Freedom of Conscience Act
Freedom of Conscience Act
Draft legislation for Rep. Benninghoff and Sen. Corman to introduce into Pennsylvania House and Senate
Adapted for Pennsylvania from Draft 55 of 2022 South Dakota Legislature, 97th Legislative Session, requested by representatives Hansen and Odenbach
Cut, paste and send via email to:
PA Representative Kerry Benninghoff - kbenning@pahousegop.com
PA Senator Jake Corman - jcorman@pasen.gov
Directories of Pennsylvania Senators and Representatives.
An Act to protect an individual's freedom of conscience from entities requiring the COVID-19 vaccine.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA:
Section 1. This Act shall be referred to as the COVID-19 Vaccine Freedom of Conscience Act
Section 2. That a NEW SECTION be added:
…Conscience defined. For the purpose of this Act, conscience means a person's inner conviction of what is right or wrong in his or her conduct.
Section 3. That a NEW SECTION be added.
...Right of Conscience. A person has the right to be exempt from any COVID-19 vaccination mandate, requirement, obligation or demand on the basis that receiving a COVID-19 vaccination violates his or her conscience. A person may exercise their right to be exempt under this Act orally or in writing.
Section 4. That a NEW SECTION be added.
...Right of Conscience -- Protections. No person shall be subjected to any disciplinary action; being terminated, demoted or losing employment status in any way; loss of student status, including status in a particular study program; nor shall any person be denied access to any business premises as a result of his or her decision to decline to receive a COVID-19 vaccination on the basis of conscience.
Section 5. That a NEW SECTION be added.
...Right of Conscience -- Notice of Right. Any entity or agent of any entity which mandates or requires any person to receive a COVID-19 vaccination or conditions any person's job or student status upon receiving a COVID-19 vaccination must inform the person of their right to the conscience exemption under this Act.
Section 6. That a NEW SECTION be added.
...Violation of Conscience -- Damages -- Injunctive relief. A civil action for damages or injunctive relief, or both, may be brought by any person for any violation of any provision of this Act. A person aggrieved by any violation of this Act who commences a civil action shall be entitled, upon the finding of a violation, to recover threefold his or her actual damages sustained, along with the costs of the action and reasonable attorney's fees.
It’s not about a virus.
And it never was.