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03/28/2024 03:59 PM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20230&cosponId=39239
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: January 11, 2023 11:46 AM
From: Senator Doug Mastriano and Sen. Tracy Pennycuick, Sen. Cris Dush
To: All Senate members
Subject: Medical Freedom for PA National Guard and Air National Guard
 
In the near future, we will be introducing legislation to ensure that members and employees of the PA National Guard and PA Air National Guard will never be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

Both in times of war and peace, the National Guard and Air National Guard have stepped up to protect our citizens and to defend our nation.  Whether it’s supporting war operations or responding to natural disasters and state emergencies, the commonwealth can always count on our guard members to answer the call to duty.

PA owes a great deal of gratitude to our brave brothers and sisters for centuries of dedication and sacrifice.  It is more than troubling that our Guard members, after years of service, now must fight for their basic human rights and medical freedom. 

President Biden directed the Department of Defense to impose a COVID vaccine mandate on the men and women of our armed forces. Since that time, the National Guard has missed its recruiting target by 10 percent, and 7,500 members have left the service.

According to the CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VEARS), there have been over 2,000 reports of myocarditis or pericarditis among individuals aged 30 years and younger shortly following a COVID-19 vaccination. 

As part of the National Defense Authorization Act just passed by US Congress, the federal COVID vaccine mandate has been revoked. Now, the General Assembly must take action to codify a ban on COVID vaccine mandates for troops who are under the jurisdiction of the Governor and bring our Guard in line with active-duty policy.

Our legislation will state that no member of the Pennsylvania National Guard or Air National Guard shall ever be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, our legislation will state that no negative administrative or legal action may be taken against members of the Guard who refuse COVID-19 vaccination.

Pennsylvania cannot afford to be left vulnerable by losing valuable members of our Guard who support critical missions in the Commonwealth.   

Please consider joining us a co-sponsor of this important legislation.
 



Introduced as SB446