TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) — Gov. Ron DeSantis delayed Florida’s special session on redistricting by one week, opting to focus on other priorities, including expanding vaccine exemptions and regulating artificial intelligence interactions.
According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the session was originally set to begin Monday but was pushed so lawmakers would return to Tallahassee on Tuesday, April 28, running through May 1.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports, lawmakers are expected to take up two proposals that did not advance in the 2026 regular session: legislation expanding vaccine exemptions for public K-12 students and a bill addressing consumer protections in interactions with artificial intelligence.
When asked about the delay, DeSantis said he expected the matter to be resolved “one way or another within the next two weeks.”
Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, told members of his chamber Wednesday they will wait for DeSantis’ proposed redistricting maps rather than draft their own. The Sun Sentinel reports the governor’s office is expected to present its proposal to the Senate Rules Committee on April 28.
Albritton also warned that, as in previous redistricting cycles, any new maps are likely to face significant legal challenges.
The mid-decade redistricting effort, pushed by the White House, is intended to help Republicans maintain control of the U.S. House in the upcoming midterm elections. House representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to the Sun Sentinel.
See also: Florida congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick’s $5 million criminal case delayed until 2027
DeSantis has supported the vaccine legislation, Senate Bill 1756, which would have expanded exemption options for public school students, created a new “conscience” category for parents to opt out of immunizations, and required providers to offer alternative vaccine schedules along with information on risks and benefits.
On the final day of the regular session, March 13, DeSantis criticized the House in a Jacksonville press conference for not advancing measures such as the “AI Bill of Rights” and “Medical Freedom” proposals.
He said lawmakers were “fumbling right on the goal line” on vaccine exemptions and urged them to “punch it in for the touchdown,” adding that many Floridians supported codifying the protections. He also said, “It’s not going to be the last word on it.”
According to the Sun Sentinel, supporters of the vaccine measure included parental rights advocates, while pediatricians and healthcare professionals raised concerns about potential risks and opposed the bill.
DeSantis also backed the “AI Bill of Rights,” which passed the Senate but stalled in the House. Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, has favored addressing AI regulation at the federal level and supported a Trump executive order aimed at limiting state-level AI laws, the Sun Sentinel reports.
The bill (SB 482) would have given parents greater control over children’s interactions with AI chatbots and required disclosure when users are interacting with an AI system rather than a human. It also addressed unauthorized use of individuals’ names, images, or likenesses.
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Additionally, the measure would have required disclosure of AI-generated political advertising and barred Florida agencies from contracting with companies linked to so-called “foreign countries of concern,” including China and Russia, according to the Sun Sentinel.