Senate Bill 1824 requires employers to provide employees with sincere religious beliefs with reasonable precautions that prevent them from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Reasonable accommodation cannot cause undue hardship or result in minimal costs to employers. The law was signed on June 30, 2021 and entered into force on July 1, 2021. House Bill 1485 would exempt current or prospective employees from vaccination requirements for religious objection or conscientious or satisfactory evidence of acquired immunity to illness by employers requiring employees to be tested or provide proof of vaccination against a disease as a condition of employment. unless otherwise prohibited by federal law. The bill received a “Do Pass” recommendation from the House on January 31, 2022. House Bill 2356 would allow employers to require their employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment. It is important to note that employers must accept a COVID-19 vaccination record or COVID-19 antibody test as sufficient documentation. The bill was introduced on January 20, 2022 and referred to the Rules Committee. Senate Bill 330 would declare it contrary to public policy for a person, employer or government agency to deny employment opportunities or discriminate against individuals because of their vaccination status or possession of a vaccination certificate.
Violations may result in higher actual and indirect damages or liquidated damages not exceeding $1,000, in addition to reasonable attorneys` fees, litigation costs and costs. The bill was passed on July 11. January 2022 referred to Health and Provider Services Committee. Legislative Document No. 867 would prevent mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 for five years from the date of the first emergency authorization to allow for “safety testing and reproductive damage investigations.” A hearing before the Committee on Health and Social Services was held on January 20, 2022. Senate Bill 1064 would require employers to provide employees with sincere religious, ethical or moral beliefs with reasonable accommodations for any COVID-19-related requirements. The bill would require employers to provide the same reasonable accommodations as those required by federal laws and regulations passed by the Commission for Reasonable Accommodation for Persons with Disabilities. Under the bill, reasonable precautions may include an exemption from a COVID-19 vaccination requirement or mandatory COVID-19 testing. The bill was introduced on January 13, 2022. House Bill 1686 would prohibit public bodies or individuals from requiring COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment or making measures or benefits conditional on a person`s COVID-19 vaccination status.
Under the bill, workers would be exempt from employer vaccination requirements and protected from undesirable measures if: (i) they raise a religious or conscientious objection in writing, (ii) receive a referral from a licensed medical practitioner, or (iii) an alternative to vaccination can adequately ensure the safety of other employees and customers. The bill received a “Do Pass” recommendation from the House on February 7, 2022. Bill 643 would give individuals the right to reject mandatory state vaccination guidelines. Under the bill, parents would be allowed to refuse to vaccinate their children and employers would be able to refuse to vaccinate their employees. The bill would provide that people who refuse mandatory vaccinations will not be subject to penalties, litigation or punishment from the state. The bill was reintroduced on January 5, 2022 as a transfer law from the previous session. Senate Bill 1823 and its counterpart, House Bill 1867, would require employers with COVID-19 vaccination requirements to grant exemptions to employees for medical reasons or religious beliefs. Under the bills, employers would face a civil fine of $10,000 for retaliating against workers who apply for an exemption. Senate Bill 1823 was passed on May 26, 1823. It was referred to the Trade and Labour Committee in January 2022 and House Bill 1867 was allocated to the Civil Justice Subcommittee on January 26, 2022. Executive Order No.
252 required employees of public and private health facilities, correctional facilities, and other high-risk facilities to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by September 7, 2021. Executive Order No. 253 required state employees and K-12 school employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by October 18, 2021. Executive Order No. 264 required daycare workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by November 1, 2021. Employees who do not meet the vaccination requirement on the applicable date must be tested regularly.