Committee approves amendment to require opt-out procedure for government vaccine mandates

Bismarck — The Industry, Business and Labor Committee voted to amend and advance House Bill 14.54 on a measure that would prevent state agencies, political subdivisions and other government entities from requiring an individual to receive a vaccine or similar product used to prevent disease unless the entity makes a procedure available to opt out for health, religious or philosophical reasons.

The amendment, offered by Representative Koppelman, removed an older definition for “medical product” and added language that the section would not apply to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and that school, daycare and head-start vaccine opt-outs must follow the process in section 23-07-17.1. Representative Koppelman moved the amendment; Representative Casper seconded. The committee approved the amendment by voice vote.

Why this matters: The change would constrain government entities’ ability to impose vaccine requirements unless an explicit opt-out process exists, and it clarifies that schools and child-care programs must follow the existing statutory opt-out procedure referenced in section 23-07-17.1. The measure also…