Democratic California lawmakers have introduced a bill to mandate that both public and private employers require all their employees and contractors to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or face fines.
California State Assemblymember Buffy Wicks introduced Assembly Bill 1993 (AB-1993) on Thursday alongside fellow Democratic colleagues Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Evan Low, and Akilah Weber.
“This bill would require an employer to require each person who is an employee or independent contractor, and who is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, to show proof to the employer, or an authorized agent thereof, that the person has been vaccinated against COVID-19,” the lawmakers propose.
The legislation would allow for medical and religious exceptions from COVID vaccinations.
To determine what exactly constitutes a medical condition or disability that would prevent individuals from getting vaccinated, or what is a sincerely held religious belief, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) would have to consult with the State Department of Public Health (SDPH) and the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH).
The bill specifies that “vaccinated against COVID-19” means that “the person is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by a vaccine authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration or the World Health Organization.”
Notably, though, “authorized” means any vaccines that are allowed for use, including those that received emergency use authorization (EUA) in the United States, and those put on a so-called Emergency Use Listing (EUL) by WHO.
Only an advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) independent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) declaring that vaccination against COVID-19 was no longer necessary for “the health and safety of individuals” would repeal the bill, if passed.
The bill provides that on January 1, 2023, each employer would have to affirm that each employee or independent contractor is in compliance with the mandate or face a fine, the amount of which is yet to be determined.
Requiring proof of COVID vaccination for employment is viewed by the authors as a “matter of statewide concern” that would ensure “[protection] of the public health and well-being of the people of California.”
The Associated Press specifies that Wicks’ original draft would have allowed workers to submit to weekly testing as an alternative to getting vaccinated, yet this provision was removed from AB-1993.
The bill is about “getting back to some sense of normalcy so we can go on with our lives, and we don’t have these constant interruptions and outbreaks and all these things that we’ve been experiencing for so long,” Wicks claimed.
California State Senator Scott Wiener, who co-authored the bill, tweeted that he was proud of the legislation and stated that “the path to normalcy is through broad vaccination. Period.”
Scientifically, though, requiring people to get vaccinated in order to avoid COVID outbreaks does not make much sense, since the fully vaccinated and boosted people get infected and spread the virus to others at about the same rate as the unvaccinated, per the CDC.
“Telling people they can’t feed their family unless they get the vaccine is just wrong,” said Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, per AP. “I trust Californians enough to treat them like adults who can make their own health care decisions. It’s unfortunate that a few Democrats in the Legislature don’t.”
The California Policy Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to “eliminating public-sector barriers to freedom,” has set up a page through which Californians can register their approval or disapproval and take action regarding AB-1993.
Other Vax Diktats in California
AB-1993 is just the latest of several far-reaching COVID vaccination measures introduced in the Golden State.
Back in August, California became the first state in the nation to introduce a vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, thereby creating a labor shortage. As a result of the shortage, in January 2022 COVID-positive doctors and nurses were allowed to take care of the patients.
Also in August, Governor Gavin Newsom ordered all teachers to get vaccinated against COVID or submit to weekly testing.
And in October, Newsom announced that all K-12 students in the Golden State must get COVID shots once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully approves the vaccines for their age groups.
California Democratic State Senator Richard Pan decided to enshrine that mandate into law this January by introducing the “Keep Schools Open and Safe Act” (SB-871). Per the proposal, all students in K-12 schools will have to get vaccinated against COVID beginning January 23, 2023 in order to receive in-person instruction. Additionally, parents will no longer be able to invoke personal beliefs as a reason to not vaccinate their children.
Pan said that his bill would go further than Newsom’s order and would allow use of not only those vaccines fully approved by the FDA, but also those that only have emergency use authorization, i.e., those considered “investigational” or “experimental.”
Earlier, Senator Wiener introduced a bill called the “Teens Choose Vaccines Act” that would allow adolescents aged 12 to 17 to receive any vaccine — including COVID shots — without parental consent. Weiner argued that kids already can access birth-control and abortion pills; treatment for sexually transmitted infections and drug- and alcohol-related disorders; and other drugs without checking with parents first, so why not let them decide for themselves to get an experimental vaccine?
Many California parents continue to protest COVID vaccine mandates for students, faculty, and staff in the San Diego and Los Angeles Unified school districts.
