Georgia senators are advancing bills that would let Georgia public school parents opt their children out of school mask mandates and would bar many state and local agencies from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
Senate Bill 514 would allow parents to exclude their children from mask mandates and is backed by Gov. Brian Kemp.
Senate Bill 345 would prevent state agencies and local governments from requiring COVID-19 vaccines. The Decatur school system in Atlanta requires teachers to be vaccinated and boosted against the virus, but no other school systems in Georgia are known to require employees to get vaccinated. Last year, a proposal to require vaccinations for Clarke County School District employees failed by a narrow margin in front of the Clarke County Board of Education.
Both bills passed committee on Wednesday, sending them to the full Senate.
Both bills would expire June 30, 2023, meaning lawmakers would have to act again if they want the laws to continue after next year.
Jeanne Davis reports.
