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(Tallahassee, FL) - A house committee is advancing a measure that would allow Floridians to sue if they are harmed by vaccines advertised in the state.
The bill sponsor argues that if the vaccine caused harm, it was misrepresented in the ad.
Democratic Representative Michele Rayner, who is a trial attorney, disagrees and contends the goal of the bill is to expand liability, not to protect truth in advertising.
Rep. Rayner says, "the bill is irresponsible and opens up lanes for trial attorneys to sue even in the absence of harmful causation connected to the vaccine."
HB 339 allows victims to sue for damages, court costs and reasonable attorney fees.
In presenting her bill to the House Civil Justice committee, Representative Monique Miller says her bill is intended to rein in vaccine misinformation that she says began with COVID.
A companion bill is making its way through the Senate. If passed and signed by the governor, the bill would go into effect July first.