On Friday the Public Health Committees in the Arkansas House and Arkansas Senate advanced multiple pieces of legislation addressing COVID-19 vaccine mandates in Arkansas.
The committees met as part of the state legislature’s extended session currently taking place.
The House Public Health Committee passed H.B. 1977 by Rep. Joshua Bryant and Sen. Bob Ballinger. It requires employers to provide certain exemptions for employees who decline to utilize a COVID-19 vaccine. You can read H.B. 1977 Here.
The bill now goes to the floor of the Arkansas House of Representatives, where it is scheduled to be heard on Monday.
The Senate Public Health Committee passed the following bills:
- S.B. 732 by Sen. Blake Johnson. It prohibits coercing another person into receiving a COVID-19 vaccine if the person has a religious, philosophical, or medical objection to the vaccine. Read The Bill Here.
- S.B. 730 by Sen. Trent Garner. It authorizes unemployment benefits for any employee terminated due to a refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Read The Bill Here.
- S.B. 731 by Sen. Bob Ballinger. It prohibits employers from requiring employees to disclose their vaccination status. Read The Bill Here.
- S.B. 739 by Sen. Kim Hammer and Rep. Joshua Bryant. It requires employers to provide certain exemptions for employees who decline to utilize a COVID-19 vaccine. Read The Bill Here.
These bills now go to the Arkansas Senate, where they are scheduled to be heard on Monday.
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