Signed by Governor Asa Hutchinson

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits mandating COVID-19 vaccinations.

Highlights:

• Prohibits the state, a state agency or entity, a political subdivision of the state, or a state or local official from mandating or requiring an individual to receive a vaccine or immunization for COVID-19 (Sec. 1.b-1).

• Specifies if a state-owned or state-controlled medical facility desires to mandate or require an individual to receive a vaccine or immunization for COVID-19, then the state-owned or state-controlled medical facility will receive approval from the Legislative Council to mandate or require individual to receive a vaccine or immunization for COVID-19 (Sec. 1.b-3).

• Requires the Department of Health to maintain information and data about the safety and efficacy of any vaccine or immunization for COVID-19 approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, including without limitation information and data on any risk of harm associated with the administration of the vaccine or immunization, on the department's website (Sec. 1.d-1).

• Prohibits the state, a state agency or entity, a political subdivision of the state, or a state or local official from discriminating against or coercing in any way an individual for refusing to receive a vaccine or immunization for COVID-19, including without limitation (Sec. 1.e):

• Coerce an employee into consenting to receive a vaccine or immunization for COVID-19;

• Withhold the opportunity for career advancement from an employee who does not consent to receive a vaccine or immunization for COVID-19; or

• Withhold a salary, a wage increase, insurance, or insurance discounts from an employee who does not consent to receive a vaccine or immunization for COVID-19.

• Specifies if a variant of COVID-19 occurs and mutates to be a more virulent strain that impacts children within 2 years from the date that the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the immunization or vaccination for COVID-19, then the Secretary of the Department of Health and the Governor will request a meeting within 2 weeks of discovery of the virulent strain of the (Sec. 3.a):

• Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor; and

• House Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor.

• Alleges this act is immediately necessary to protect the safety and health of the citizens of this state who have religious, philosophical, or medical reasons for not receiving a vaccination or immunization for COVID-19 or who have concerns about the safety of a vaccine or immunization for COVID-19 (Sec. 4).

Full Bill Text