt or kill the animal. Distracted driving due to an animal is another concern for lawmakers and lobbyists. Over 3,000 people died in 2022 across the U.S. from distracted driving, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The Arizona Department of Public Safety doesn't specifically track incidents related to pets in a vehicle, DPS spokesperson Bart Graves said, and there's not much existing data nationwide that relates distracted driving to pets in the car. However, it takes less than five seconds to be considered a "distracted driver," the NHTSA said. Distracted driving can include anything from phone use to a pet jumping around in the car. There's no law against having a pet loose in the car in Arizona, but Graves emphasized to keep your pet properly secured to ensure they're not a distraction. Arizona Humane Society spokesperson Joe Casados also recommended a pet seatbelt to help secure your pet. The Arizona Humane Society could not comment on the content of SB 1270. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AZ Senate committee advances bill prohibiting pets in drivers' laps
