Lawmaker: Don’t Use Vax Status To Deny Services, Rights

A person’s COVID-19 vaccination status could not be used as a basis for denial of rights and services, under a bill introduced in the Delaware General Assembly.

Representative Rich Collins, R-Millsboro said Thursday that people who may not want to be vaccinated due to religious objections or or other reasons have rights equal to those of the vaccinated population. Collins’ bill (HB 209) would prevent a requirement that someone be vaccinated against coronavirus or show proof of vaccination to receive a benefit or service available to the public.

“There are some people that may have religious objections,” Collins said.  “Others may believe that the vaccine poses a bigger threat than contracting the virus.  In any case, our citizens have the right of self-determination, the right to worship as they see fit, and the expectation that their health care privacy will be respected.  My bill seeks to safeguard these citizens’ protections as it relates to the administration of the vaccine.”

The legislation would apply to any order issued by the governor under the ongoing State of Emergency. It would also apply to any agency, county or municipal government or other entity receiving at least $10-million in annual state funding such as Delaware Tech, The University of Delaware and Delaware State University.

UD and DSU have announced that students who return to campus for the fall semester will be required to show proof of a coronavirus vaccination.

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Any individual or organization covered by the bill could “not adopt or issue a regulation, ordinance, law, order, or similar policy that requires an individual to undergo medical vaccination against COVID-19, or prove that the individual has been vaccinated against COVID-19, to exercise a lawful right or receive a benefit or service that is available to the public.”