DeSantis Signs Bill That Could Shield SpaceX From Injury Liability

• A bill recently signed by Ron DeSantis could shield space companies from liability in some cases.
• The Florida bill had already passed the Senate and House.
• It aims to protect private space firms from lawsuits and is among 27 bills DeSantis recently signed.

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Ron DeSantis has signed a bill into law that could potentially shield SpaceX and other private space companies such as Blue Origin from liability over injuries or deaths.

The bill, which relates to passengers and crew members, was sent to Governor DeSantis after it passed the Florida Senate and House with little opposition. It was previously adjusted to reflect "the evolution of spaceflight," the bill's sponsor, Republican senator Tom Wright said, per Florida Politics.

The bill was one of 27 bills DeSantis signed the day after announcing his presidential campaign during a conversation with Elon Musk via Twitter Spaces. The chaotic announcement was plagued with technical issues, which caused the Twitter app to crash repeatedly. This reportedly left Musk furious. 

DeSantis' team later bragged that the event "broke the internet" due to his popularity.

The Spaceflight Entity Liability Bill protects space companies from being hit with lawsuits in Florida if passengers are killed or hurt during trips under certain circumstances.

The Florida law requires crew and passengers to sign a "warning statement" assuming responsibility for the inherent risks of spaceflight.

The potential risks are listed in the bill as "injury to land, equipment," and "the potential for you to act in a negligent manner that may contribute to your injury or death."

Representatives for DeSantis did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside normal working hours.