Multiple Calls to Action - Legislative Watch in VA
CALL TO ACTION
What an exciting legislative session so far! There have been a multitude of great bills proposed that if passed, would help to uphold the right of all Virginians to medical freedom and informed consent. Check out our website for a complete list of bills we are closely monitoring and continuous updates. There are currently eleven bills that have been referred to committee that will require the VFK community to take action as soon as possible (scroll to bottom for bill summaries).
Subcommittees meet on call of the chair, no agendas are currently posted, and none of these bills are on dockets yet. -Senate Education and Health meets Thursday -House Health, Welfare and Institutions meets Tuesday and Thursday -House Courts and Justice meets Friday -House Commerce and Energy meets Tuesday and Thursday There is a high possibility of hearings this week.
We need to flood the phone lines and email inboxes of all the legislators involved in the hearings of these bills before they are heard!
(To simplify, listed below is contact information for the senators on the Education and Health Committee and the delegates on the Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee for SBs 587, 601, HBs 22, 27, 306, 512, 783 which have been referred to there. We urge you to contact legislators listed below regarding these seven bills but also encourage you to reach out to members of the House Committee General Laws, House Committee Courts and Justice, and House Committee Commerce and Energy regarding the other four bills that have been referred to there; all contact information can be found on Virginia LIS.)
Please contact the senators on the Education and Health Committee as soon as possible and urge them to vote YES on SB 587 and SB 601.
L. Louise Lucas (Chair) district18@senate.virginia.gov (804) 698-7518
Richard L. Saslaw district35@senate.virginia.gov (804) 698-7535
Janet D. Howell district32@senate.virginia.gov (804) 698-7532
Stephen D. Newman district23@senate.virginia.gov (804) 698-7523
Mamie E. Locke district02@senate.virginia.gov (804) 698-7502
George L. Barker district39@senate.virginia.gov (804) 698-7539
J. Chapman Petersen district35@senate.virginia.gov (804) 698-7534
John A. Cosgrove, Jr. district14@senate.virginia.gov (804) 698-7514
Lynwood W. Lewis, Jr. district06@senate.virginia.gov (804) 698-7506
Siobhan S. Dunnavant district12@senate.virginia.gov (804) 698-7512
David R. Suetterlein district19@senate.virginia.gov (804) 698-7519
Mark J. Peake district22@senate.virginia.gov (804) 698-7522
John S. Edwards district21@senate.virginia.gov (804) 698-7521
Ghazala F. Hashmi district10@senate.virginia.gov (804) 698-7510
Todd E. Pillion district40@senate.virginia.gov (804) 698-7540
Please contact the delegates on the Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee as soon as possible and urge them to vote YES on HB 22, HB 27, HB 306, HB 512, and HB 783.
Robert D. Orrock, Sr. (Chair) DelBOrrock@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1054
Christopher T. Head (Vice Chair) DelCHead@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1017
Robert B. Bell DelRBell@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1058
M. Keith Hodges DelKHodges@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1098
James E. Edmunds, II DelJEdmunds@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1060
Roxann L. Robinson DelRRobinson@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1027
Wendell S. Walker DelWWalker@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1023
C. Matthew Fariss DelMFariss@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1059
Mike A. Cherry DelMCherry@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1066
Phillip A. Scott DelPScott@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1088
Marie E. March DelMMarch@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1007
H. Otto Wachsmann, Jr. DelOWachsmann@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1075
Mark D. Sickles DelMSickles@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1043
Patrick A. Hope DelPHope@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1047
Marcia S. "Cia" Price DelMPrice@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1095
C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr. DelCHayes@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1077
Karrie K. Delaney DelKDelaney@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1067
Dawn M. Adams DelDAdams@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1068
Elizabeth R. Guzman DelEGuzman@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1031
Kathy K.L. Tran DelKTran@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1042
Rodney T. Willett DelRWillett@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1073
Sally L. Hudson DelSHudson@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1057
A phone call takes less than a minute and could sound like: "Hi my name is (your name) and I am calling to urge Senator/Delegate (their last name) to vote yes on (bill number). Thank you!" The legislative aide will likely ask if you are a resident of their district and will record your support. A quick email can be as simple as:
“Dear Senator/Delegate (last name),
I am a Virginian respectfully encouraging you to vote in favor of (bill number and title) this week. A medical choice- acceptance or declination of any procedure, including immunization, should remain between a patient and their care provider. A private health care decision should not interfere with one's ability to attain and maintain employment or access essential services. Policies that mandate the greater good are problematic for those with certain medical, religious, and philosophical issues. We should be careful not to discriminate against these individuals and be proactive in protecting their rights.
Please consider voting YES during the hearing of (bill number and title).
Thank you for your dedication to District (number).
Sincerely,
(full name)
(street address and/or zip code)” You will likely receive an automated response.
If you happen to be a constituent of any of these senators, meaning you reside in their district, please emphasize this when you contact them! Whether you are a constituent or not, including your street address or at least, your zip code helps their staff to verify that you are a resident of Virginia and ensures they take your concerns seriously. If you choose to email, please include a clear subject line such as “SUPPORT (bill number)”. Remember, you will be emailing/calling legislative aides who record your sentiments and relay it to the senator- they are very receptive to your feedback and reaching out only takes a couple of minutes! Thank you so much for your participation, let’s spread the word and get these bills passed through committee.
Senate and House Bills:
Peake's SB 587 "State Health Commissioner; powers in epidemic, religious tenets or practices" has been referred to Senate Committee on Education and Health which meets Thursday.
Summary: Allows a parent or guardian to object to the vaccination or immunization of a child on the grounds that the administration of immunizing agents conflicts with his religious tenets or practices, even if an emergency or epidemic of disease has been declared by the State Board of Health, which is not allowed under current law. The bill also provides that nothing shall preclude the State Health Commissioner from requiring immediate immunization of all persons in the case of an epidemic of any disease of public health importance for which a vaccine exists other than a person, including a parent or guardian on behalf of a child, who objects on the grounds that the administration of the vaccine conflicts with his religious tenets or practices. Under current law, the only exception to the Commissioner's power to require immediate immunization of all persons in case of an epidemic of any disease of public health importance for which a vaccine exists is for a person to whose health the administration of a vaccine would be detrimental as certified in writing by a physician licensed to practice medicine in the Commonwealth.
Chase's SB 601 "COVID-19 immunization; prohibition on requirement, discrimination prohibited" has been referred to Senate Committee on Education and Health which meets Thursday.
Summary: Prohibits the State Health Commissioner and the Board of Health, the Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the Department of Health Professions and any regulatory board therein, and the Department of Social Services from requiring any person, including any child, to undergo vaccination for COVID-19 and prohibits discrimination based on a person's COVID-19 vaccination status (i) with regard to education, employment, or issuance of a driver's license or other state identification or (ii) in numerous other contexts.
Cosgrove's SB 646 "Unemployment compensation; disqualification for benefits; misconduct" has been referred to House Commerce and Energy which meets Tuesday and Thursday.
Summary: Provides that for the purposes of the Virginia Employment Commission determining if an individual was separated or partially separated from employment for misconduct and would be disqualified for unemployment benefits, the term "misconduct" does not include an employee's refusal to receive or receive in part any primary series or booster shot of a vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19.
Walker's HB 22 "Medical mandates; each adult has a fundamental right to be free from mandates" has been assigned to subcommittee 3 in House Health, Welfare and Institutions. Subcommittee 3 consists of Walker R (Chair), Head R, Orrock R, Hayes D, Tran D.
Summary: Declares that, except as otherwise provided by law, each adult has a fundamental right to be free from medical mandates of the Commonwealth or any locality, private employer, health care entity or provider, or provider of public accommodations. The bill defines "medical mandate" as any affirmative requirement by the Commonwealth or any locality, private employer, health care entity or provider, or provider of public accommodations for an individual to undergo or participate in a health-related test, procedure, tracking or monitoring program, or bodily insertion or injection of any drug or the wearing of any medical equipment or apparel. The bill provides that it shall be no less a medical mandate for such entities to condition an individual's receipt of otherwise ordinary services, benefits, or employment upon the performance or acquiescence of undergoing or participating in a health-related test, procedure, tracking or monitoring program, or bodily insertion or injection of any drug or the wearing of any medical equipment or apparel. The bill sets out exceptions, including protocols in health care facilities and food handling operations and valid orders of quarantine or isolation.
Anderson's HB 27 "COVID-19 vaccination status; mandatory COVID-19 vaccination prohibited, discrimination prohibited" has been assigned to subcommittee 3 in House Health, Welfare and Institutions. Subcommittee 3 consists of Walker R (Chair), Head R, Orrock R, Hayes D, Tran D.
Summary: Prohibits the State Health Commissioner and the Board of Health, the Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the Department of Health Professions and any regulatory board therein, and the Department of Social Services from requiring any person to undergo vaccination for COVID-19 and prohibits discrimination based on a person's COVID-19 vaccination status with regard to education or public employment and in numerous other contexts.
Freitas’s HB 306 “Immunizations; authority of the Commissioner of Health; religious exception” has been assigned to subcommittee 1 in House Health, Welfare, and Institutions. Subcommittee 3 consists of Walker R (Chair), Head R, Orrock R, Hayes D, Tran D.
Summary: Exempts a person, including a parent or guardian on behalf of a child, who objects to administration of a vaccine on religious grounds from mandatory immunization requirements during an epidemic. Currently, exemption from mandatory immunization requirements during an epidemic is available only to those persons to whose health the administration of the vaccine would be detrimental, as certified in writing by a licensed physician.
Davis's HB 384 "State and local employees; freedoms of conscience and expression" has been referred to House Committee General Laws which meets Tuesday and Thursday.
Summary: Administration of government; rights of state and local employees; freedoms of conscience and expression. Protects state and local government employees from being required to take actions incompatible with their deeply held beliefs, values, or conscience or from being penalized for expressing opinions in opposition to or approval of official government policy.
March's HB 512 "COVID-19 immunization; prohibition on requirement, discrimination prohibited" has been assigned to subcommittee 3 in House Health, Welfare and Institutions. Subcommittee 3 consists of Walker R (Chair), Head R, Orrock R, Hayes D, Tran D.
Summary: Prohibits the State Health Commissioner and the Board of Health, the Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the Department of Health Professions and any regulatory board therein, and the Department of Social Services from requiring any person to undergo vaccination for COVID-19 and prohibits discrimination based on a person's COVID-19 vaccination status (i) with regard to education, employment, insurance, or issuance of a driver's license or other state identification or (ii) in numerous other contexts.
William's HB 775 "Religious freedom; applicability of certain executive orders" has been referred to House Committee for Courts and Justice which meets Friday.
Summary: Provides that no rule, regulation, or order issued by the Governor or other governmental entity pursuant to the Commonwealth of Virginia Emergency Services and Disaster Law of 2000 applies to the exercise of religion in a church, synagogue, or other place of worship.
LaRock's HB 783 "Immunizations; authority of the Commissioner of Health, religious exception" has been assigned to subcommittee 1 in House Health, Welfare, and Institutions. Subcommittee 1 consists of Edmunds R (Chair), Robinson R, Fariss R, Cherry R, Wachsmann R, Hope D, Price D, Adams, D.M. D, Guzman D, Orrock R.
Summary: Exempts a person, including a parent or guardian on behalf of a child, who objects to administration of a vaccine on religious grounds from mandatory immunization requirements during an epidemic. Currently, exemption from mandatory immunization requirements during an epidemic is available only to those persons to whose health the administration of the vaccine would be detrimental, as certified in writing by a licensed physician.
LaRock's HB 934 "Employer-mandated vaccinations for COVID-19; required exemptions; civil penalties" has been referred to House Commerce and Energy which meets Tuesday and Thursday.
Summary: Prohibits an employer from requiring its employees to receive a vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 unless such employer provides individual exemptions that allow an employee to opt out from such requirement on the basis of (i) medical reasons, including pregnancy or anticipated pregnancy; (ii) religious reasons; (iii) immunity from COVID-19; (iv) periodic testing; or (v) the use of employer-provided personal protective equipment. The bill provides requirements for an employee to claim such exemptions. The bill prohibits an employer from discrimination against an employee who claims such an exemption. The bill also provides for civil penalties not to exceed $10,000 by an employer with fewer than 100 employees or $50,000 by an employer with 100 or more employees for violations of the bill's requirements.