Florida Chamber Litigation & Regulatory Reform Center
Florida’s lawsuit climate ranked 46th out of 50 in a new national survey released by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR). The city of Miami ranked among the ten worst jurisdictions in the nation. The 2019 Lawsuit Climate Survey: Ranking the States, conducted by the renowned polling firm The Harris Poll on behalf of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, questioned senior business executives about the fairness and reasonableness of state court systems. The poor perception of Florida’s legal climate is critical because 89 percent of survey participants—an all-time high—said a state’s lawsuit environment is likely to impact their company’s decisions about where to locate or do business.
Mask Ordinances Resource Center
National Resources
From the beginning, the Florida Chamber of Commerce has looked to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) for the most accurate and up-to-date facts concerning COVID-19 precautions. The CDC has a website devoted to preventative measures for individuals and businesses, which can be found here. The CDC has consistently said that the best way to prevent this illness is to avoid being exposed.
State Resources
Under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, the Florida Department of Health (“DOH”) established several resources for individuals and businesses. Their informative dashboard can be found at www.floridahealthcovid19.gov. The DOH has advised Floridians to wear masks in public and to socially distance. Florida does not currently have a statewide mask order in effect. On September 25th, 2020, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-244, which in part suspended the collection of fines and penalties associated with COVID-19 ordinances enforced upon individuals. The order also continues a policy that banned local ordinances which prevented an individual from working or from operating a business. That order can be found here.
Local Resources
Many local governments have instituted a variety of mask ordinances for both individuals and businesses. The Florida Chamber of Commerce is continually updating the following table tracking local mask orders. If you are aware of more ordinances, please contact us at 850.521.1200.
In many cases, the mask ordinances have been ordered by the county government and control for the entire county. In other cases, the county ordinance sets the regulatory floor which cities within the county may exceed. Those emergency orders are listed as well.