Relating to COVID-19 vaccination requirements by employers and unemployment insurance and including effective date provisions

This bill provides that an employer that requires an employee, including an applicant for employment, to receive a COVID-19 vaccine must waive the requirement if the employee, or, if the employee is a minor, the employee’s parent or legal guardian, requests a waiver and makes either of two submissions to the employer. The first submission is a statement that receiving the vaccine would be injurious to the health and well-being of the employee or an individual residing with the employee. The second submission is a statement that receiving the vaccine would conflict with the tenets and practices of a religion of which the employee is an adherent or member. The bill provides that an individual who is discharged from employment for refusing to receive a vaccination against COVID-19 shall not be disqualified for unemployment benefits on account of such discharge. The bill provides that if an employee is discharged from employment for refusing to receive a vaccination against COVID-19, the contribution rate and unemployment experience of any employer employing the employee, or an employer that previously employed the employee other than the employer that so discharged the employee, shall be unaffected by such discharge. The bill prohibits the department of workforce development from imposing any penalty on, or taking any other action otherwise permitted under Code chapter against, any employer employing the employee, or an employer that previously employed the employee other than the employer that so discharged the employee, as a result of such discharge. The bill takes effect upon enactment.