Republican state lawmakers are working to prohibit any requirement of so-called COVID-19 “vaccine passports” in Pennsylvania, saying they could trigger discrimination against people who cannot or do not want to get vaccinated. The plan is to issue a bill that would formally propose the ban. The move came as a national debate over the possible use of proof-of-vaccination documents intensified. New York already has one in use, and on Friday Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order banning businesses from requiring them in order for customers to get service in his state. While no formal proposal has been made in Pennsylvania, lawmakers including Senator Judy Ward of Blair County say they wanted to be proactive. They say while they believe that every Pennsylvanian who wants a COVID-19 vaccine should have the opportunity to receive one, those who cannot get the vaccine due to medical reasons, arbitrary vaccine deployment phases created by the governor, or personal choice should not be discriminated against by their own government. If private business owners want to require proof of vaccination, they have the right to do it. The state lawmakers say their bill would “prohibit the use of vaccine passports from being required by citizens to participate in routine activities.”
