Vaccine Mandate Could Be Up To PA Voters

Pittsburgh PA

18 November, 2021

9:35 AM

Description

HARRISBURG, PA — The highly contentious issue of whether government entities or private businesses in Pennsylvania should be able to require vaccines for employees could be decided by voters. The House Health Committee has approved a bill calling for a proposed constitutional amendment that lawmakers who favor it contend would protect an individual's medical freedom. The bill now goes to the full House for consideration. The measure would insert the following two sentences into the Constitution: "The right of an individual to refuse any medical procedure, treatment, injection, vaccine or prophylactic may not be questioned or interfered with in any manner. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged to any person in this commonwealth because of the exercise of the right under this section." The measure is the brainchild of Rep. Russ Diamond, a Lebanon County Republican who ignited a firestorm of controversy on the vaccination issue in September. He received widespread criticism for a social media post that suggested being required to get the COVID-19 vaccine was akin to being raped. The committee approved the bill along party lines, with a Republican majority voting in favor it. For the proposed amendment to be placed on a ballot for voters, it has to pass the full House and Senate in consecutive two-year legislative sessions. That means the earliest a referendum could occur would be 2023. Be the first to know what's happening in your community and region. With a free Patch subscription, you'll always be up to date on local and state news: https://patch.com/subscribe.