As California begins to shift from pandemic to endemic in its approach to COVID-19, it’s raising questions about how it will impact proposed legislation that would mandate proof of vaccination status in employment.
There are a number of concerns about the AB 1993 vaccination requirement, John Kabateck, California state director with the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), told the Northern California Record.
“Even our state public health secretary made it clear that this is now going to be accepted in a milder capacity as a way of life,” Kabateck said. “AB 1993 flies directly in the face of what the governor himself and policymakers on both sides of the aisle are recognizing, so the question being asked is why on earth would a policy that creates a more strict and onerous environment in the workplace be necessary?”
AB 1993 was introduced Feb. 10 by Assemblymembers Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Napa, Evan Low, D-San Jose, and Akilah Weber, D-San Diego. As written, employers would have to require, and employees would have to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
“We’ve talked to our members, and I think many of them would be very comfortable with a permissive vaccination that would allow employers to determine what they felt was best for their business; this one out right now is just wrong,” Kabateck said. “We are right to be cautious but to impose this kind of mandate is just more than a small employer can do right now.”
Meanwhile the Senate resolution to end the state of emergency, introduced by Sen. Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, on Thursday was given a hearing date of March 15.
Kabateck noted the NFIB also was successful in the U.S. Supreme Court case which eliminated the OSHA vaccine mandate at the federal level.
At this stage, Kabateck emphasized that legislators should be focusing on pro-economy policies that keep recovery moving forward.
“Voters this year, fortunately, have the opportunity to hold those activists and incumbents accountable,” Kabateck said. “And if they’re not doing their jobs, they can vote them out and find a better person to fill that spot.”