The Ohio House has recessed until the New Year, and the Senate is expected to conclude its business for the 2021 calendar year this week.
OSMA last updated members on HB 218 when it passed in the House in November. Since that point, your OSMA advocacy team has continued to help lead the coalition against the bill, which is comprised of over 100 organizations in business, manufacturing, education and health care, representing over a million Ohioans.
OSMA also rallied a massive grassroots effort across the state to communicate to legislators about the dangers posed by proposals that discourage community vaccination rates. In response to our recent call-to-action, over 650 of our members and allies all over Ohio have sent messages to their elected officials in the Ohio Senate, urging them to reject HB 218.
As a reminder, HB 218 contains provisions that would:
Although it seems this legislative debate has paused for the remainder of the year, OSMA expects this issue to return in early 2022 and will continue to be actively involved, advocating for Ohio physicians and their patients.
Stay tuned for updates in the New Year.