Green Bay Reporter

U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Green Bay) has introduced the No Vox Pass Act of 2021 into the U.S. House of Representatives that would ban state and local governments from using federal funding for vaccine passports verification systems. 

The bill's language states that "no COVID–19 relief funds may be used by a state or political subdivision thereof to develop or implement, or support the development or implementation of, a system for providers of items or services (other than health care items and services) to verify the COVID–19 vaccination status of individuals receiving such items or services."

Gallagher's main reason for wanting to ban the development and implement of a COVID-19 vaccine passport system is due to privacy and the belief that federal tax money should not be used to limit Americans, Empowered Wisconsin reported. 

“Vaccine passports are a terrible idea that raise significant privacy concerns and make no sense given current rates of vaccination, natural immunity, and infections,” Gallagher said, as reported by Empowered Wisconsin. “At a minimum, Congress should ensure that federal dollars don’t go to developing systems that will limit Americans’ ability to live their lives and provide for their families.”

While Wisconsin has yet to implement any such measurements, many other states already have bills that prohibit employers from requiring vaccination or vaccination proof. According to Ballotpedia, 15 state legislatures have already banned proof-of-vaccination requirements and another 10 state governors have banned vaccine passports through issuing executive orders. 

“This bill takes important steps to keep tax-payer dollars away from funding unnecessary government interference,” Gallagher said, as reported by Empower Wisconsin. 

One bill that was up for review in the Wisconsin Legislature would have implemented preventing the government from requiring citizens from getting the COVID-19 vaccination, but Gov. Tony Evers vetoed the bill in April. 

Judith Jolly, a registered nurse from Pardeeville with the group Vaccine Choice Wisconsin, testified that requiring vaccinations, especially if it is an employee, is not like other work requirements where you can change clothes after work. 

“Requiring a vaccine is not the same as requiring an employee to wear steel-toe boots or a hair net. You can take those off when you leave,” Jolly said, as reported by Empowered Wisconsin. “You can’t take the vaccine out of your body when you leave work.”

Gallagher's bill does not pertain to state or local education agencies or preventing such agencies from using federal relief funds to develop vaccine verification systems, as it only pertains to government agencies. Gallagher's bill does, however, prohibit those verification systems from not being more strict than other school-related vaccine verification.