Gov. Bill Lee has signed a new law that makes several changes to mask and vaccination policies across the state. It goes into effect this weekend, but there are already concerns about how the new state law intersects with federal requirements.
The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce says businesses are confused with which law to follow. House Bill 9077/Senate Bill 9014 prevents them from requiring a vaccine, while regulations the Biden administration hopes to start in January ask businesses with 100 employees r more to require vaccines or weekly testing.
And business groups are not alone. Some school districts have been under federal orders to require masks, but the new state law prevents school districts from implementing districtwide mask mandates and raises the bar on when one could be placed on individual public schools. Some complain the bar has been set so high, it would have to be amid an all-time high coronavirus outbreak for it to be met.
The Tennessee Hospital Association is concerned about the scope of a requirement that COVID patients receive visitors. But they and other groups say they’re already working with lawmakers to change the language in January.
Lawmakers called the special session without approval from Lee, motivated in part by the new federal requirements, particularly on businesses. Though he signed the legislature’s COVID measures, Lee has said the state should focus on fighting those restrictions in court. The state of Tennessee is suing the federal government over their policy.
The law is one of several that Lee took action on on Friday. House Bill 9076/Senate Bill 9013 would remove county health officials’ ability to create their own response to COVID-19 and leave those decisions to the state’s commissioner of health. The measure is a response to counties like Davidson and Shelby that implemented mask mandates that didn’t fall in line with the state authority.
Lee said he allowed that measure to go into effect without his signature because he believes it also needs more work.
“It requires significant updates to account for the non-pandemic functions of public health departments,” Lee said in a prepared statement. “We are committed to working together to address these changes during the regular session.
Others aren’t actually COVID-19 related. Lee did sign House Bill 9071/ Senate Bill 9008, allows district attorneys that create a blanket policy to not prosecute certain crimes to be removed from office. During the special session it was described as a response to Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk, who has come under fire for choosing not to prosecute minor marijuana cases.
The governor also signed House Bill 9072/Senate Bill 9009, which allows for partisan school board races.
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