Oklahoma Republican state Sen. Rob Standridge filed Senate Bill 1106 on Friday, titled the “Citizen Health Mandate Protection Act,” aimed making employers that mandate Covid-19 vaccines for employees liable for adverse effects.
If Senate Bill 1106 passes the state legislature, the bill would allow employees in both the public and private sector to bring a claim against an employer for an adverse health event caused by the employer’s vaccine mandate, according to Sen. Rob Standridge.
Employers could also face $1 million in punitive damages if mandated vaccines cause harm to the employee.
“Many Oklahomans may not know that COVID-19 vaccines have already been given liability protection from the federal government,” Standridge revealed in the press release. “If an employee is required to receive the vaccine or some other medical treatment as a condition of employment and it causes that person harm, our citizens need to know they’ll have some recourse that will provide them with meaningful relief. That’s what my legislation will do.”
What is interesting about this measure is that it will be the first legislative challenge against inoculation mandates implemented by the Biden administration.
Although Florida’s state legislature is expected to pass similar legislation penalizing employers and businesses that mandate vaccines, Oklahoma’s remains unique.
Rather than specifically implementing fines and penalties, the bill presents a legal precedent as to whether employers should be mandating vaccines in the first place by allowing employees to sue their employers if they developed serious liabilities such as injuries or additional illness associated with the injections.
However, the bill may not be considered until February 2022 when the legislature convenes for regular session.