FLORENCE, S.C. – The South Carolina General Assembly could be taking a step toward blocking COVID-19 vaccine mandates in January.
State Reps. Phillip Lowe and Jay Jordan are among the 48 sponsors of a pre-filed bill titled the South Carolina Vaccination Rights Act of 2022.
The bill adds vaccination status as a protected class of people in the South Carolina Human Affairs Law and further declares that health care information is private and protected by the South Carolina Constitution.
Specifically, the bill makes it unlawfully discriminatory for a person – most businesses are legally considered persons – or a government to deny goods, services, facilities, advantages, privileges, licensing, educational opportunities, health care access or a job to a person based on the person’s refusal to share vaccination status or to provide an immunity passport.
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It states that it is legal for businesses to recommend vaccines.
There is also an exception that allows health care facilities to ask about vaccination status for the purpose of making reasonable accommodations to protect the employee and those around him.
The bill also says that people may not be required to receive any vaccine that has been authorized by the Centers for Disease Control as an emergency use or any vaccine that is currently undergoing trials.
It has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
The bill isn’t the only bill pre-filed by Pee Dee members of the House.
House Speaker Jay Lucas, Jordan and Jackie “Coach” Hayes are among the sponsors of a bill requiring abortion providers to provide information to women about continuing their pregnancy after taking the first of two pills to induce an abortion.
Hayes is also the sponsor of two bills seeking to dedicate streets in Dillon in honor of Judges Casey Manning and D.C. Carter Jr.
Cezar McKnight is the sponsor of a bill creating the George Stinney Memorial Fund to compensate the families of people who are wrongfully executed.
Stinney was a 14-year-old African American who was convicted and later executed for the murder of two White girls in the 1940s. His conviction was vacated in 2014 because his trial was unfair.