Ron DeSantis signed a bill that shields SpaceX and other aerospace companies from legal liabilities, the day after Elon Musk hosted the launch of his 2024 campaign bid.
The new Florida law would shield the billionaire’s space flight company, and others such as Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, if crew members or passengers are killed or injured during missions.
It was one of 27 bills that Mr DeSantis signed the day after the chaotic Twitter Spaces launch of his bid for the White House with Mr Musk, who is the SpaceX CEO.
The Spaceflight Entity Liability Bill protects space flight companies from facing lawsuits in the event of an accident. It requires crew members and passengers to sign a waiver that acknowledges the risks and dangers of being launched into space, reported NBC News.
“WARNING: Under Florida law, there is no liability for an injury to or death of a participant or crew in a spaceflight activity provided by a spaceflight entity if such injury or death results from the spaceflight activity,” the waiver reads.
The Independent has contacted the governor’s office for comment.
The Florida Senate carried out an analysis of the legislation and stated that it “has the potential to limit the cost of litigation to businesses engaging in spaceflight activities.”
Mr Musk’s SpaceX has launched a series of missions from the state’s “Space Coast” where NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station are located.
The billionaire is a vocal supporter of Mr DeSantis and has predicted he has a better chance to win back the White House for Republicans rather than former president Donald Trump.
The Space Florida government agency states that the aerospace industry is worth around $17.7bn in revenue.
