In the near future, we will be reintroducing SB 446, which would ensure that members and employees of the PA National Guard and PA Air National Guard will never be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

Both in times of war and peace, the National Guard and Air National Guard have stepped up to protect our citizens and to defend our nation. Whether it’s supporting war operations or responding to natural disasters and state emergencies, the Commonwealth can always count on our Guard members to answer the call to duty.

President Biden directed the Department of Defense to impose a COVID vaccine mandate on the men and women of our armed forces. Since that time, the National Guard has missed its recruiting target by 10 percent, and 7,500 members have left the service. According to the CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VEARS), there have been over 2,000 reports of myocarditis or pericarditis among individuals aged 30 years and younger shortly following a COVID-19 vaccination. As part of the National Defense Authorization Act passed in 2023, the federal COVID vaccine mandate has been revoked. Now, it’s time for the General Assembly to codify a ban on COVID vaccine mandates for our National Guard.

Our legislation would:
*Provide that no member or employee of the PA National Guard or Air National Guard may be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
*Prohibit any administration or legal action from being taken against a member or employee based solely on the member’s refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
*Allow any member or employee of the PA National Guard or Air National Guard that was dismissed or forced to resign related to the member or employee’s refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccine to rejoin the PA National Guard or Air National Guard with the restoration of any lost benefit and payment in the time between their involuntary separation and reinstatement

SB 446 was sponsored by Senators Mastriano, Pennycuick, Dush, Bartolotta, Brooks, Hutchinson and J. Ward.