TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed HB 145, legislation that would have provided modest but meaningful reforms to Florida’s sovereign immunity laws and improved access to compensation for victims harmed by government negligence.
Because of the veto, Florida’s sovereign immunity limits will remain at $200,000 per claimant and $300,000 per incident. Victims whose damages exceed those amounts must continue to seek
relief through Florida’s claim bill process, a lengthy and uncertain legislative process that often takes years to complete.
HB 145 would have increased Florida’s sovereign immunity limits to $350,000 per claimant and $500,000 per occurrence. It would have also repealed the statute of limitations for sexual abuse
on a victim under 16 to provide a fair and efficient path to compensation for victims of government negligence. To balance the fiscal impact, the legislation would have also reduced the
time to file a lawsuit, allowing governments and their insurers more certainty in managing risk.
“Every year, Floridians lose mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, and children, or suffer lifealtering injuries, because of government negligence. Under the current system, it takes years and in some cases over a decade for them to receive compensation. Additionally, schools and school boards who harbor child molesters get off with inadequate accountability to victims. This causes even more hardship for them. Today’s veto has shown that once again, insurance companies have prevailed over Florida families who simply want accountability when the negligence of
government employees causes them serious harm,” said FJA President Chris Ligori.
The bill passed the Florida Legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support by a vote of 108-1 in the House and 36-0 in the Senate and would have increased Florida’s sovereign immunity
limits for the first time in more than a decade, helping families facing catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, and other serious harms caused by government negligence.
“We are grateful to the overwhelming bipartisan majority of legislators who recognized the need for reform and supported this legislation by a vote of 108 to 1 in the House and 36 to 0 in the
Senate. We especially thank the bill sponsors who have spent years championing the rights of Floridians injured by government negligence. Their commitment to fairness, accountability, and
access to justice has never wavered, and neither will hardworking Florida families harmed by the negligence of big government,” said Ligori.
The Florida Justice Association thanks bill sponsors, Representative Fiona McFarland (R-73) and Senator Jason Brodeur (R-10) and the majority of legislators who supported the legislation
and worked to modernize Florida’s sovereign immunity laws.
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The Florida Justice Association is a statewide organization of nearly 3,000 personal injury plaintiff’s attorneys, legal professionals, and advocates dedicated to strengthening and upholding
Florida’s civil justice system and protecting the rights of Florida consumers and families.
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