Each week, AIM staff compile new or moving legislation in jurisdictions all over the country.
This legislative summary is for the week of April 29, 2022.
Please Note: AIM is striving to monitor fast-moving state legislative developments. The information included in this summary may not be comprehensive and is subject to change. Please consult the linked jurisdiction websites for the most up-to-date information on each bill. If you are aware of missing information, please notify us. For individualized support, contact AIM Chief Policy and Government Relations Officer Brent Ewig. AIM would like to thank ASTHO for the ongoing partnership and support that makes these summaries possible and invite you to check out AIM’s Policy Toolkit for more legislative resources.
Enacted Legislation
COVID-19, Mandates and Exemptions
- MI SR 128 was enacted on 4/20/22. This bill opposes mandates related to Coronavirus at all public and private colleges and universities in Michigan.
- AZ H 2498 was enacted on 4/25/22. This bill prohibits a government entity from requiring a resident of Arizona to receive a vaccination for COVID-19 or any variant of COVID-19.
- KS S 200 was enacted on 4/18/22. Expands the pharmacist’s scope of practice, including point of care testing for and treatment of certain health conditions.
- MS HB 1509 was enacted on 4/21/22. This bill prohibits a state agency, public official, state institution of higher learning, a public community or junior college, county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state from refusing services, health care access, or employment opportunities to a person, or otherwise discriminate against a person, based upon his or her coronavirus vaccination status or possession of a coronavirus immunity passport.
- SC H 3126 was enacted on 4/25/22. This bill prohibits any state or political subdivision of South Carolina from enacting or enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate or discriminating based on vaccination status.
Movement on Existing Bills
COVID-19, Mandates, and Exemptions
- NH HB 1604 passed a state Senate committee on 4/26/22. This bill requires state hospitals and medical facilities to grant religious and medical exemptions from vaccination requirements, provided that any request for a medical exemption shall include the supporting documentation required by federal regulation.
- CA AB 2098 passed the first committee of the House on 4/20/22. This bill categorizes the dissemination of misinformation and disinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine by medical practitioners as unprofessional conduct. Those who violate the policy would potentially face disciplinary hearings after the board conducts a thorough review.
- LA HB 54 passed the House and moved to the Senate on 4/19/22. This bill bans discrimination based on vaccination status by government entities and educational institutions. The bill states that these organizations cannot implement vaccine mandates, nor can they fire employees who do not comply with guidelines.
- LA HB 990 passed the House and moved to the Senate on 4/20/22. This bill bans vaccine mandates implemented at the state, parish, and local community levels. It also bans both public and private entities from creating or enforcing vaccine requirements.
- MO HB 1692 passed the House and moved to the Senate on 4/25/22. This bill is meant to hold any employer that requires its employees to receive a vaccination as a condition of employment liable to such employees for damages or injury arising from the required immunization.
Gaining Media Attention
- NH HB 1604 and NH HB 1210 have been mentioned in several stories which are trending in New Hampshire. Paula Minnehan, senior vice president of the New Hampshire Hospital Association, was quoted in a New Hampshire Journal article saying that NH HB 1210 could cost the state’s hospitals $2.3 billion in federal funding.
- MS H 1509 has been present in the news and social media. Most commenters on social media supported the action, with comments such as “adults should choose what medical treatment best suits them…that’s why we have individual rights” and “we need more states like Mississippi.” In an announcement from the governor on Facebook, multiple users claimed that the bill did not go far enough, arguing that they needed protection for daycares and religious exemptions for children.
- In March 2022, HF 2348 was introduced in the Minnesota House and aims to protect against “unconstitutional and medically irresponsible vaccine mandates.” In a press conference promoting the bill, many residents claiming to suffer from COVID-19 vaccine injuries shared their support for the bill.
- Multiple organizations launched calls to action to combat CA AB 2098 and urged citizens to contact their representatives. Their followers hoped that the legislation would not pass and called the bill tyrannical. Each call to action post received nearly 1,000 likes and approximately 30 comments. One user called the bill “absolutely frightening.”
- On Facebook, organizations in Georgia and Louisiana celebrated the House passing LA HB 54 and LA HB 990. One commenter wished that “all states would adopt this bill” in regard to LA HB 990. Some raised concerns about the number of absent politicians on the LA HB 54 vote, which was a lockout vote in an attempt to kill the bill.
- MO HB 1692 was discussed on Twitter where someone pointed out that the bill is not discriminatory toward any specific vaccine, and, if passed, would discourage employers such as hospitals, schools, and restaurants from requiring any vaccinations for their employees, therefore, making Missouri Communities less safe.
- On April 23, 2022, dozens of protesters gathered in Smithfield, Rhode Island, to protest SB 2552. This bill would require every state resident 16 years or older to get the COVID-19 vaccine or face a $50 civil penalty and pay double the usual amount in personal income taxes.