The House will not act on House Bill (HB) 435, legislation that establishes wide exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates for reasons of medical contraindications, natural immunity, or rights of conscience, House Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima, OH) announced.
After the House Rules and Reference Committee recessed without taking up amendments to the bill and before the start of session on October 13, Speaker Cupp released the following statement:
“This is an important and personal issue for all Ohioans and those who represent them. Just as there are widely differing views among Ohioans on this issue, it’s certainly not a surprise that there are varying perspectives among their legislative representatives as well. It is important to have consensus within our caucus on how best to move forward. After countless hours of hearings and deliberation on this topic, there is still no consensus on how or whether to move forward. Consequently, the House at this time will pause additional hearings on this matter. We are continuing our work on other legislative matters that are important to Ohio and its people.”
The bill generally applies to public and private employers, including schools, colleges, and universities, barring any mandate for a vaccine that does not have a biologics license from the Food and Drug Administration. The bill excludes a few groups from the ability to seek exemptions: employees of children’s hospitals, those working in intensive or critical care units of hospitals, students whose education involves training in those settings, and employers involved in infectious disease research who are subject to federal orders. Also included in the legislation is a bar on requiring proof of vaccination for entry to government facilities, including facilities leased to private organization — a detail that encompasses some of the state’s professional sports stadiums.
The Ohio Department of Health is directed under the bill to set rules for how frequently employees or students claiming the natural immunity exemption would need to be re-tested to demonstrate the continued presence of antibodies.