Florida will fine any business or school $5,000 each time it requires a “vaccine passport,” or proof of COVID-19 vaccination, for entry or participation under a bill bound for Gov.
The 49-page SB 2006 amends the state’s Emergency Management Act to place limits on local emergency powers and installs fines for businesses or institutions that require vaccine documentation. The relatively technical amendment added Wednesday clarifies COVID-19 screening protocols.
“We have vaccines, through some miracle of science, that work. We also must recognize that COVID-19 vaccines don’t have the same proven history as the same vaccines we require our schoolchildren to get,” Leek said. “We must recognize that vaccine hesitancy is real and understandable.”
Leek said the ban also prevents discrimination of minority communities with lower rates of vaccination.
“Let’s return to normal, but recognize that it is fair for certain segments of our community to be hesitant about getting the vaccine,” he said.