News Advocate<\/p>\n
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) \u2014 Republicans in Pennsylvania’s state Senate began advancing legislation Monday to prohibit governments and school districts from requiring a COVID-19 vaccination for any sort of access.<\/p>\n
The Republican-penned bill passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee along party lines, 6-4, with Democrats opposing it.<\/p>\n
The prohibition on so-called vaccine passports applies to state agencies, counties, municipalities and school districts, and bars them from requiring a proof of vaccination to use services, enter buildings or engage in activities.<\/p>\n
The bill does not apply to private businesses or organizations.<\/p>\n
The sponsors \u2014 Sens. Kristin Phillips-Hill or York County, Michele Brooks of Mercer County and Judy Ward of Blair County \u2014 contend that requiring a vaccine passport is a government intrusion into private medical information.<\/p>\n
They also say it discriminates against Pennsylvanians who don’t get a COVID-19 vaccine by choice or due to medical reasons.<\/p>\n
Sen. Art Haywood, D-Montgomery, said school districts already require vaccines, such as for measles mumps and rubella, and may need the authority to require a COVID-19 vaccine for community safety in a state where the virus has killed more than 27,000 people, according to state data.<\/p>\n
Much more analysis needs to be done to determine whether school districts should have the authority to require COVID-19 vaccination, Haywood said.<\/p>\n
Some Republican-controlled states have pursued similar prohibitions.<\/p>\n