An attorney says Idaho should adopt a health policy that would make vaccine status a private medical record that employees could refuse to make available to employers as a way to thwart President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate.
Christ Troupis told the Committee on Federalism that such a law would insulate employers from potential federal penalties involving COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
That was one of the ideas the committee that deals with state sovereignty issues heard during the full-day hearing that included public testimony, with most speakers testifying against the mandates. The committee took no action, but plans to meet again Tuesday.
The committee is looking for potential legislation that could draw enough support among lawmakers to reconvene the Legislature before it meets for its regular session in January. The committee had been scheduled to meet next week but bumped up the meeting after President Biden announced the vaccine mandates earlier this month.
Many Idaho Republican lawmakers are angry with the requirements, and some want the Idaho House and Senate to reconvene immediately to outlaw such mandates.
But so far, lawmakers haven’t been able to agree on a specific piece of legislation that House and Senate leaders say is needed to call lawmakers back to Boise.
The sweeping vaccine mandates affect 100 million Americans, requiring that employers with more than 100 workers require employees to be vaccinated or tested weekly for the virus.
Additionally, employees at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid will have to be fully vaccinated, affecting more than 17 million health care workers.
The requirement for large companies to mandate vaccinations or weekly testing for employees will be enacted through a forthcoming rule from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that carries penalties of $14,000 per violation. (AP)
