PRINTER'S NO. 143 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA SENATE BILL No.193 Session of 2025 INTRODUCED BY MASTRIANO, DUSH, BARTOLOTTA, BROOKS, HUTCHINSON AND J. WARD, JANUARY 29, 2025 REFERRED TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, JANUARY 29, 2025 AN ACT Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Pennsylvania National Guard, providing for vaccine exemption. The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows: Section 1. Title 51 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a section to read: ยง 2318. Vaccine exemption. (a) Exemption.--In accordance with section 525 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263), no member or employee of the Pennsylvania National Guard or Air National Guard may be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. No administrative or legal actions may be taken against a member or employee of the Pennsylvania National Guard or Air National Guard based solely on the member's refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. (b) Restoration.--Any member or employee of the Pennsylvania National Guard or Air National Guard that was dismissed or 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 forced to resign related to the member's or employee's refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccine shall be permitted to rejoin the Pennsylvania National Guard or Air National Guard with the restoration of any lost benefit and payment in the time between the involuntary separation of the individual and reinstatement. (c) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "COVID-19." The novel coronavirus as identified in the Governor's proclamation of disaster emergency issued on March 6, 2020, published at 50 Pa.B. 1644 (March 21, 2020). "COVID-19 vaccine." A vaccine for COVID-19 that has received emergency use authorization or approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration. Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately. 20250SB0193PN0143 - 2 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15