Republican lawmakers in South Carolina introduced a bill that would make it illegal for employers to ask for vaccination status.
The bill’s author said the legislation is needed because unvaccinated individuals are suffering consequences.
“We have people in South Carolina that are losing their jobs because they have to report to their employer that they’re unvaccinated,” the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mike Burns, told Fox News. “We also have people who are having their insurance rates put in a different category. They're charging up to an extra $100 a week more than the vaccinated people. It is absolutely insane to do this kind of thing.”
The legislation would make it a criminal offense for any business, nonprofit, employer or public entity to request a person’s vaccination status.
“I’m our employer, and I asked you if you’re pregnant, I can’t do that,” Burns said. “I can’t ask you if you’re thinking about getting pregnant. I can’t ask you if you got STDs or HIV. I can’t ask any of those private medical questions, but somehow it’s alright to terminate people’s employment because I didn’t take this emergency-use-only vaccine. This is ridiculous.”
Burns introduced the legislation on January 20th along with Reps. Patrick Haddon, Steven Long, Bill Chumley, Sandy McGarry and Vic Dabney.
The bill makes asking vaccination status a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $14,000 and/or one year in jail.
