California lawmakers introduce employer vaccine mandate bill

California lawmakers are considering a bill that would require both public and private employers to enforce a vaccine mandate for employees.

A.B. 1993, introduced Thursday, states “an employer shall require each employee or independent contractor to provide proof to the employer, or an authorized agent thereof, that the person has been vaccinated against COVID-19.”

The bill states a person is considered vaccinated against COVID-19 if the person has received the first dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine authorized by the Food and Drug Administration or the World Health Organization, provides proof of that first dose, and provides proof of receiving the second dose of the vaccine within 45 days after receiving the first dose.

The bill exempts workers with medical conditions or disabilities or who have sincerely held religious beliefs against the COVID-19 vaccine.

If passed the mandate would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023, and would be repealed “when the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices determines that COVID-19 vaccinations are no longer necessary for the health and safety of individuals.”