The Florida House of Representatives passed legislation barring healthcare providers from discriminating against patients based on their vaccination status.

HB 1299 “prohibits health care provider or health care facility from discriminating against patient based solely on patient’s vaccination status.”

“The bill repeals the scheduled expiration of the definition of mRNA vaccines, maintaining the prohibition against discrimination based on vaccination status,” Florida’s Voice noted.

Florida House passes bill barring healthcare discrimination based on vaccine statushttps://t.co/OKd3W9VLmE

— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) April 24, 2025

Per Florida’s Voice:

The bill also revises definitions to include the “American Board of Physician Specialties,” updates the list of institutions whose faculty may receive medical faculty certificates without examination, and authorizes temporary practice certificates for certain physician assistants.

Rep. Taylor Michael Yarkosky is carrying the House bill. A similar bill, SB 1270, is being carried by Sen. Jay Collins in the Senate.

Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo urged lawmakers to pass the Senate version of the bill Tuesday, and said 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.”

“We are in a new era. There are more people now asking questions about ‘what’s really best for my kid’ after the last few years we’ve been in,” Ladapo said.

The bill passed the full House floor 114-1. The Senate bill is heading to the Senate floor for consideration.

WATCH:

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… pic.twitter.com/3VmrquYCMx

— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) April 22, 2025

Newsweek reports:

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.