Ohio Attorney General rejects proposal to ban vaccine requirements for fourth time

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has rejected a proposed bill that would ban some vaccine requirements and sharing of vaccination status.

This is the fourth time this proposal has been rejected. According to Springfield News-Sun, the previous version of the bill was rejected due to problems with the summary and another time due to insufficient signatures.

The Attorney General’s Office said this version was rejected because the summary was not a “fair and truthful representation” of the proposed bill. In a response letter, they said that “the summary does not properly advise a potential signer of the proposed statute’s character and limitations.”

The specific issues with the summary included that it said that the bill will impose restrictions on businesses that it does not. Additionally, the summary said the bill will give businesses certain legal protections that it does not, and it doesn’t indicate whether an “estate” or “trust” would be part of that protected category.

The proposed bill, called the “Vaccine Choice and Anti-Discrimination Act,” would ban any person, agencies, employers, and others from requiring or requesting someone to get a vaccine. This would not include vaccines already required by Ohio law.

The bill would also ban denying service to a person based on vaccination status. The bill would allow an individual to sue someone if they believe a person from the groups stated in the bill was violating the statute.