HB2248

THE CONTEXT: Statute prohibits government entities from requiring a person to wear a mask or facial covering anywhere on the entity's premises, except where long-standing workplace safety and infection control measures unrelated to COVID-19 may be required and from requiring a person under 18 years old to receive a vaccination for COVID-19 or any variant without the consent of a parent or guardian (A. R.

WHAT THE BILL DID: Prohibits business entities, ticket issuers, schools and state, county and local government entities or officials from requiring a person to receive or use a medical intervention or discriminating against a person based on whether the person has received or used a medical intervention.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to give patients a defined set of rights and a clear informed-consent standard. It would prohibit a business entity from refusing to provide any service, product, admission to a venue or transportation to a person because the person has or has not received or used a medical intervention, and would also prohibit a business entity from requiring any medical intervention as a term of employment unless the employment requires travel to, or entry into a place of business or facility in, a foreign jurisdiction requiring a medical intervention as the only means of entry, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.