HB0066 • 2023

Prohibiting mask, vaccine and testing discrimination.

AN ACT relating to public health and safety; prohibiting discrimination and publishing or advertising based on a person's vaccination, face covering or medical testing status as specified; providing a criminal penalty; providing definitions; making conforming amendments; repealing immunization requirements; and providing for an effective date.

Budget Crime Healthcare

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor: Representative Ward
Last action: 2023-01-30
Official status: inactive
Effective date: 3/1/2023

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass in the session and is no longer active.

Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Masks, Vaccines, and Tests

This act makes it illegal to discriminate against people based on their mask-wearing habits, vaccination status, or medical testing results for infectious diseases.

What This Bill Does

Makes it a crime to refuse services, goods, facilities, advantages, or privileges to someone because of their mask-wearing habit, vaccine status, or willingness to take a test for an infectious disease.
Bans businesses from advertising that they require customers to wear masks, be vaccinated, or get tested as a condition for service.
Sets fines and jail time for those who break these rules.

Who It Names or Affects

Businesses and organizations offering public services
People seeking public services or goods

Terms To Know

Facial covering: A mask or cover for the mouth and nose to prevent spreading germs.
Medical testing: Tests done to check if someone has an infectious disease, like a blood test or swab.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass in the session and is no longer active.
It does not specify how businesses should handle health safety measures without requiring masks, vaccines, or tests.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB0066H2001

2nd reading • Representative Ward

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the type of penalty from criminal to civil for discrimination based on vaccination, face covering or medical testing status and sets a maximum fine of $5,000.

Changes the penalty for violating the bill's provisions from a criminal offense to a civil matter.
Sets a maximum civil penalty of $5,000 for violations.

HB0066H2002

2nd reading • Representative Ward

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the bill to specifically refer to COVID-19 instead of general infectious diseases or medical testing.

Replaces 'an infectious virus or disease' with 'COVID-19'.
Changes 'Medical testing' to 'COVID-19 medical testing'.
Removes 'disease' and replaces it with 'COVID-19'.
Adds 'COVID-19' before 'medical' in two places.

HB0066H2003

2nd reading • Representative Oakley

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment removes previous changes made by a standing committee and another second reading amendment, reverting certain parts of the bill.

Removes an earlier amendment from the House standing committee on page 1, line 4.
Eliminates an earlier amendment from the House standing committee on page 4, lines 1 through 4.

The exact content of the removed amendments is not provided in this text, so it's unclear what specific changes were made to the bill.

HB0066H2004

2nd reading • Representative Sommers

Withdrawn

Plain English: The amendment removes references to facial coverings and medical testing from a bill that aims to prohibit discrimination based on vaccination status.

Removes the term 'facial coverings' from the bill text.
Removes the phrase 'and medical testing;' from the bill text.
Deletes specific sections of the bill related to facial coverings and medical testing requirements.

The amendment does not provide details on how these changes will affect existing provisions or definitions within the bill.

HB0066H3001

3rd reading • Representative Crago

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds a provision to provide state funds if federal funding is withheld due to the bill's enactment.

Adds an appropriation of $847,854,106 from the legislative stabilization reserve account to the department of health to replace any federal funds withheld by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Wyoming’s Medical Assistance and Services Act.
Specifies that this funding is only for replacing withheld federal funds until June 30, 2024.

The exact conditions under which federal funding would be withheld are not detailed in the amendment text.

HB0066H3002

3rd reading • Representative Ward

Withdrawn

Plain English: The amendment adds an option for people to sue private entities that break certain rules about not discriminating based on vaccination, mask-wearing, or medical testing status.

Adds a new subsection (d) after existing subsections (a), (b), and (c).
Allows individuals who are harmed by violations of the bill's provisions to file a civil lawsuit against private entities.

The amendment text does not specify what kind of harm can be claimed in a lawsuit.
It is unclear how this new subsection interacts with existing legal frameworks for discrimination and privacy.

HB0066H3003

3rd reading • Representative Sommers

Withdrawn

Plain English: This amendment removes specific references to facial coverings, medical testing, and certain definitions related to those topics from a bill that aims to prohibit discrimination based on vaccination status.

Removes the term 'facial coverings' from the bill text.
Eliminates mentions of 'medical testing'.
Deletes specific sections and definitions related to facial coverings and medical testing.

The amendment does not provide a clear explanation for why these terms are being removed, which limits understanding of its full intent.

HB0066H3004

3rd reading • Representative Walters

Withdrawn

Plain English: The amendment to HB0066 adds an exception for commercial service airports, allowing them to discriminate based on vaccination, face covering or medical testing status.

Adds the phrase ', except a commercial service airport,' after the word 'person' in the bill.

The amendment text does not provide further details about how this exception for commercial service airports will be implemented or what specific actions these airports can take.
It is unclear if there are additional implications of this change that are not covered by the provided amendment text.

HB0066HS001

Standing Committee • House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment removes certain references to requirements related to the COVID-19 vaccine and testing in the bill text.

Removes language about publishing or advertising based on a person's vaccination status from the bill summary.
Deletes specific wording mentioning immunization requirements.
Modifies mentions of 'vaccination' by adding 'or booster' to include booster shots.
Eliminates certain lines that specify penalties and definitions related to discrimination.

The exact impact on the bill's overall meaning is not fully explained in the amendment text provided.

Bill History

2023-01-30 House
H 3rd Reading:Failed 29-32-1-0-0
2023-01-27 House
H 2nd Reading:Passed
2023-01-26 House
H COW:Passed
2023-01-20 House
H Placed on General File
2023-01-20 House
H10 - Labor:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-4-0-0-0
2023-01-13 House
H Introduced and Referred to H10 - Labor
2023-01-06 House
H Received for Introduction
2022-12-29 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

23LSO-0417
2023
STATE OF WYOMING
23LSO-0417
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0066

Prohibiting mask, vaccine and testing discrimination.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Ward, Allemand, Angelos, Banks, Haroldson, Hornok, Knapp, Locke, Ottman, Penn, Rodriguez-Williams, Slagle, Smith, Strock, Styvar and Winter and Senator(s) Hutchings and Salazar

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to public health and safety; prohibiting discrimination and publishing or advertising based on a person's vaccination, face covering or medical testing status as specified; providing a criminal penalty; providing definitions; making conforming amendments; repealing immunization requirements; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 35
‑
4
‑
140 is created to read:

35
‑
4
‑
140.

Discrimination based on facial coverings, vaccination status and medical testing; penalties.

(a)

As used in this section:

(i)

"COVID
‑
19" means as defined by W.S. 1
‑
1
‑
141(a)(ii);

(ii)

"Facial covering" means a mask or protective covering for the mouth and nose, typically worn to reduce the spread of an infectious virus or disease;

(iii)

"Medical testing" means testing performed to detect, diagnose or monitor an infectious virus or disease including, but not limited to, molecular testing, temperature checks, nasal swabbing, nasopharyngeal swabbing, oropharyngeal swabbing, saliva testing, antigen testing, antibody testing, urinalysis and blood testing;

(iv)

"Vaccination" means the act of administering a vaccine;

(v)

"Vaccine" means any substance including live, weakened or dead viruses designed to be administered to a person to produce immunity and prevent infectious viruses and diseases.

(b)

No person shall:

(i)

Refuse, withhold from or deny to a person any services, goods, facilities, advantages or privileges that are public in nature or that invite the patronage of the public based on a person's COVID
‑
19 or any other infectious virus or disease vaccination status, whether a person is not wearing a face covering or whether a person refuses to submit to medical testing;

(ii)

Publish, display or mail, either directly or indirectly, any communication, notice or advertisement that states that a person is required to wear a face covering, is required to have a COVID
‑
19 or any other infectious virus or disease vaccination or is required to submit to medical testing as a condition for receiving or accessing services, goods, facilities, advantages and privileges that are public in nature or that invite the patronage of the public.

(c)

Any person that violates subsection (b) of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) or by imprisonment for not to exceed one (1) year, or both.

Section 2.

W.S. 14
‑
4
‑
116, 21
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4
‑
309 and 21
‑
24
‑
104(c) are repealed.

Section 3
.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

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HB0066