Support Senate Bill 601

CALL TO ACTION Senate Bill 601 COVID-19 immunization; prohibition on requirement; discrimination prohibited. 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. SB 601 was recently referred to the Senate Committee on Education and Health and will likely be heard this Thursday, January 27, 2022 at 8:00 am. Please contact the senators on the Education and Health committee as soon as possible and urge them to vote YES on 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 district34@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 A quick email or call can be as simple as: “Dear Senator (last name), I am a Virginian respectfully encouraging you to vote in favor of Senate Bill 601 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 Senate Bill 601. Thank you for your dedication to District (number). Sincerely, (full name) (street address and/or zip code)” 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. Emailing is preferable but making a phone call is also impactful. If you choose to email, please include a clear subject line such as “SUPPORT SB 601”. 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 SB 601 passed through committee.