This article originally appeared onThe Defenderand was republished with permission.
State lawmakers in Iowa and New Hampshire this week advanced bills that, if passed, will scale backvaccine mandatesand expand medical choice.
Supporters in both states said the measures restore informed consent and rebuild trust after the COVID-19 era. Critics warned the proposals could weaken long-standing public health protections.
On Thursday, Iowa lawmakers advancedHouse File 2368, the Iowa Medical Freedom Act.
The proposal would prohibit businesses, schools and government entities from requiring “medical intervention” — includingvaccinesand masks — as a condition of employment, services or access to facilities.
StateRep. Samantha Fett, the bill’s sponsor, said Iowans “consistently prioritize the freedom to make their own medical decisions.” She argued that “no government has the authority to force a medical intervention on anyone.”
Fett called the mandates coercive and inconsistent with informed consent.
“Employers, schools and agencies are not doctors, and they cannot make personal health decisions for every Iowan,” she said. “This bill protects conscience rights, religious liberty, bodily autonomy and privacy. At its core, this bill protects everyone.”
Supporters said the measure protects bodily autonomy, religious liberty and privacy, while preserving access to vaccines and other treatments.
Lindsay Maher ofInformed Choice Iowasaid lawmakers are responding to ongoing concerns about how public health agencies handled COVID-19 and the government’s response to it.
Source: The Vigilant Fox
