Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5916 Compare Versions

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

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5	5	2023 -- H 5916
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7	7	LC001966
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9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- COVID-19 VACCINATION MANDATE
16	16	PROHIBITED
17	17	Introduced By: Representatives J. Brien, Corvese, Cardillo, Place, Noret, and Phillips
18	18	Date Introduced: March 01, 2023
19	19	Referred To: House Judiciary
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22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Title 23 of the General Laws entitled "HEALTH AND SAFETY" is hereby 1
24	24	amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 2
25	25	CHAPTER 99 3
26	26	COVID-19 IMMUNIZATION MANDATE PROHIBITED 4
27	27	23-99-1. Short title. 5
28	28	This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “COVID-19 Immunization Mandate 6
29	29	Prohibited”. 7
30	30	23-99-2. COVID-19 immunization mandate by governmental entity prohibited. 8
31	31	(a) No governmental entity shall implement, require or otherwise enforce a COVID-19 9
32	32	immunization mandate. 10
33	33	(b) For purposes of this section, a "governmental entity" means any executive, legislative, 11
34	34	judicial, regulatory, or administrative body of the state, or any political subdivision thereof; 12
35	35	including, but not limited to: any department, division, agency, commission, board, office, bureau, 13
36	36	authority; any school, fire, or water district, or other agency of Rhode Island state or local 14
37	37	government that exercises governmental functions; any authority as defined in § 42-35-1; or any 15
38	38	other public or private agency, person, partnership, corporation, or business entity acting on behalf 16
39	39	of and/or in place of any public agency. 17
40	40	23-99-3. Complaint. 18
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43	43	LC001966 - Page 2 of 3
44	44	(a) Any individual who believes that a governmental entity has violated the provisions of 1
45	45	§§ 23-99-2 or 23-99-4 may file a complaint with the office of the attorney general in the manner 2
46	46	prescribed by the office of the attorney general. 3
47	47	(b) The office of the attorney general shall investigate all complaints filed pursuant to 4
48	48	subsection (a) of this section. The office of the attorney general may also investigate any 5
49	49	governmental entity that the attorney general has reason to believe has violated §§ 23-99-2 or 23-6
50	50	99-4. 7
51	51	(c) If the office of the attorney general determines that a violation of §§ 23-99-2 or 23-99-8
52	52	4 has occurred, the office of the attorney general may issue a civil penalty against the governmental 9
53	53	entity in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) per violation payable to the 10
54	54	agrieved individual. 11
55	55	23-99-4. Discrimination and civil or criminal penalties prohibited. 12
56	56	A governmental entity shall not discriminate against any individual or issue a civil or 13
57	57	criminal penalty upon any individual for refusing any COVID-19 vaccination. 14
58	58	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 15
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60	60	LC001966
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64	64	LC001966 - Page 3 of 3
65	65	EXPLANATION
66	66	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
67	67	OF
68	68	A N A C T
69	69	RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- COVID-19 VACCINATION MANDA TE
70	70	PROHIBITED
71	71	***
72	72	This act would prohibit any governmental entity from mandating the COVID-19 1
73	73	vaccination, or from discriminating against any individual or issuing a civil or criminal penalty 2
74	74	upon any individual for refusing any COVID-19 vaccination with enforcement by the attorney 3
75	75	general by way of a civil penalty payable to the individual. 4
76	76	This act would take effect upon passage. 5
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78	78	LC001966
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