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Get the latest coverage of the 2021 Florida legislative session in Tallahassee from our coverage partners and WUSF.

Florida Vaccination Scams Would Be Felony Offenses Under Sprowls Bill

News Service of Florida

House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, is calling for up to five years in jail for first-time offenders.

Fraudsters who mislead the public about access to COVID-19 vaccinations could be charged with a third-degree felony and sued in civil court, under a measure championed by House Speaker Chris Sprowls.

The proposal (HB 9), released Thursday, would make it illegal to receive compensation for falsely advertising access to COVID-19 vaccinations or any other pandemic-related vaccine.

First-time violators would face third-degree felony charges and upward of five years imprisonment. Repeat offenders would face second-degree felony charges, which are punishable by at least 15 years in prison.

The bill also authorizes the state attorney general to file a civil action if he or she believes vaccination fraud is occurring, and allows the attorney general to request a permanent or temporary injunction, restraining order, “or any other appropriate order.”

Sprowls, a Palm Harbor Republican, promised to fast track the bill during the 2021 legislative session that begins March 2.

The House Pandemics & Public Emergencies Committee is slated to consider the bill during a Jan. 14 meeting.

“It is a priority of the Florida House to protect Floridians who just want to get a COVID vaccine without being fleeced,” Sprowls said in a prepared statement Thursday. “As a former state prosecutor, I know all too well how these operators prey on our consumers, and I will make it our mission to end their practice here.”

The bill is sponsored by state Rep. Ardian Zika, R-Land O’ Lakes.

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