Could lawmakers be called back to Tallahassee for another Special Session on “medical freedom” legislation as well as the so-called “AI Bill of Rights”?
Gov. Ron DeSantis is putting pressure on Wyman Duggan — who will be Speaker starting Aug. 22 as current Speaker Daniel Perez assumes the position of Ambassador to Brazil — to hold a Special Session.
Perez would not consider the legislation on the House floor either during the Regular Session or a Special Session this year.
Nonetheless, there seems to be some agitation at least for Duggan, who is still close to Perez, to accommodate the Governor somehow, even as Florida Statute says the Governor must call the Special Session or both the leaders of the Senate and House must agree to do so.
As the Governor tweeted in response to an X follower asking about a potential return to the Capitol for legislators: “Right have you asked Wyam Dugan (SIC) who is taking over in a few weeks?”
We understand Duggan is getting calls from the public about this.
Sources close to Duggan maintain he would be willing to have a “good-faith conversation” with the Governor, were the Governor to call him. Observers of the Perez era will recall that the Governor did not talk to the Speaker despite making a number of legislative asks through social media and the bully pulpit he has.
But it’s not the incoming temporary Speaker’s call to make unilaterally.
Another wrinkle for legislators is that it is campaign season for everyone not termed out in the House and many members of the Senate. Meanwhile, staffers would need to be prepared to handle the hurly burly of a surprise legislative week when they weren’t planning on it.
We reached out to Senate President Ben Albritton on Thursday to see if another Special Session was of interest, but a call and an email got no response as of time of publication.
Former House Speaker Paul Renner — who, unlike Perez, worked closely with DeSantis on the Governor’s priorities in his two years with the gavel — echoed the call.
“The FL House can redeem itself after failing to pass the Medical Freedom Act and AI Bill of Rights championed by (DeSantis) and passed by the FL Senate. Incoming House leadership can join the FL Senate in special session this month to deliver big wins for Floridians and give voters strong reasons to vote Republican this November. Let’s get this done!”
Assuming the Special Session did happen, the legislative proposals as passed by the Senate are as follows.
The medical freedom bill would require 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. The proposal would also allow a “conscience-based objection” to childhood inoculations and a ban on discrimination based on a person’s mRNA vaccination status. It would also protect Floridians from forced vaccinations during emergencies.
The AI bill of rights would establish that Floridians have “the right to supervise, access, limit, and control their minor children’s use of artificial intelligence” and “the right to know whether they are communicating” with AI, as well as the right to know if technology companies are collecting their personal or biometric data.
The bill’s provisions include requiring chatbot platforms to post pop-up reminders they are AI at the beginning of an interaction and at least once every hour. The platforms must also remind users to log off and take a break. Minors would need parents’ permission to create an account with a platform using a companion chatbot.
Schools using AI would be required to give parents the option to opt their children out.
Governments would also be banned from making contact about AI technology with “foreign countries of concern,” such as Russia and China. The bill would also prohibit anyone’s likeness or picture being used without the person’s consent.
There’s good news for those who want these bills in the medium term, though. Even if a Special Session doesn’t happen, the Governor could call one for after the General Election, leaving it to the leaders-designate to land the plane.
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