TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a proclamation designating a special session of the Florida Legislature.

The session will start Nov. 15 and go no longer than to Nov. 19, and is meant to address legislation aimed banning COVID-19-related mandates. 

DeSantis had announced plans for the special session Oct. 21 in Clearwater, saying COVID-19 vaccine mandates imposed by the federal government threatened jobs of Floridians working for the U.S. government and its contractors.

DeSantis said he needs the Florida Legislature to beef up the state's Parents' Bill of Rights and give the state the ability to fight federal mandates, which he claims are putting thousands of jobs in jeopardy. 

“Your right to earn a living should not be contingent upon COVID shots,” DeSantis said. “We have somehow gone from 15 days to slow the spread to three jabs to keep your job. In Florida, we believe that the decision whether or not to get a COVID shot is a choice based on individual circumstances, so we are litigating against the Biden administration and will be passing legislation in this special session to protect Florida jobs and protect parents’ rights when it comes to masking and quarantines. The health, education, and wellbeing of our children are primarily the responsibility of parents. As long as I am governor, parents in Florida will play a strong role in determining what their kids are learning and how they’re treated in school.”

DeSantis is calling on the Florida Legislature to consider legislation that will: 

• Protect current and prospective employees against "discrimination" on the basis of COVID-19 vaccination status and ensure robust enforcement for that protection.
• Ensure that educational institutions and government entities are prohibited from "discriminating" against current and prospective employees, students, and residents on the basis of COVID-19 vaccination status.
• Ensure that employees denied employment on the basis of COVID-19 vaccination status can be eligible for reemployment benefits and, if needed, ensure that employees injured by a COVID-19 vaccination taken pursuant to a company policy are covered by workers’ compensation.
• Appropriate a sufficient amount of funds to investigate complaints regarding COVID-19 vaccination mandates and to take legal action against such mandates, including mandates imposed by the federal government.
• Clarify that the Parents’ Bill of Rights, Chapter 1014, Florida Statutes, vests the decision on masking with parents, not government entities, and that schools must comply with the Florida Department of Health rules that govern student health, including rules that ensure healthy students can remain in school. 
• Limit mandates by school districts on students or employees regarding COVID-19 and related mitigation measures.
• Provide adequate enforcement mechanisms to ensure that Florida law is followed and the rights of parents are honored.
• Direct the state to evaluate whether it should assert jurisdiction over occupational safety and health issues for government and private employees.
• Repeal the authority for the State Health Officer to order forced injections or vaccinations under Section 381.00315, Florida Statutes, originally enacted in 2002.
• And finally, create, as necessary, public records exemptions related to complaints and investigations regarding mandates.

DeSantis also has proposed that anyone fired for refusing to get vaccinated be eligible for unemployment benefits. He said he wants legislators to create bills that would strip companies of their COVID-19 liability protections when they fire someone for vaccine refusal and hold businesses liable for adverse reactions to vaccines.

The governor has been locked in a political battle with the Biden administration after issuing orders declaring an end to mandates such as vaccine requirements, "vaccine passports" and mask mandates in public schools in Florida, and moving to enforce penalties against governments and businesses that try to implement them.