Idaho lawmakers introduced a second piece of legislation that aims to make vaccine injuries following an employer-mandated vaccination compensable in workers’ compensation.

HB 593, introduced Thursday, largely mirrors language in HB 464, introduced in January following a failed measure in 2021.

However, HB 593 also includes the statement that it “is the public policy of the state of Idaho, consistent with the constitutionally recognized and inalienable rights of liberty, that every person within the state of Idaho is and shall be free to choose or decline to choose any mode of securing health care services without penalty or threat of penalty. Whether an employer may legally mandate that an employee receive a COVID-19 vaccination is not settled, and this section is not intended to resolve that question.”

While the new measure was sent for printing, HB 464 was sent to the House Commerce & Human Resources Committee.

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