ACTION ALERT: Please Ask Legislators to SUPPORT HB1171 Which Prohibits Employers from Terminating Employees Who Decline Covid-19 Vaccination
TEXT OF HB1171 – Labor and Employment – Maryland Employee Protection Plan for Vaccine Refusal:
Prohibiting an employer from terminating an employee solely on the basis of the employee’s refusal to receive a vaccination against COVID-19; specifying that an employee waives the right to file a civil action against the employer if the employee refuses to receive a certain vaccination and the employee contracts COVID-19 in the course of employment; etc.
why icm SUPPORTS HB1171
- This bill seeks to protect Maryland employees from termination if they decline Covid-19 vaccination. This is particularly important for Covid-19 vaccines, which have not undergone animal testing or rigorous human trials. Covid-19 vaccines are currently administered under FDA Emergency Use Authorization, which does not legally allow any requirement or mandate; yet many Maryland residents are being compelled by employers to take Covid-19 vaccines.
- This protection is particularly important to establish for Covid-19 vaccination, given that Maryland has been operating under a State of Emergency for nearly a year despite remarkably high survival rates for Covid-19 and no collapse or lapse in availability of critical care for Covid-19 patients. Network news coverage of the pandemic and policies being implemented across the state and the country indicate a strong likelihood of efforts to mandate Covid-19 vaccination, which would be an ineffective and inappropriate response to the pandemic.
- In particular, there is no compelling or comprehensive evidence that any Covid-19 vaccine currently authorized for use prevents infection or transmission of the virus; the vaccines are designed to reduce the severity and virulence of illness if a vaccine recipient is exposed and/or becomes infected. Therefore, mandating Covid-19 vaccination in schools and workplaces is not a reasonable or justified intervention to protect other employees or the public.
- No Covid-19 vaccine currently authorized for use has undergone animal tests or rigorous human trials. As of March 5th, 2021, there are 1,517 adverse events associated with U.S. Covid-19 vaccination reported in VAERS. Of those, 1,051 are deaths. This adverse event rate exceeds the rate of influenza vaccine reactions by 20-30 fold; and according to a 2010 Harvard University study, the events reported in VAERS represent less than 1% of all adverse events which occur.
- Covid-19 has >99% survival rates, which are comparable to influenza and other upper respiratory infections for the vast majority of Maryland residents under age 65. There is no comprehensive or compelling evidence that Covid-19 vaccination prevents transmission of the virus to the most vulnerable populations; therefore mandating vaccination in the workplace is unjustified.
Who to contact about HB1171
There will be a hearing for HB1171 before the Economic Matters Committee on 3/9/21 at 1:30 PM.
URGENT: We’re asking all members to contact Delegate Charles, and call and email the members of Economic Matters Committee, to let them know, in your own words, why you support HB1171!
We are also asking members interested in doing so to submit written testimony for the upcoming hearing. Written testimony may be submitted to bill sponsor Delegate Nick Charles’ office via the email link below. WRITTEN TESTIMONY MUST BE SUBMITTED BETWEEN 8:00 A.M. AND 3:00 P.M. ON FRIDAY, 3/5/2021. Please see the MGA web page for further instructions.
Please contact Delegate Charles with messages of support, and post positive messages on his Facebook page
Delegate Nick Charles
Phone 410-841-3707 | 301-858-3707 Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3707
e-mail: Nick.Charles@house.state.md.us
If you’re a constituent of his – in District 25 – let him know!
Please copy and paste the following email addresses of the Economic Matters Committee members into the BCC section of your email in opposition of HB1171:
Please call the offices of the Economic Matters Committee members in opposition of HB1171:
Delegate Dereck E. Davis
Phone 410-841-3519 | 301-858-3519
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3519
Delegate Kathleen M. Dumais
Phone 410-841-3052 | 301-858-3052
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3052
Delegate Christopher T. Adams
Phone 410-841-3343 | 301-858-3343
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3343
Delegate Steven J. Arentz
Phone 410-841-3543 | 301-858-3543
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3543
Delegate Talmadge Branch
Phone 410-841-3398 | 301-858-3398
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3398
Delegate Benjamin Brooks
Phone 410-841-3352 | 301-858-3352
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3352
Delegate Ned Carey
Phone 410-841-3047 | 301-858-3047
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3047
Delegate Lorig Charkoudian
Phone 410-841-3423 | 301-858-3423
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3423
Delegate Brian M. Crosby
Phone 410-841-3227 | 301-858-3227
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3227
Delegate Diana M. Fennell
Phone 410-841-3478 | 301-858-3478
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3478
Delegate Mark N. Fisher
Phone 410-841-3231 | 301-858-3231
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3231
Delegate Seth A. Howard
Phone 410-841-3439 | 301-858-3439
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3439
Delegate Rick Impallaria
Phone 410-841-3289 | 301-858-3289
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3289
Delegate Carl Jackson
Phone 410-841-3766 | 301-858-3766
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3766
Delegate Johnny Mautz
Phone 410-841-3429 | 301-858-3429
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3429
Delegate Jesse T. Pippy
Phone 410-841-3118 | 301-858-3118
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3118
Delegate Lily Qi
Phone 410-841-3090 | 301-858-3090
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3090
Delegate Pam Queen
Phone 410-841-3380 | 301-858-3380
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3380
Delegate Mike Rogers
Phone 410-841-3372 | 301-858-3372
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3372
Delegate Veronica Turner
Phone 410-841-3212 | 301-858-3212
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3212
Delegate Kriselda Valderrama
Phone 410-841-3210 | 301-858-3210
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3210
Delegate Jay Walker
Phone 410-841-3581 | 301-858-3581
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3581
Delegate Courtney Watson
Phone 410-841-3077 | 301-858-3077
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3077
Delegate C. T. Wilson
Phone 410-841-3325 | 301-858-3325
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3325
Please note: Rules for submitting written and oral testimony have changed this year due to Covid-19 restrictions, and can be viewed here. We’re asking members for phone calls, emails, and written testimony only at this time.
Please spread the word! Let’s flood the offices of Delegate Charles and the Economic Matters committee members with polite, respectful, forceful emails and phone calls. They need to hear our voices!
Please consider joining ICM’s free Telegram group where you’ll find like minds instead of arguments, as well as helpful resources for navigating vaccine data, mandates, exemptions and more.