Arkansas 2023 1st Special Session

Arkansas Senate Bill SB3 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2	2	Act 4 of the First Extraordinary Session
3	3	JMB462 9/8/2023 2:20:43 PM JMB462
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5	5	State of Arkansas Call Item 3 1
6	6	94th General Assembly A Bill 2
7	7	First Extraordinary Session, 2023 SENATE BILL 3 3
8	8	4
9	9	By: Senators J. Bryant, Irvin, B. Davis, Hester, J. Dotson, Dees, C. Penzo, A. Clark, Crowell, J. English, 5
10	10	Flippo, Gilmore, K. Hammer, Hill, B. Johnson, M. McKee, Stone, D. Sullivan 6
11	11	By: Representatives Beaty Jr., Achor, Andrews, Barker, Beck, Bentley, Breaux, Brooks, K. Brown, 7
12	12	Burkes, Joey Carr, John Carr, Cavenaugh, C. Cooper, Cozart, Crawford, Duke, Evans, Fortner, Furman, 8
13	13	Gazaway, Haak, Hawk, D. Hodges, Holcomb, Hollowell, Long, Lundstrum, Lynch, Maddox, McAlindon, 9
14	14	McClure, McGrew, B. McKenzie, McNair, S. Meeks, Milligan, Painter, Puryear, Ray, Richmond, Rose, 10
15	15	Rye, Schulz, M. Shepherd, Underwood, Unger, Vaught, Wardlaw, Warren, Watson, Wing 11
16	16	12
17	17	For An Act To Be Entitled 13
18	18	AN ACT TO PROHIBIT T HE GOVERNMENT FROM M ANDATING A 14
19	19	VACCINATION OR IMMUN IZATION FOR CORONAVI RUS 2019 15
20	20	(COVID-19) OR ANY SUBVARIAN TS OF CORONAVIRUS 20 19 16
21	21	(COVID-19), OR BOTH; TO ENS URE THAT THE DEPARTM ENT OF 17
22	22	HEALTH MAINTAINS INF ORMATION ABOUT POTEN TIAL RISKS 18
23	23	AND HARMS OF THE VAC CINATION OR IMMUNIZA TION FOR 19
24	24	CORONAVIRUS 2019 (CO VID-19) AND ANY SUBVARIA NTS OF 20
25	25	CORONAVIRUS 2019 (CO VID-19); TO REQUIRE AGEN CIES THAT 21
26	26	ARE REQUIRED TO MAND ATE VACCINATION OR I MMUNIZATION 22
27	27	FOR CORONAVIRUS 2019 (COVID-19) OR ANY SUBVARIANTS OF 23
28	28	CORONAVIRUS 2019 (CO VID-19), OR BOTH, TO REC EIVE 24
29	29	NECESSARY FEDERAL FU NDING TO OBTAIN APPR OVAL FROM THE 25
30	30	LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL; TO DECLARE AN EMERGE NCY; AND FOR 26
31	31	OTHER PURPOSES. 27
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33	33	29
34	34	Subtitle 30
35	35	TO PROHIBIT THE GOVERNMENT FROM MANDATING 31
36	36	A VACCINATION OR IMMUNIZATION FOR 32
37	37	CORONAVIRUS 2019 (COVID -19) OR ANY 33
38	38	SUBVARIANTS OF CORONAVIRUS 2019 (COVID -34
39	39	19), OR BOTH; AND TO DECLARE AN 35
40	40	EMERGENCY. 36 SB3
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47	47	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 3
48	48	4
49	49	SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 20, Chapter 7, Subchapter 1, is amended 5
50	50	to add an additional section to read as follows: 6
51	51	20-7-146. Prohibition on requirement for vaccine or immunization for 7
52	52	coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) or any subvariants of coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) 8
53	53	— Definition. 9
54	54	(a) As used in this section, “coerce” means: 10
55	55	(1) Using physical violence, threats, intimidation, or 11
56	56	retaliation with the purpose of causing a reasonable individual of ordinary 12
57	57	susceptibilities to acquiesce when the individual otherwise would not; 13
58	58	(2) Making conditional a private or public benefit, including 14
59	59	without limitation employment, promotion, or another employment benefit, with 15
60	60	the purpose of causing a reasonable individual of ordinary susceptibilities 16
61	61	to acquiesce when the individual otherwise would not; or 17
62	62	(3) Using any other means with the purpose of causing a 18
63	63	reasonable individual of ordinary susceptibilities to acquiesce when the 19
64	64	individual otherwise would not. 20
65	65	(b) The state, a state agency or entity, a political subdivision of 21
66	66	the state, or a state or local official shall not mandate or require an 22
67	67	individual to receive a vaccine or immunization for coronavirus 2019 (COVID -23
68	68	19) or any subvariants of coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19), or both. 24
69	69	(c) Receiving a vaccine or immunization for coronavirus 2019 (CO VID-25
70	70	19) or any subvariants of coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19), or both, shall not be 26
71	71	a condition of education, employment, entry, or services from the state or a 27
72	72	state agency or entity or for obtaining a licensure, certificate, or permit 28
73	73	from a state agency or entity. 29
74	74	(d) The Department of Health shall maintain information and data on 30
75	75	any potential risks and harms associated with the administration of the 31
76	76	vaccine or immunization for coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) and any subvariants 32
77	77	of coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19), and shall make the information and data 33
78	78	publicly available. 34
79	79	(e) The state, a state agency or entity, a political subdivision of 35
80	80	the state, or a state or local official shall not discriminate against or 36 SB3
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85	85	coerce in any way an individual for refusing to r eceive a vaccine or 1
86	86	immunization for coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) or any subvariants of 2
87	87	coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19), or both, including without limitation: 3
88	88	(1) Coercing an employee into consenting to receive a vaccine or 4
89	89	immunization for coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) or any subvariants of 5
90	90	coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19), or both; 6
91	91	(2) Withholding the opportunity for career advancement from an 7
92	92	employee who does not consent to receiving a vaccine or immunization for 8
93	93	coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) or any subvariant s of coronavirus 2019 (COVID -9
94	94	19), or both; or 10
95	95	(3) Withholding a salary, a wage increase, insurance, or 11
96	96	insurance discounts from an employee who does not consent to receiving a 12
97	97	vaccine or immunization for coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) or any subvariants of 13
98	98	coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19), or both. 14
99	99	(f) If the state, a state agency or entity, a political subdivision of 15
100	100	the state, or a state or local official determines that necessary federal 16
101	101	funding is dependent upon an individual in this state receiving a vacc ine or 17
102	102	immunization for coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) or any subvariants of 18
103	103	coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19), or both, the state, state agency or entity, 19
104	104	political subdivision of the state, or state or local official shall receive 20
105	105	approval from the Legislative Co uncil to mandate or require the individual to 21
106	106	receive a vaccine or immunization for coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) or any 22
107	107	subvariants of coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19), or both, before mandating or 23
108	108	requiring an individual to receive a vaccine or immunization for coronavirus 24
109	109	2019 (COVID-19) or any subvariants of coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19), or both. 25
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111	111	SECTION 2. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 27
112	112	General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that in April 2023, the United 28
113	113	States Food and Drug Admini stration found almost all the United States 29
114	114	population who are five (5) years of age and older now have antibodies 30
115	115	against coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19); that the prohibitions concerning 31
116	116	government mandates or requirements for an individual to receive a vacc ine or 32
117	117	immunization for coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) under Arkansas Code § 20 -7-143 33
118	118	have expired and citizens of this state have expressed increased concern 34
119	119	regarding the expiration of this state law; that citizens of this state have 35
120	120	still expressed concern s about being forced to receive a vaccination or 36 SB3
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125	125	immunization for coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) or any subvariants of 1
126	126	coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) without consideration of their religious, 2
127	127	philosophical, or medical reasons or information about the potential r isks 3
128	128	and harms of a vaccine or immunization for coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) or any 4
129	129	subvariants of coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19); and that this act is immediately 5
130	130	necessary to protect the safety and health of the citizens of this state who 6
131	131	have religious, philosophical, or medical reasons or who have concerns about 7
132	132	the safety of the vaccine or immunization for coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) or 8
133	133	any subvariants of coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) and to provide clarity as to 9
134	134	the state law regarding the prohibitions on r equirements for an individual to 10
135	135	receive a vaccine or immunization for coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19) or any 11
136	136	subvariants of coronavirus 2019 (COVID -19). Therefore, an emergency is 12
137	137	declared to exist, and this act being immediately necessary for the 13
138	138	preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall become effective 14
139	139	on: 15
140	140	(1) The date of its approval by the Governor; 16
141	141	(2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, 17
142	142	the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may ve to the 18
143	143	bill; or 19
144	144	(3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is 20
145	145	overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto. 21
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148	148	APPROVED: 9/14/23 24
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