Florida HB 917: Wage and Employment Benefits

Bill Text

HB 917 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb917-00
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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to health care; providing a short 2
title; repealing s. 1 of chapter 2025-114, Laws of 3
Florida, and s. 9 of chapter 2023-43, Laws of Florida, 4
relating to the repeal of the definition of the term 5
"messenger ribonucleic acid vaccine" by a specified 6
date; amending s. 381.00315, F.S.; defining the term 7
"treat," "treated," and "treatment"; amending s. 8
381.026, F.S.; prohibiting discrimination against a 9
patient based on the patient's vaccination status; 10
amending s. 456.072, F.S.; revising the list of acts 11
that constitute grounds for disciplinary actions for 12
health care practitioners; amending s. 456.0575, F.S.; 13
requiring licensed health care practitioners to inform 14
the parent or legal guardian of a minor child of the 15
risks, benefits, safety, and efficacy of specified 16
vaccines, obtain a signature from the parent or legal 17
guardian before the administration of the vaccine, and 18
provide the parent or legal guardian with the option 19
of an alternative vaccination schedule; creating s. 20
465.1897, F.S.; authorizing a pharmacist to provide 21
ivermectin without a prescription under certain 22
circumstances; requiring the pharmacist to provide 23
specified information to the patient; providing 24
pharmacists with immunity from civil and criminal 25

HB 917 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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liability and disciplinary action under certain 26
circumstances; authorizing the Board of Pharmacy to 27
adopt rules; amending s. 1003.22, F.S.; authorizing a 28
parent to exempt their child from a health examination 29
or from the administration of immunizing agents based 30
on conscience grounds; requiring the Department of 31
Health to make publicly available, by posting on its 32
Internet website, an exemption form for parents and 33
legal guardians; providing an effective date. 34
35
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 36
37
Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Health Care 38
Medical Freedom Act." 39
Section 2. Section 9 of chapter 2023-43, Laws of Florida, 40
as amended by section 1 of chapter 2025-114, Laws of Florida, is 41
repealed. 42
Section 3. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (1) of 43
section 381.00315, Florida Statutes, to read: 44
381.00315 Public health advisories; public health 45
emergencies; isolation and quarantines.—The State Health Officer 46
is responsible for declaring public health emergencies, issuing 47
public health advisories, and ordering isolation or quarantines. 48
(1) As used in this section, the term: 49
(e) "Treat," "treated," and "treatment" do not include the 50

HB 917 2026

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administration of vaccinations. 51
Section 4. Subsection (3), paragraphs (b) and (d) of 52
subsection (4), and subsection (6) of section 381.026, Florida 53
Statutes, are amended to read: 54
381.026 Florida Patient's Bill of Rights and 55
Responsibilities.— 56
(3) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to promote 57
the interests and well-being of the patients of health care 58
providers and health care facilities and to promote better 59
communication between the patient and the health care provider. 60
It is the intent of the Legislature that health care providers 61
understand their responsibility to give their patients a general 62
understanding of the procedures to be performed on them and to 63
provide information pertaining to their health care so that they 64
may make decisions in an informed manner after considering the 65
information relating to their condition, the available treatment 66
alternatives, and substantial risks and hazards inherent in the 67
treatments. It is the intent of the Legislature that patients 68
have a general understanding of their responsibilities toward 69
health care providers and health care facilities. It is the 70
intent of the Legislature that the provision of such information 71
to a patient eliminate potential misunderstandings between 72
patients and health care providers. It is a public policy of the 73
state that the interests of patients be recognized in a 74
patient's bill of rights and responsibilities and that a health 75

HB 917 2026

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care facility or health care provider may not require a patient 76
to waive his or her rights as a condition of treatment. Unless 77
otherwise provided by law, this section may shall not be used 78
for any purpose in any civil or administrative action and