On May 3, Governor DeSantis signed into law a bill intended to limit state and local government emergency powers. Among other things, the bill requires that any emergency orders issued by local governments be narrowly tailored to serve a compelling public health or safety purpose and extended only in seven-day increments for a total of 42 days, and also gives the governor the power to invalidate an emergency order if the governor determines that it infringes on individual liberties. The bill does not go into effect until July 1, so to cover the period between now and then, Governor DeSantis has issued an Executive Order immediately suspending all local emergency orders that restrict businesses or individuals due to COVID-19. While the local governments can no longer require restrictions (such as mask mandates), private businesses can still have masking rules and other restrictions. If you have any questions about the implications of these new laws, please call us.
The Executive Order can be found here.
The Bill can be found here.
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This publication is for general information only. It is not legal advice, and legal counsel should be contacted before any action is taken that might be influenced by this publication.
About Gunster
Gunster, Florida’s law firm for business, provides full-service legal counsel to leading organizations and individuals from its 13 offices statewide. Established in 1925, the firm has expanded, diversified and evolved, but always with a singular focus: Florida and its clients’ stake in it. A magnet for business-savvy attorneys who embrace collaboration for the greatest advantage of clients, Gunster’s growth has not been at the expense of personalized service but because of it. The firm serves clients from its offices in Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Naples, Orlando, Palm Beach, Stuart, Tallahassee, Tampa Bayshore, Tampa Downtown, Vero Beach, and its headquarters in West Palm Beach. With more than 280 attorneys and consultants, and over 290 committed professional staff, Gunster is ranked among the National Law Journal’s list of the 500 largest law firms and has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Diverse Law Firms by Law360. More information about its practice areas, offices and insider’s view newsletters is available at www.gunster.com.
