Roberts Bill Enforcing Ban of Vaccine Mandates for Students Passes Committee

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Sean Roberts, R-Hominy, today commented on the passage of House Bill 3718 through the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee.

The bill, authored by Roberts, adds an enforcement clause to last year’s legislation banning COVID-19 vaccines mandates, mask mandates and vaccine passports as a condition of admittance to, or attendance at, a state school.

“Last year, the Legislature did a great thing by passing legislation so that the children of our state would not be discriminated against at our state-run institutions and schools; unfortunately, there was no enforcement clause in this legislation,” Roberts said. “Within the past year, I have received numerous complaints from students who continue to face illegal discrimination from professors and faculty at state-run universities. Many of these students have faced discrimination in grading, or have had to drop entire classes, because some professors continue to willfully violate state law and discriminate against our students for exercising their individual liberty. This legislation will put a stop to that and protect our student’s rights.” 

HB 3718 allows a sheriff to have the authority to arrest any person, including, but not limited to, a superintendent, principal, administrator, teacher, school nurse, board member of the education district, university staff or other school staff for requiring a vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of admittance to or attendance of the school or institution; or for requiring a vaccine passport as a condition of admittance or attendance, or for implementing a mask mandate for students who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. The measure prohibits any person, including a superintendent, principal, administrator, teacher, school nurse, board member of the education district, university staff or other school staff from requiring a vaccination, vaccine passport or implementing a mask mandate for students who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. Any person who directly or indirectly violates these provisions is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $500 for the first offense. The penalty for a second offense is a fine of $500, imprisonment for up to 10 days in the county jail or both fine and imprisonment.

The bill passed 3-1 in the committee and is now eligible to be heard on the House floor.