This bill addresses the powers and duties related to state disaster emergencies and public health disasters, specifically prohibiting the governor from regulating religious institutions and practices during such emergencies. It establishes that the governor cannot issue measures in a disaster proclamation that unduly interfere with the operations of religious institutions or impede individual religious practices. The bill also modifies the duration of a state of disaster emergency from thirty days to fifteen days, allowing the general assembly to extend or amend the proclamation in fifteen-day increments. Additionally, it outlines restrictions on measures that can be dictated in a proclamation, including those affecting constitutional rights, private businesses, and health-related professions.

Furthermore, the bill revises the authority of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) during public health disasters. It limits HHS to recommending, rather than ordering, vaccinations, physical examinations, and treatments, ensuring that individuals have the ultimate authority to accept or decline these recommendations without undue pressure. The bill also stipulates that isolation or quarantine for infected individuals cannot exceed the longest usual incubation period for the specific communicable disease. Additionally, it modifies the requirements for vaccination exemptions in schools, allowing for exemptions based on sincerely held religious beliefs, even during emergencies or epidemics.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 29C.6, 135.140, 139A.8