Governor Ron DeSantis signs hospital visitation bill

Florida – A COVID-19-linked bill requiring health care centers to allow in-person visitations has been signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, as he approved dozens of other measures passed during this year’s legislative session.

On Wednesday, DeSantis held a ceremonial signing for the health care visitation bill and then announced hours later that he had also signed more than 40 other proposals into law.

According to DeSantis and other state health officials, the measure was inspired by hospitals limiting visits during the coronavirus pandemic.

“There’s nothing wrong with taking precautions and if they want you to wear PPE, but to not let somebody be there with their loved one, end of life situations, to lose a family member and be shut out of being able to go into the hospital, that is fundamentally wrong,” the governor said.

According to the law, health care facilities have to establish visitation rules that include infection control and education policies for visitors.

Among the other pieces of legislation, DeSantis signed Wednesday is a bill that limits out-of-state donations to political committees involved in ballot initiatives to $3,000.

Another bill reduces the required amount of time certified nursing assistants must spend with nursing home residents from two-and-a-half hours to two hours per day.