The proposed bill, known as the Privacy and Conscience Protection Act, amends existing laws regarding discrimination in employment to include protections related to the disclosure of medical status, specifically vaccination or immunization status for COVID-19 and its variants. It modifies 25 O.S. 2021, Section 1101, to expand the definition of discrimination to include "disclosure of medical privacy." The bill mandates that public and private employers must allow employees or contractors to refuse to disclose their vaccination status and provides a certification of disclosure exemption that employees can submit to their employers. Employers are required to accept this certification without question and maintain it in the employee's file.

Additionally, the bill outlines specific requirements for employers regarding the implementation of vaccination policies, including prohibiting discrimination against employees who refuse to disclose their vaccination status. It establishes that any violation of these provisions will be classified as a misdemeanor, with enforcement jurisdiction granted to the Office of the Attorney General. The bill also includes provisions for reasonable accommodations for those who refuse to disclose their vaccination status, such as wearing masks or undergoing periodic testing, with costs borne by the employer. An emergency clause is included, allowing the act to take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 25-1101