Rep. Carter Nordman Photo courtesy of ballotpedia.org

While the 89th Iowa General Assembly has officially wrapped up, there were various pieces of legislation signed into law throughout the session. 

House Representative for District 19 Carter Nordman says one of the bills that was signed into law was  banning the need for a vaccine passport. He points out the new law puts the power back in the hands of Iowans as it relates to making healthcare decisions.

“The vaccine passport bill that we passed is I think a great bill given that we have put healthcare decisions back in the hands of Iowans, right where they belong and you shouldn’t be discriminated against if you choose not to get a vaccine. I encourage people to do their research and go get one if it’s right for them but you should not be discriminated against if you choose to have a personal choice in not getting a vaccine.”

The law was signed by Governor Kim Reynolds and took immediate effect on May 20th, which imposes a penalty that would withhold state grants and contracts from businesses or local governments that require customers to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccine. Also it prevents state and local governments from including their status on government-issued ID cards.