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HB0059 • 2024

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 civil penalty; providing definitions; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.

Healthcare
Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor
Representative Ward
Last action
2024-02-16
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2024

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Stopping Discrimination About Masks, Vaccines, and Tests

This act stops businesses from discriminating against people based on their mask-wearing habits, vaccination status, or medical testing results.

What This Bill Does

  • It makes it illegal for anyone to refuse services, goods, facilities, advantages, or privileges to someone because of their mask-wearing habit, vaccination status, or refusal to take a COVID-19 test.
  • It bans businesses from advertising that they require customers to wear masks, be vaccinated, or get tested as a condition for using their services.
  • It allows people who are discriminated against to sue the business and receive up to $5,000 in damages.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Businesses that offer public goods or services
  • People who use these businesses

Terms To Know

COVID-19 medical testing
Tests to detect, diagnose, or monitor COVID-19, including molecular tests and blood tests.
Face covering
A mask or protective cover for the mouth and nose used to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass, so it has no legal effect.
  • It only applies if the bill had become law before March 1, 2024.

Bill History

  1. 2024-02-16 House

    H Did not Consider for Introduction

  2. 2024-01-24 House

    H Received for Introduction

  3. 2024-01-11 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
24LSO-0259
2024
STATE OF WYOMING
24LSO-0259
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0059

Prohibiting mask, vaccine and testing discrimination.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Ward, Allemand, Angelos, Bear, Haroldson, Heiner, Hornok, Jennings, Locke, Neiman, Penn, Slagle, Smith, Strock and Trujillo

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 civil penalty; providing definitions; making conforming amendments; 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 face coverings, vaccination status and medical testing; penalty.

(a)

As used in this section:

(i)

"COVID
‑
19" means the novel coronavirus identified as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS
‑
CoV
‑
2), any disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS
‑
CoV
‑
2), its viral fragments or a virus mutating therefrom and all conditions associated with the disease that are caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS
‑
CoV
‑
2), its viral fragments or a virus mutating therefrom;

(ii)

"COVID
‑
19 medical testing" means testing performed to detect, diagnose or monitor COVID
‑
19 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;

(iii)

"Face covering" means a mask or protective covering for the mouth and nose, typically worn to reduce the spread of COVID
‑
19;

(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 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 vaccination or booster status, whether a person is not wearing a face covering or whether a person refuses to submit to COVID
‑
19 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 vaccination or booster or is required to submit to COVID
‑
19 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 aggrieved by a violation of subsection (b) of this section may file a civil action to recover a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00).

Section 2
.

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)

1
HB0059