Over the past couple of weeks, the PA Chamber has voiced opposition to bills that would prohibit employers from enforcing health and safety policies, including vaccine requirements.

Last week, the House Health Committee considered H.B. 2013, a proposed Constitutional amendment that would have the effect of prohibiting employers from enforcing standard and critically important workplace health and safety policies. The bill would permit an individual to refuse any medical procedure, treatment, injection, vaccine or prophylactic and may not be questioned or interfered with in any manner.

While discussion among Committee members focused on vaccine mandates, the impact of this proposed Constitutional amendment goes much further and could compromise workplace health and safety measures. Read the PA Chamber’s memo to the House Health Committee.

On Nov. 8, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee considered S.B. 471, to prohibit mandatory vaccination of Pennsylvania residents by the Commonwealth, political subdivisions or as a condition of employment. The bill was amended in committee to focus exclusively on the COVID-19 vaccination.

The PA Chamber opposes the measure because employers could be forced to scrap policies aimed at protecting employees and customers and could find themselves caught between conflicting state and federal laws. Click here to read our memo of opposition to S.B. 471 that was sent to the Senate Health and Human Service Committee.

Also on Nov. 8, Alex Halper, Director of Government Affairs for the PA Chamber, testified at a Senate Majority Policy Committee hearing regarding vaccination requirements. Visit the policy committee’s website to listen to testimony from the hearing.