Vaccine mandate bill ready after work by Iowa stakeholders, Representatives Jacobsen and Cisneros

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State Representatives Jon Jacobsen and Mark Cisneros have spent weeks working with various stakeholders working on an Iowa House Study Bill that seeks to stop discrimination by employers over vaccine mandates and protect the personal health information of Iowans.

Interestingly, the bill isn’t just targeting COVID vaccinations.

“Our goal was to craft something simple to read and understand, simple to implement, and something that would protect Iowans’ private health information from employers and the federal government’s tyrannical overreach of powers which we all have witnessed the last two years with COVID,” Jacobsen said. “After weeks of flushing out the language and narrowing its focus, I certainly believe we have succeeded.”

The bill, if passed into law, would prohibit a person or business from inquiring about or maintaining records of a person’s medical treatment status — including vaccinations — unless it is for the purpose of providing treatment and care to an individual. It also makes it unlawful for anyone to be denied goods or services based on medical or vaccination status, to provide incentives or disincentives based on medical or vaccination status, employment consideration based on medical or vaccination status and segregation or discrimination based on medical or vaccination status.

“This bill is the complete package and will truly address the rightful concerns and hardships Iowans have been facing in light of these COVID mandates. Health and safety has consistently fallen under state purview to address,” Cisneros said. “We don’t need to wait for any more court rulings, because by law, that power is given to the local elected officials of the Iowa legislature. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get these necessary protections in Iowa law.”

A federal judge has already stated President Joe Biden overstepped his authority with his vaccine mandate via executive order. The proposed House Study Bill here in Iowa would also put the liability on the employer for any adverse reactions, injury, disability or death that occurs as a result of the mandated vaccination.

Unlike previous legislation, the proposed bill would require businesses to comply or lose their license, permit or other state authorization which permits them to conduct their business within Iowa.

State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, who chairs the House State Government Committee, said discrimination on any level, toward anyone, is unacceptable.

“I liked the bill that was passed in October,” Kauffmann said. “I thought it was a great win-win because it let businesses operate the way they needed to and it gave Iowans an opportunity to use exemptions the way they’re designed to work. Unfortunately, Iowans are still being discriminated against and their personal health information has been used against them. I feel the same as all the Iowans who have been calling and emailing with their frustrations – enough is enough. This House Study Bill I feel is what we need to do now in response to protect Iowans.”

The proposed bill will be a committee bill in Kauffmann’s State Government Committee.

Montana passed similar legislation in August.

“It’s always encouraging to know other states are aligned in similar thought and have already successfully implemented the protections Iowans have been persistently requesting,” Jacobsen said. “It removes a lot of unknowns. I’m really excited to see the momentum already building for this bill.”

3 COMMENTS

  1. Awesome! I’ll be sharing this on Gab.com which is the only social media site that refused to bow to the censorship that Apple and Google require in order to remain in their app stores.

  2. So does this bill cover ANY business in iowa OR ONLY state and local city government ? Does this give freedom from mandates back to hospital and medical workers in Iowa? Like Avera? And what about employees that already were fired?

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