Representative Jennifer Gross (R) introduced HB248, titled the Vaccine Choice and Anti-discrimination Act. This bill protects individuals who choose not to be vaccinated from discrimination due to vaccine status.
“Many people across the state may be likely to decline vaccines like the COVID-19 vaccine for conscientious, religious, or medical reasons. Without the exemption provisions this bill provides, the notion of a vaccine passport could easily lead to a class system in Ohio where segregation and discrimination will proliferate.”
As originally introduced, HB248 would:
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- Protect choice and provide exemptions: Provide Ohioans a method for opting out of vaccines that their child-care providers, schools, universities, employers, organizations, and places of business may require as a prerequisite of attendance, participation, employment, etc.
- Protect privacy: Protect Ohioans’ right to health care privacy regarding their vaccine status.
- Protect from discrimination: Protect Ohioans from discrimination regarding their vaccine status.
After Representative Gross submitted her original bill, she recognized that the original legislative proposal didn’t go far enough to preserve Ohioans’ liberties. As such, she has indicated that she plans to introduce the following amended bill language at the first Health Committee hearing:
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- Rescind existing code: Rescind current Ohio code that asks universities to collect vaccine status information from college students as a prerequisite of admission. (line 275 of the bill)
- Protect vaccine choice: Prohibit a person, public official or employee, public agency, state agency, political subdivision, school, child-care center, nursing home, residential care facility, health care provider, insurer, institution, or employer from requiring any vaccine. (line 75 of the bill)
- Protect privacy: Prohibit a person, public official or employee, public agency, state agency, political subdivision, school, child-care center, nursing home, residential care facility, health care provider, insurer, institution, or employer from requesting any vaccination status. (line 112 of the bill) The bill also prohibits the disclosure of a person’s vaccination status. (line 118 and 130 of the bill)
- Prohibit vaccine passport/registry: Prohibit a person, public official or employee, public agency, state agency, political subdivision, school, child-care center, nursing home, residential care facility, health care provider, insurer, institution, or employer from requesting any vaccination status. (line 114 of the bill)
- Provide transparency and reinforce that schools must honor exemptions: While the language of the bill permits the existing school mandates and exemptions already within Ohio code to remain law, this bill would require that when a school or child-care provider — public or private — notifies parents of existing school mandates, they must also notify parents of applicable law that provides exemptions (line 83 and 93 of the bill) and they must honor those exemptions. (line 90 and 100 of the bill) The bill also reinforces that student vaccination information shall be treated as “personally identifiable information.” (line 119 of the bill)
- Prohibit discrimination: Prohibit a person, public official or employee, public agency, state agency, political subdivision, school, child-care center, nursing home, residential care facility, health care provider, insurer, institution, or employer from discriminating against someone for not receiving a vaccine, not participating in vaccine status tracking, and not providing proof of vaccination/immunity/testing. (lines 143-181 of the bill)
- Protect businesses following the law: Prohibit a person, public official or employee, public agency, state agency, or political subdivision from discriminating against a business who follows these new laws. (lines 187-207 of the bill)
- Ensure this new law prevails in future public emergencies: Prohibit a public official or employee, public agency, state agency, or political subdivision from issuing orders that would conflict with the language in this bill. (lines 208-232 of the bill)
- Provide legal recourse for violations: When this bill becomes law, if someone violates any provision of the new code, there can be legal repercussions, including a) Civil Rights Complaint, b) complaint to the Attorney General, and c) civil litigation. (lines 233-265 of the bill)
Advocates, please urge your legislators to add the new amendments into HB248 and then pass it. Getting this bill passed into law is crucial. Some have dubbed vaccine passports “a true medical apartheid” that prohibits healthy, law-abiding citizens from participating in society if they choose not to receive the experimental COVID-19 jab. We believe that to be true, as well. That’s why this bill and its amendments are so important and must be passed.
Click now to make it clear to your elected officials that personal choice, not public pressure or intimidation tactics, must be the only factor in getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Urge your legislators to protect your basic human rights and civil rights and to vote YES on HB248 and its amendments.
For additional information please go to: voteyesonHB248.com