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TRENTON – Following New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement of the Excelsior Pass program, which will allow people to prove their vaccination or Covid status, Sen. Michael Testa (R-1st) introduced legislation that would bar such vaccine passport from being mandated in New Jersey.
“No government entity should require their residents to carry a ‘vaccine passport’ around to gain access to schools, businesses and their daily life,” Testa stated. “These types of passports completely violate an individual’s right to personal freedoms, and they are a direct violation of HIPPA laws.
“The rapid erosion of individual privacy rights threatens the liberties and freedoms of every New Jersey resident,” Testa continued. “There is a balance between protecting public health without violating American constitutional rights. Time and time, Gov. Murphy has crossed the line, and we must ensure he is barred from enacting ‘vaccine passports.'”
Testa’s bill prohibits the state or any political subdivision of the state from requiring a private business to confirm that an individual received a vaccination for the Covid for the individual to be granted entry on the premises of the private business.