LaMalfa Introduces Keep Vaccines Voluntary Act

Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) issued the following statement after introducing the Keep Vaccines Voluntary Act. This bill, the second introduced by LaMalfa addressing so-called vaccine passports, prohibits federal agencies and recipients of federal COVID relief from discriminating against individuals who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. The No Vaccine Passports Act was introduced March 31.

Rep. LaMalfa said, "President Biden and his press team may be trying to distance themselves from wildly unpopular vaccine passports after weeks of press reports detailing work on the plan. Still, many states, local governments and large private companies continue working behind the scenes with this Administration to implement this dangerous proposal. It is critical that Congress acts to ensure that vaccines remain voluntary and that neither government nor private companies can dictate the health decisions of free Americans. We cannot allow discrimination against anyone unable to receive a vaccine due to legitimate health reasons or availability or who chooses not to receive one."

The Keep Vaccines Voluntary Act will:

• Prohibit businesses denying service based on vaccination status,
• Prohibit employers, including the federal government, from requiring that their employees receive the COVID-19 vaccine,
• Prohibit institutions of higher education from separating individuals based on COVID-19 vaccination status, and
• Prohibit state and local governments from making rules that separate individuals based on COVID-19 vaccination status.

Last week LaMalfa introduced the No Vaccine Passports Act that will:

• Require that the Secretary of Transportation prohibit air carriers from denying an individual air transportation solely because such individual lacks a COVID-19 vaccine,
• Prohibit Amtrak from denying rail transportation to an individual solely because such individual lacks a COVID-19 vaccine, and
• Prohibit funds from being used to create or administer a database of individuals who have received a vaccine against COVID-19, or for any federal agency to require proof that an individual has received it.