”Vaccine passport” bill (SB 345)
What it would do: This Senate bill would prohibit any state or local agency or school from requiring a COVID-19 vaccination. The bill would not apply to health care providers, and the bans would last until June 30, 2023. (An earlier version of the bill applied to any vaccines, such as those for measles, tuberculosis and chickenpox, but the bill was amended to apply only to COVID-19.)
Status: The bill passed the Senate 33-19 and will go to the House for consideration.
“Unmask Georgia Students Act” (SB 514)
What it would do: Introduced by Gov. Brian Kemp, this Senate bill would prohibit public school systems from requiring students to wear masks. The bill would still allow school systems to set mask rules, but would allow parents to opt their children out of any of these rules, with no explanation required. If a parent opts their child out, the schools also would be forbidden to require any information about the child’s health such as whether they are infected with COVID. The law would expire in June 2027. (A previous version of the bill would have had the law expire in 2023, but the bill was amended to extend that date to 2027, at the governor’s request.)
Status: The bill passed the Senate 32-19 and will go to the House for consideration.
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