I do not agree that one person, the VA Health Commissioner, should retain absolute power with regard to vaccination or medical mandates during times of epidemic or pandemic. I firmly believe each human body is different and has different needs/challenges and that a one-size-fits-all approach to medicine is criminal as it can do irreparable harm to some. I fully support HB 5016 in order to remove this absolute power from this one person. Further, I fully support the continuation of the religious exemption from vaccines due to the fact that the production of said vaccines, and ingredients therein, are derived in a way that violates the religious beliefs firmly held by many Virginians.

Please eliminate the authrity of the Commissioner of Health. First, his requiring mandating is the authority of the General Assembly, not his. Allowing departments of health (just like the Administrative State) is unconstitutional as they violate the separation of powers and checks and balances. Laws need to be made by the people voted in to serve and represent the people.

HB 5016 requires your support. It is against conscience and all proper things to force medical procedures on anyone -- or have we forgotten the Virginia Sterilization Act of 1924? Your 'feelings' must subordinate themselves to the Constitution and its protections toward the rights of the individual -- what would you want if the situation becomes reversed regarding other subjects? Several individuals, for reasons of health or conscience, cannot receive such inoculations. It is government's job to 're-present' the views of all Virginians while keeping in consideration the specific District of origin. Legislative 'bullying', improper dictates from the unelected and unaccountable, and considerations of the individual receive reinforcement via HB 5016. Therefore, HB 5016 must pass without hesitation.

Our schools are facing tremendous challenges as they respond to the pandemic. Through orders by the Governor, all public schools in the Commonwealth are required to submit a plan to the Virginia Department of Education outlining the provision of new instruction to all students in the 2020-2021 academic year, regardless of phase or the operational status of the school at the time. Additionally, per an Order of Public Health Emergency from the State Health Commissioner, all public and private schools are required to submit to the VDOE a plan outlining their strategies for mitigating public health risk of COVID-19. Ensuring that parents and school employees have access to the contents of both the instructional plan and the health and safety plan is vitally important. As we battle this pandemic, there should be a real focus on accurate information and transparency. Requiring that schools submit these plans to the VA DOE is a good step, but they should also be available to the public for review. The VA Department of Education has the authority to compel the local school divisions to post their instructional plans on the division’s web site so that the plans are publicly available. However, because the requirement that schools submit a health and safety plan came from an order of the Health Commissioner, the Department of Education does not have that same authority for the school health and safety plans. While many school divisions will likely post their health and safety plans, they are not currently required to do that. SB5083 fixes that problem. I think we can all agree that the health and safety of our most important resource, our children, should be top of our minds when we make decisions about the environment in which they learn. Parents and school employees should have access to the content of these plans. By passing SB5083, all school divisions will be required to post their plans without exception. Additionally, the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s Health and Safety Codes Board included school employees in their COVID-19 Safety Standard. School employees are identified as a medium level exposure risk. In the standard they offer the following language: “A public school division or private school that submits its plans to the Virginia Department of Education to move to Phase II and Phase III that are aligned with CDC guidance for reopening of schools that provide equivalent or greater levels of employee protection than a provision of this standard and who operate in compliance with the public school division’s or private school’s submitted plans shall be considered in compliance with this standard.” Without a requirement that these plans are made public, school employees cannot be certain what is contained in these plans or if their school is in compliance with the plan as required by the Safety Standard.

We stand with our delegates. People have the right to say no to any vaccine that doesn’t aligned with there religious beliefs. The recovery rate of covid alone doesn’t require a vaccine. Furthermore, they need years to try and safely get a vaccine together. Many of the ingredients listed in vaccines go completely against many religions. From metal, to human fetal tissue Etc. it’s not right.

Dear Oath Takers and Public Servants of the People, Your August 25, 2020 assembly actions and words proved that many of you are extremely misguided. You are servants - elected SERVANTS. Government exists to SERVE free men and women. You, as well as the health commissioner, do not have the authority to mandate anything on free men and women. You swore an oath to uphold the Constitution, which ensures the liberties of free men and women. Mandates are not liberty, therefore null and void. I am simply here to remind you of your oath, and to put each of you on Notice. If you mandate any sort of vaccination, and someone gets harmed by it, EACH OF YOU, INDIVIDUALLY, that agreed to pass this unlawful statute, will be held responsible, as well as your spouse and entire family. If an individual dies, YOU are responsible and will face trial for murder and can be sentenced to death. If a person has medical bills they incur, YOU PERSONALLY will have to pay those bills, and if you cannot, your family will have to. Are you ready to give up your home, your vehicles, your luxuries, your college savings for your children, because there will be more than 1 person injured by this mandate! This is not a threat, it's an actual fact. When you violate your Oath of Office, the protections offered to you as elected officials are null and void, and you are held personally responsible under 18 U.S. Code § 241. . Please take this time to recognize your positions - or should I say, realize them, because we free women and men are very well versed, educated, and actively sharing our knowledge.

No one has the authority to force anything on free men and women in these united States. You are a servant government and we the people hold the power; not you. I find it appalling how you are operating during this special session. I’m infuriated at how you did not allow these bills to go to the floor for a vote, spoke over the delegates presenting the bills, and out of 150 people in queue to speak on behalf of the bill, only allowed three people to speak and then immediately tabled the bills. This is a disgrace and is not democracy. We are at a crossroad here in the commonwealth. This is a matter of liberty vs tyranny. The people will hold you accountable.

I support these bills to be moved forward. Thank you.

To public servants voting for the above listed bills: My name is Christina Wheeler. I am a graduate student in Cognitive and Behavorial Neuroscience, a student of Craniosacral Therapy, a tutor, a retired U.S. Marine, and a mother of two incredible children. I have fought tooth and nail for my children’s safety and rights. When my son was two months old he received his first round of vaccinations, and was subsequently rushed to the ER with severe lethargy and high fever. He developed stomach issues following, severe eczema, and breathing issues. I was told to continue vaccinating. It was like watching your child slip away, and feeling helpless. The more questions I asked, the more I was screamed at, and actually had doors slammed in my face saying that, “your children are going to die.” Unrelenting were the pediatricians to demean me and remove my voice. Once I became more educated on vaccinations and listened to my God I understood they were abhorrently against my religious practices as well as medically dangerous to my son. When my son was two, my daughter was born. She has not been vaccinated. She has no eczema, no breathing issues, no colic, no allergies, no ticks, and has had no high fevers. Genetically they are nearly the same and even look like twins. There are underlying genetic factors that may contribute to vaccine injury, but because the push to vaccinate overrides safety, research may never fully adhere to the safety of all citizens. With every medical procedure, there must be choice and consent. Though it’s unanimous that my son was injured and reacted severely from vaccinations, because I have a religious exemption, it’s been near impossible to get a medical one for him, and my daughter. I’ve had pediatricians say the only way they would write a medical exemption is if he almost died; they are in fear of writing one, in fear of the government stepping in to take their license away. For just trying to help, trying to heal. Those who are spiritual, or religious: have you ever had a moment where you knew God, Source, your higher power, was leading you? You knew you had to do something. You knew in all of your being that you must follow a path. Faith isn’t the books of religion, faith is an active practice. God speaks to and through us. As long as no direct, concrete, proven harm is being done to someone, religious practices should NEVER be interfered with by government. The argument that not vaccinating harms others is the same argument that says that a person eating fast food harms others. We can’t control everything everyone does. We have to just do the best for each of us, and trust that’s exactly what needs to be done. Please hear my cry. Give FREEDOM a chance.

We do NOT consent to forced vaccination at ANY time - pandemic or not! Elected officials are selected by us - not to make decisions for us - but to ensure that our freedoms are not infringed upon; to reinforce the constitution, not detract from it. We are free people - our bodies are our own, our thoughts and our words are our own, our decisions our own. It is not your job to tell us how to live - but to preserve our way of life.

I am very concerned hay we keep the freedoms to choose vaccines and not be obligated to take or have our kids receive a vaccine. Very concerned about this. Diana Trejo

Hello! I am a resident of southern Chesterfield Co. and I'm writing to express my concern about making the coronavirus vaccine mandated. Please, please, don't let this happen! I am religiously opposed to vaccines, and most certainly don't believe a rush to push them on our citizens is warranted. The deaths from this virus don't even warrant it. The information about immunity, and reinfection aren't even known. Religious reasons or not, the health risks with such a quickly published and untested vaccine should be a top concern, most especially for a new, unknown virus that just has not shown the numbers needed to put this panic into our citizens at large. I realize I'm rushing to write this, but I needed to implore you to fight for the citizens, our American citizens, from tyranny... to protect our freedoms and our rights; to safeguard our choices and our health, and to give the medical community the time needed to learn more about the virus and the vaccine. Please support people like me, who do not believe a mandated vaccine is necessary, and for those of who believe in freedom of choice with what we choose to use for health. Please contact me if you think it necessary, and thank you for your consideration. Denise Shriver Tipton 20630 Bass St. S. Chesterfield, VA 23803 804-218-4871 mrs.tipton7@gmail.com

Elected officials must remember they work for the people, rather than the other way around. Constitution as it stands protects my freedom to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. any mandate is grossly unconstitutional and any delegates who vote for a mandate are acting as enemies against the Constitution and I have vowed to protect the Constitution against all its enemies, both foreign and domestic. The mandate is grossly unconstitutional and the elected officials must remember that we the people hired YOU to represent us, not the other way around.

The VA Press Association supports HB 5048 and thanks the Chairman for working with us and introducing this bill. The VPA believes it’s in the public interest for the community at large to know exactly where outbreaks are occurring and how big they are. This bill doesn’t change who has to report to VDH; rather it clarifies what information VDH must post about where the outbreak occurs- the name of the location, number of active cases and number of deaths. It’s important for the public to know where the outbreak is because it potentially affects a much wider swath of people at a variety of settings- schools, universities, correctional facilities, nursing homes, and poultry plants. It’s important information for the community at large to have when assessing the potential risk of interacting with anyone associated with the location school or even going to a business close to campus. Finally, this transparency is in necessary for the public health crisis: Identifying specific facilities and locations where outbreaks have occurred puts real “faces” (even if just places) on the outbreak. People can relate and can better understand the severity of the public health emergency. We support adding the emergency clause so this will be in effect as soon as possible during this pandemic. We also support the clarifying amendment adding "to subsection B" to the bill. Thank you for your time and consideration.

The health commissioner has absolutely zero authority to mandate ANYTHING on free men and women. We the people created a VERY LIMITED government and we the people are responsible for overthrowing a tyrannical government. The contract is for sworn oath takers. You are all being put on notice and will be held responsible for all of this. Step back.

I am the parent of a child that was permanently brain injured from a vaccine in 1980. She will always be in a wheelchair as a result of her post immunization encephalopathy. That event set the wheels of my life in motion to study and learn the truth about what happened to her. Her experience taught me many lessons that I would like to pass on to this committee. # 1 - all vaccines have the potential to maim and kill, despite what the health experts purport about the greater good ( that being said in a free country it’s citizens should not be coerced to partake without the choice to opt out) #2 Health professionals do not deal with the safety of vaccines the same as other medicines. I found they quote statistics about adverse reactions but they are highly under reported - 1/10 of adverse reactions are reported ( I had to discover how and where to report my daughters as the pediatrician couldn’t or wouldn’t, finally our neurologist reported it 8 months later) If what happened to my child happened by a Rx or over counter drug they would have been pulling them off the shelf doing investigations but when it comes to vaccine injury they try to sweep us under the carpet. (0ur neurologists sent us to Duke University hospital to see one of the nation’s leading epidemiologists at the time. My daughter was in that hospital under going horiffic and traumatic testing of all kinds to no avail to fine some other cause for her brain injury and not once did this epidemiologist come to examine my daughter. I was later to find out that same doctor sat on the National Vaccine Advisory Committee in Washington. When I went to Washington to speak and tell my daughters story to the doctors that are making recommendations to legislators that doctor conveniently left the meeting before I was able to speak. I could go on and on about our mistreatment but I pray you get my point. Please look at this issue with open eyes I feel a mandate violates our civil rights to free choice. Virginia has always had and I feel for good reason a religious exemption as well a medical exemption. (I believe this religious exemptions was solidified in the 1980s Virginia Supreme Court Case with Whalen James as naturopathic practicing citizen of Virginia Beach) Further non-political resources see NVIC.org. In conclusion I ask you to act as true statesmen and not be swayed be questionably motivated pressure do what is best for people of Virginia - do not mandate or if you do leave the religious exemption as well as medical to give us a freedom of choice or informed consent. (I had to use the religious exemption to let my daughter attend college as pediatrician would not write her a waiver for her 4th polio vaccine even though she was Already in a wheelchair from her MMR.) Thank you.

Thank you for your consideration. I know that the committee is considering the bills put forth To allow a religious exemption from mandatory vaccinations. My family and I firmly support, and ask you to add, a religious exemption to the medical exemption. It goes against our beliefs on many levels to put something in our bodies that we disagree with. We believe it is part of our right, living as citizens of The United States, to have the freedom to make our own medical choices... to have the right to decide if we will allow foreign, possibly harmful, substances inside our bodies or the bodies of our children. Furthermore, vaccines have not been conclusively proven to be safe for all people every time. There is inherent risk involved with any medical treatment or procedure. Please seriously consider adding the necessary exemptions to this bill. There are lives, immune systems, and quality of life at stake--not to mention intimately personal liberties. It gives a government (and in this case, one elected person) power over our very bodies and lives. This is too much power (and responsibility!) to give an individual or an impersonal collection of possibly opposite-minded individuals over the life of another who knows themselves and their children infinitely better. To deny people rights (such as school, etc.) or to exact fines because of a belief or conviction that a person has, is unconstitutional. We beg you to keep medical exemptions and add a religious exemption. Thank you for watching out for the concerns and interests of ALL Virginians. Rachel Johnson

I am writing to put on record that I, a free woman, am reminding you of your oath to protect our liberties promised to us by the constitution. You, a public servant, have a contract (the Constitution of Virginia and the USA), and WE THE PEOPLE are in charge of the show. YOU REPRESENT US. THE HEALTH COMMISSIONER is not an elected official and has zero authority to mandate anything on we the people, free men and women. Remember your promise and contract in the constitution and your oath of office as an elected public servant. The constitution is for YOU to follow as a public servant and puts limits on your power in this US. This is your notice. Heed it.

I am writing in regards to HB 5016, HB 5070, HB 5082 all of which concern the authority of the parents to make decisions over vaccines especially during a pandemic. I support each of these bills on the premise that as a parent and based on my religious conviction, it is my responsibility and right to make decisions regarding my children’s health not the Virginia Health Commissioner or Board of Health. I urge my delegate, Mr Hodges to vote in support of these 3 bills!

Testimony by Sookyung Oh, Director of NAKASEC Virginia in favor of HB 5083 soh@nakasec.org / 703-405-4480 My name is Sookyung Oh and I work at NAKASEC Virginia, a community organization with offices in Annandale and Centreville. We work primarily with Asian Americans, particularly in Northern Virginia, on issues related to health care access and immigrant justice. We are testifying in support of House Bill 5083 by Delegate Samirah. It is simple why we are testifying in support – because Asian American communities and voters consistently identify health care as the most significant issue to address. It did not matter how we worded the question or what time of the year we asked (except this year of course because of COVID-19), Asian American voters in Virginia, regardless of ethnicity, income, or zip code, either directly struggle with or know another Virginian struggling because they can’t afford their health care or they cannot access health care. And Del. Samirah’s bill propels a much-needed focus on the crisis that is the health care system in Virginia, and across the country. Over 28 million Americans are uninsured, including nearly 700,000 Virginians. Actually this number is likely even higher given an analysis by Families USA that about 90,000 workers in Virginia became uninsured due to job losses between February to May 2020. A public health crisis like COVID-19 on top of an already existing health care crisis demands big action. This body has taken big steps to expand health care access and improve affordability – from expanding Medicaid to creating a state health exchange. These reforms were made possible because of this body’s understanding that to meet the health care needs of their constituents, you had to work across lines of difference. We appreciate Del. Samirah in introducing HB 5083. Some might say that this is not the right time. A public health emergency seems like a good time as any to consider ideas that would help more people have health care. For all these reasons, NAKASEC Virginia supports HB 5083. Thank you for your attention.

you are servants. the health commissioner does not have the authority to mandate anything on free men and women. we are the creators of the government and you are a sworn oath taker. it is your job to protect the Constitution.

Delegates, I am writing to inform the representatives in the house and senate that it is in direct violation of the VA Constitution to force or mandate any medical procedure upon a man/ woman in VA without consent. I am putting you on notice that I do not consent to any vaccine, that you as an individual acting as a representative has no authority over my body. You are violating the oath you took to uphold the constitution and will be held liable for violating my rights as a woman.

As a mother who watched her child have severe vaccine reactions, who also believes in Gods ability to handle this fiasco that others believe as truth... I am 100% against mandatory vaccination of any type. Especially one that was produced so quickly. I ask that you take into consideration those with severe allergies to vaccinations, those with religious reasons for refusal, and those that stand firm on the belief that in this country, we should have the FREEDOM of choice that our forefathers fought for.

The health commissioner does not have the authority to mandate anything on free men and women. Contracts are for sworn oath takers. We the people are the creators of government and we are watching once again. This is a notice that any elected public servant that votes to mandate anything on free men and women will be held accountable in a court of law.

No vaccine should be mandated to citizens of the U.S., whether it be due to religious beliefs, due to other health issues, or simply due to personal choice. The vaccines for COVID have not been tested and are experimental at best. We still live in America.....which is supposed to be the Land of the Free. Thank you for standing up for our freedoms.

A religious exemption, that is nearly impossible to maintain doesn't really do much in the way of protection from tyranny; but as one weapon in an arsenal to defend our freedoms, it is certainly not one to throw by the wayside. When we throw away our religious freedoms for a plandemic, stealing our freedom to worship is not far behind it. This isn't a battle over a vaccine, it is a stand against an evil tyranny that wishes to curtail all our freedoms and make us beholden to the government for our very lives. https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/agendas/agendaItem.php?id=2609

As elected servants for the will of the people, it is your job to abide by the law laid out in our Constitution and represent those whom you serve. Our Constitution clearly states that we are given the right to Freedom of Religion. This is not a priviledge to be applied when it suits, but a God-given right that shall not be infringed upon. By not supporting religious exemption, these rights will be trampled and in doing so, you will be going against our Constitution. This is not only inadvisable, but illegal and treasonous behavior. As you vote, keep in mind that YOU are not the Government. The Government is the Constitution and you are mere servants elected to uphold its laws. It is your job to ensure Freedom of Religion.

To whom it may concern: I support HB 5016, HB 5070 and HB 5082. I do vaccinate my family, however, I do not support the mandatory vaccination of ALL Virginians, especially given the rushed nature of development and unproven record of COVID19 vaccines. Individuals should be allowed to decide what they put in their body. The government should inform individuals of how vaccines are derived, how it may alter their body, and potential side effects/risk. Ultimately, however, the individual needs to be able to decide for themselves, given their personal health history and comfort level with possible side effects for themselves and society at large.

I support the bills that are being proposed. As a Christian and mother of 6 children I do not think that anyone should be forced to go against their beliefs or put their children in danger by using vaccines that are not proven be safe. I do feel like information on the vaccines should be fully disclosed and we the parents should be able to understand it so we can make an informed decision. Every vaccine isn’t good for everybody and our children are not test specimens. Just knowing about some of the things used to make some vaccines and how they alter DNA and RNA is scary and makes me wonder how many children are suffering from mysterious issues because of vaccines. Children are a gift from God, that we the parents, are responsible for protecting and cherishing. These are precious lives, not science projects.

I am writing to let you know that I strongly support legislation that limits the government's power to require immunizations for Virginians, and that recognizes the authority of individuals, and especially parents to make those decisions for their children. Specifically, I support the three House Bills before you today: HB 5016, 5070 and 5082. Please pass these bills through your committee to protect Virginians from such important decisions being taken out of their hands and placed into the hands of politicians and unelected bureaucrats. Thank you, and stay safe.

Wish to speak at meeting

Please support and pass these bills

I absolutely support these three bills above and desire all to vote in favor of these. As someone with contraindications and with children with potential genetic deficiencies and potential inherited gene codes from their parents/grandparents, vaccines (forced, mandated, or voluntary) could be life threatening to them, as well as to me. Inoculations are medical procedures that I, as a human being, have the conscious right to disapprove of and turn down as I deem appropriate for me and my family, based on my God-given right and authority to do so, constitutionally over state mandated. I firmly believe God alone has the authority He has passed on to me to determine what medical choices will be appropriate for me and my family, and not a government entity or person with absolutely no understanding or information pertinent to my family can make such decisions for me.

I am strongly OPPOSED to a mandatory Covid vaccination. I support HB 5016, HB 5070, HB 5082. It is scary to think that a mandate could rest solely in the hands of one person, the Commissioner of Health. So much of the so-called "science" that is being forced upon us is not allowed to be questioned or extensively proven. We should be allowed to voluntarily accept any Covid vaccination that is developed, especially as it is so new and the far-reaching effects are unknown.

As a restaurant owner/gm we are trying to do everything within our power to stay safe. After closing the doors for 3 months to avoid the spread we finally open with all safety precautions in place. Apparently someone was not satisfied with the efforts we were taking and anonymously called the health department on us. I would have preferred that they speak to me directly so we could address their concerns. The complaint that was made simply was not true. It's frustrating to have an anonymous tip undermine all the effort and safety measure we have put in place.

Do not force all Virginians to get the COVID vaccine

I am against a vaccine mandate. My body is my decision. I have the choice of abortion because it is my body. I have the choice to vaccinate or not. No mandate!

In 1976 the rushed swine flu vaccination caused far more deaths than the disease it was designed to combat. It also increased Guillain Barre Syndrome causing many Americans to be paralyzed. Why is there no SARS vaccine? Because the vaccine resulted in serious side effects including an immune disease in animal testing and then the viruses disappeared. The new Covid vaccine is being rushed and is not proven to be safe. I live in Virginia and I would like you to to support HB5016 and HB5070 America is the land of the free and home of the brave. Forcing us to take this shot is totalitarianism. Respectfully, Monica de la Rosa

Please accept this feedback as my request to push these bills forward. Thanks you!

Ladies & Gentlemen of this Committee, my name is Franz Manuel Rodriguez. I ask you to remember your childhood, that one person (Mom, Dad, Uncle, Aunt, Grandparent, etc) that told you why it’s a great place to live in. From the many countries you’ve learned that are beautiful in this world you loved this one. From the many countries that appear to be glamorous and exotic here is where my children are safe under my care. I’ve lived in the state of Virginia since I can remember and now as an adult I see why my parents choice this garden of eden. Now as an adult I have two children and I tell them the wonders the world offers them, but I tell them why we live here. To help my children grow to the wonder human beings I see inside of them I values laws and regulations that give me and my children the freedom to make choices. As so many countries may look amazing I live here because I have the freedom to raise my children. It’s here where the law gives me the right to choose how my children can be brought up and become people that will other people. I give thanks to parents who sacrificed everything they had to make me who I am today. I get compliments and complains on why I’m always happy, and my response to them is, “Aren’t you?” I could tell they are new to Virginia. Today, no matter where we go we will have diversity with different cultures and foods. That shouldn’t change what Virginia stands for. Walking down the streets with my children is like walking proud with a bar of gold in each hand. It’s where I know I can take care of them knowing that the laws and regulations are on my side. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Committee I ask to please let it be the parents choice to a vaccine. I’d love to continue to tell my children as many parents would, as your parents did, as well as you did to your children, that Virginia never took my authority, my choice, to help you become wonderful souls that will help this world. Please let it continue to be our choice in having or not having any vaccinations. I implore you to see why Virginia is an amazing place for families like your and mine to live in and why we can always be be happy. It’s because we are from Virginia. Thank you.

I would like for the Committee to know that I am in favor or HB5016, HB5070 and HB5082, as well as any other legislation that would support an individual's choice to receive vaccinations. Although I have chosen to fully vaccinate all of my children, I believe that there are a variety of views on the matter, and that there are legitimate reasons for a person to refuse any or all vaccinations. This is a matter of personal conscience, and the government cannot possibly take into account all factors that determine whether a vaccine is beneficial for an individual; thus, it is important to preserve choice in this matter. I respectfully request that the Committee vote in favor of all legislation that preserves personal choice regarding whether to receive any and all vaccinations. Thank you, Leah Peterson

Please push these bills forward.

Please vote in support of HB5075, HB5070 and HB5082. Concerning HB5075 it is ethically and morally wrong for the governor of Virginia to not limit or announce the end of the executive orders put in place, particularly those related to emergencies such as Covid19. Our state is no longer in a "state of emergency' where Covid19 is concerned. The curve has been flattened. The numbers remain consistently low. It's time to end the EO's related to Covid19 as they are destroying the lives of Virginian citizens and business owners. Particularly EO63 which has done more harm to the lives and livelihoods of citizens of the state than it has helped. Virginia Health Department has to knowingly ignore the published data that shows time and time again that universal masking has low to no relevance in its effectiveness, but the strong data that shows improper and prolonged use of masks increases infection rate. If the state continues to uphold EO63 and not limit its use, the state then is doing so knowing it will cause the spread of of the virus more than it will stop it according to published RCT meta analysis'. Concerning HB5070 and HB5082--do NOT remove religious exemption for vaccine choice. Our country was founded on religious freedom and it is wrong to force anything medically on a people. Finally, concerning HB5082...it is also wrong to mandate a vaccine that has yet to be shown efficacious and safe, nor does it have any length of time to be studied (10+years) and observed as to how the general population will respond to it. Please support all 3 of these bills--HB5075, HB5070, and HB5082.

Dear Delegates, My heart is very heavy with the possibility that our freedoms could be taken away. I beg you (I repeat I BEG YOU) to please help us keep our medical and religious freedoms. We should have the right to decide what goes into our bodies and our children's bodies. Just like with any medical procedure, patients give consent and it should be the same with vaccines. Anything else is taking away our freedom. Please vote to support the following: HB 5016 HB 5070 HB 5082 Thanks for listening to my heart. Sincerely, Tawanna Kouns

Mr. Bell, The fundamental American rights of religious exemption and parental choice are not contingent on or subordinate to the urgency with which a medical treatment is perceived necessary by some (but not all) medical opinion makers. The idea of a mandatory “fast track” vaccine is unpopular, untested, and potentially dangerous to those predisposed to health sensitivities. Any act which places the people of Virginia in such a position which forces unwanted medical interventions and in so doing breaks the sacred right of the people to make their own health choices will not be tolerated by the majority on Election Day. Parents of the community fully support the bills HB 5016, HB 5070, and HB 5082. We thank you for supporting these items and therefore protecting parental choice regarding these matters. Sincerely, Sarah Harvey

I am writing to express my support for HB 5016 and HB 5070.  I strongly encourage you to support this bill for the sake of freedom of religion in Virginia.  HB 5016 and HB 5070 corrects a dreadful encroachment on religious freedom and bodily autonomy in current Virginia law. It restores to Virginians their God-given right to refuse injections of a vaccine that contains aborted fetal DNA and does not have a proven long-term track record of safety or efficacy.  This is not a partisan issue, or a pro-vaccine versus anti-vaccine issue. This is a straightforward case of restoring personal choice, freedom, and respect for bodily autonomy to Virginia law. I beg you to support HB 5016 and HB 5070. 

My wife and I urge the Committee to support HB5016, HB 5070, and HB 5082. As parents of five children - now adults who are having their own children -- and the proud grandparents of seven, we firmly believe that only parents should have the right to decide which vaccines their child should receive and when. Government officials and unelected individuals, such as the Commissioner of Health or the Board of Health have no authority to mandate that vaccines should be administered. We respectfully urge the Committee to support these three House Bills to protect the rights of parents and their children. ALL Virginians have the right to decide what vaccines and other medical care they determine is best for themselves.

HB-5023 is needed to stop the one man rule and circumventing the idea/spirit of the law by the Governor and the VDH. By all the data I can dig into, they are not capable of managing well, correctly or in the favor of the people. HB 5023 is also needed to stop businesses from trying to shut down other businesses because they don't like them or don't want the competition. HB 5018 is needed to stop false reporting. HB 5025 and HB 5075 is needed to stop massive overkill of laws because the EO's giving power are being abused.

I support the following HB’s: 5016 5070 5075 5082

My body My choice has been used ad nauseam to defend the killing of another human being via abortion which is considered a medical procedure. Now I am using it to defend my right to choose not to have a medical procedure in MY body because it is MY choice. My body is the temple of The Holy Spirit and I choose not to defile it. I implore you to vote FOR HB5016. Thank you for respecting not only religious liberties but civil liberties and medical freedom of choice. Thank you for respecting me as a fellow human being.

http://www.cofc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions/Millman.Bell.1038.pdf On June 3, 2002, Thomas saw Dr. Ralph S. Northam, a pediatric neurologist. Dr. Northam noted that the results of Thomas’ MRI, which showed some changes in his left parietal occipital lobe, could possibly be related to his previous prolonged seizure. Med. recs. at P’s Ex. C, p. 81. Dr. Ralph S. Northam, in an affidavit dated May 28, 2004, states that he has been Thomas’ treating pediatric neurologist since July 5, 2001. Thomas had a fever on June 23, 2001 of 102°, he was irritable, had decreased oral intake, was not feeling well, and had a 45-minute seizure. Dr. Northam states that, since the time of his first seizure, Thomas has had a chronic encephalopathy, difficult-to-control partial complex seizures, abnormal EEGs, abnormal MRI, global developmental delay, and mild mental retardation. Dr. Northam says that neuronal loss follows a prolonged seizure, resulting in Thomas’ volume loss depicted on his April 29, 2002 MRI. Ex. 13, p. 1. In P. Ex. D, a letter dated May 2, 2005, Dr. Northam states that Thomas’ 45-minute seizure is a symptom of cortical/brain dysfunction. His signs of acute encephalopathy are irritability, decreased oral intake, and 102° temperature. Dr. Northam states that prolonged or recurrent seizure activity through activity-dependent mechanisms can later the way the immature brain develops and forms synapses. P. Ex. D, last page. Dr. Northam concludes that the acellular DPT was the precipitating factor for Thomas’s acute encephalopathy and accompanying prolonged seizure. Id. Attached to Dr. Northam’s letter of May 2, 2005 are a series of articles beginning at P. Ex. H which is “Long-term alterations in glutamate receptor and transporter expression following early-life seizures are associated with increased seizure susceptibility” by G. Zhang, et al., 88 J Neurochem 91-101 (2004). The authors state that prolonged seizures or status epilepticus in childhood are associated with an increased risk of epilepsy later in life. Id. at 91. On August 5, 2005, at the first status conference the undersigned held with the parties, respondent admitted that petitioner had a strong case but requested the filing of original MRI films, the medical literature Dr. Northam described, and any new medical records. Thomas Bell’s treating pediatric neurologist, Dr. Ralph Northam, is his expert witness, a rare and significant event in vaccine litigation in which the undersigned usually hears from a stable of expert witnesses. 5. Dr. Northam’s medical articles in support of his opinion (P.’s Exs. H, I, J, L, L, M, N) confirm his statement that protracted seizures as well as numerous seizures damage the brain. Although Thomas’s condition does not meet the regulatory requirements for a Table encephalopathy, clearly the facts of the case support the opinion of his treating pediatric neurologist Dr. Northam that the vaccination caused a fever triggering his unusually long seizure leading to subsequent status epilepticus. Respondent’s experts... focus upon abnormality in Thomas’s brain which they say preceded his vaccine reaction. They ignore that if Thomas had a prevaccination abnormality, it would have made him more susceptible to a prolonged seizure triggered by fever due to the vaccine. As Dr. Northam opined in his reports and as supported in the medical literature, prolonged seizures and repetitive seizures damage irreversibly the infant brain.

stop mandating unconstitutional requirements. I do not want your vaccinations. Authorize Hydroxy Chloriquine for use for in treatment for COVID19.

I am writing to voice my complete support for HB5075, HB5070, and HB5082. Citizens of Virginia demand freedom to decide what is best for their own family. We demand religious freedom. Thank you. Amy GRADY

Please support HB 5075, HB 5070 and HB 5082. These bills are much needed to support the medical freedom of all Virginians.

Please support HB 5016.

The language in the proposed bills set legal precedent for giving the commissioner the right to force medical care on citizens, particularly endangering our most vulnerable who do not have the capacity or resources to advocate for their own autonomy. I support these amendments: HB 5016, Delegate Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg), proposes the addition of a religious exemption to the powers given to the Commissioner of Health to mandate a vaccine during a pandemic. HB 5070, Delegate LaRock (R-Clarke, Frederick, Loudoun Counties), would eliminate the authority of the Board of Health or Commissioner of Health to require, during an epidemic, that a person receive a vaccine if the person objects because it conflicts with his religious tenets or practices. HB 5082, Delegate LaRock (R- Clarke, Frederick, Loudoun Counties), proposes limitations to the list of required vaccines based on the content of the vaccines. It states that no vaccine shall be added to the list if (i) the vaccine is derived from human fetal tissue, (ii) the vaccine modifies the RNA or DNA of the person to whom it is administered, or (iii) development of the vaccine did not include preclinical testing on laboratory animals prior to clinical trials involving human testing. The bill also requires the Department of Health to make data and information about the safety and efficacy of each vaccine, including any risk of harm associated with it, available to the public. Such information shall be presented in a manner that is easily understandable and accessible to all individuals. Please support these bills, but also vote to not give the commissioner power to mandate vaccination at all and limit his/her power during a pandemic— not just offer a religious exemption to his/her proposed or current powers. Virginians are watching and hopeful that our delegates will protect their freedom during this election year.

I do not believe in a mandatory vaccine. We need to do the do more research and get the public's opinion. And then is so be up to each individual. NO TO MANDATORY VACCINATIONS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

This commonwealth is approaching the totalitarian state of China. Forced abortions and infanticide are only a few steps away from forced vaccinations. Maybe I’m desperate for a vaccination and will be the first in line. Maybe I don’t trust the health ‘officials’ (who were never elected) to make what are potentially life and death decisions for my family. Whatever the case, no one has authority over my body but me. No one has authority over my children’s health care decisions but my husband and myself. Do NOT mandate vaccines. Do approve the religious exemptions. I disagree, though, that religious exemptions should even be necessary! I should have freedom to make decisions for my own health without being required to object on any grounds, religious or otherwise, to being injected with an untried vaccine. I’m a Gulf War veteran and received the untried vaccine for anthrax. At the time, MPs were dispatched to our berm in Saudi Arabia (in a theatre of war) to ensure compliance. Is that your plan too? I’ve been reaping the health ‘benefits’ of that vaccine ever since. I will never allow anything of the kind again, for me or my children. You are not God, and are neither wise nor benevolent dictators. You are not smarter than I, nor do you know better than I what’s best for me. Finally, there is no ‘greater good,’ and we, the people of the commonwealth, are not a herd.

Good morning. On behalf of my family I am writing to ask that these bills that protect our rights as Americans be passed. We have thoughtfully researched all required vaccines and hold dear the right and freedom to decide which we will inject into our bodies. The right to make decisions based on our religious beliefs, that God created our bodies wonderfully and with the ability to fight disease is tied directly to the founding of this country: religious freedom! This right does not and should not change because of what is happening around the world. No vaccine that is rushed through WITHOUT animal testing, should even be considered, let alone mandated by the state. It’s dangerous and irresponsible. Not only that, it’s unnecessary. I urge you all to please vote to pass these laws that protect our religious rights. Our freedom is what makes us Americans. On behalf of my family and the army of families like mine, I thank you for your attention to this important matter. Respectfully, Kendra Lijoi Fredericksburg

Please support HB 5016! We deserve medical freedom over ourselves and our children. Since when is it ok for the government to dictate our health? The government needs to fight for our freedom. We will fight for our health!

This is supposed to be the land of the free and the home of the brave. Please please let me make my own choice for my family. Not every human body and immune system is the same and some bodies must be treated more carefully than others.

I am reaching out on behalf of the Virginia Association of Community-Based Providers (VACBP), which includes private-sector community-based behavioral health and substance use disorder providers throughout Virginia that serve Virginia’s Medicaid population among others. (www.vacbp.org) With respect to HB 5105, I am requesting an amendment to the bill to include “private providers licensed by DBHDS pursuant to Article 2 (§ 37.2-403 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 37.2” in the list of those with priority access to rapid diagnostic testing. As you’re probably aware, there are significant workforce challenges in the behavioral health industry in Virginia. Long wait times for test results is really exacerbating those challenges as our providers are working to meet the behavioral health needs of Virginia’s most vulnerable populations. An amendment to add community-based providers to this bill would really help, particularly as there are improvements to testing capabilities in Virginia. Thanks for your consideration! Mindy Mindy Williams Carlin Co-owner and Partner Access Point Public Affairs, LLC

I support HB 5016, 5070, and 5082, please pass these bills to support religious freedom and give the public more knowledge about the background of the medicines/vaccines available for our benefit.

I am writing to politely but emphatically request that the representatives support HB 5106, HB 5070 and HB 5082. A mandated vaccine that has been rushed through the necessary safety measures and testing is unacceptable and dangerous.

I support Bills HB5016, HB5070, and HB5082. We are in a time of seemingly endless and unprecedented freedom of choice. Freedom of bodily/physical/gender choice, spiritual choice, and societal choice, lifestyle choice......I want to ensure personal medical freedom is included in the lists and ranks of “freedoms” new and old in this country. Thank you.

Today, the following three bills are being proposed. Please vote in favor of all three to protect the rights of parents and children to decide for themselves to receive a vaccine. The Commissioner of Health should never require someone to take a vaccine under penalty of law. This takes away our freedom to choose what is best for our health. Vaccines should never be mandatory. Vaccines should also never be made widely available until there is systematic research proven their effectiveness. Every person has a different immune system and should be free to choose for him/herself to receive the vaccine. Thank you for voting for the voice of the Virginian voters.

Today, the following three bills are being proposed. Please vote in favor of all three to protect the rights of parents and children to decide for themselves to receive a vaccine. The Commissioner of Health should never require someone to take a vaccine under penalty of law. This takes away our freedom to choose what is best for our health. Vaccines should never be mandatory. Vaccines should also never be made widely available until there is systematic research proven their effectiveness. Every person has a different immune system and should be free to choose for him/herself to receive the vaccine. Thank you for voting for the voice of the Virginian voters.

Today, the following three bills are being proposed. Please vote in favor of all three to protect the rights of parents and children to decide for themselves to receive a vaccine. The Commissioner of Health should never require someone to take a vaccine under penalty of law. This takes away our freedom to choose what is best for our health. Vaccines should never be mandatory. Vaccines should also never be made widely available until there is systematic research proven their effectiveness. Every person has a different immune system and should be free to choose for him/herself to receive the vaccine. Thank you for voting for the voice of the Virginian voters.

As a Christian living in the beautiful state of Virginia it is against my religious views to take a vaccine containing fetal cells in the vaccine. Therefore it is my right as a christian and an American citizen to have the freedom to choose to take a vaccine or not. Please do not take away Virginia’s right to have religious exemption and take a vaccine that goes against our beliefs. Thank you for your time . God Bless.

Currently we have no accurate, definitive test for COVID-19 and no clear diagnostic criteria. We do not know whether contracting SARS-CoV-2 confers immunity, and if it does how long it will last. There are so many knowledge gaps and yet we're rushing a vaccine using brand new messenger RNA (mRNA) technology without any studies evaluating the longer term safety issues. We will not know whether this vaccine carries a risk for cancer, neurological and autoimmune dysfunction, allergy, fertility issues, birth defects or other problems for years or decades. Even in an emergency, the ethical principles of informed consent and bodily autonomy, as well as religious and conscientious beliefs must be respected. Furthermore, the decision to mandate a new vaccine rushed through safety protocols at warp speed for all Virginians should not be made by one person (do they have conflicts of interest? personal bias? blind spots?) without public discussion about the necessity, safety, wisdom and cost of such a mandate. HB 5016 and HB 5070 address these issues. I urge you to support these two bills.

Greetings Delegates, and thank you for being the voice of the People of our great state of Virginia! In this unusual time of a pandemic there is fear, confusion, and a hunt for solutions. COVID's threat is actively being fought against by many brave healthcare workers, brilliant scientists, and "ordinary" but courageous and resilient Virginians of all professions. Still, as we impatiently await the dawn of the hope of a vaccine we must hold hands with wisdom and prudence lest we trample liberty in our rush forward. We do not need to make new paths to find our way to a answer for COVID -- but simply to take new footsteps on the well-tread ways of liberty and justice. To this end, I applaud the author of HB5082 for recognizing the need to protect religious liberty, and to advocate for thorough testing and transparency, even in the time of a pandemic. I also am glad to see HB5016 & HB5070 -- for many, what they put into their body falls under the domain of their moral and religious convictions. To be required by law to accept into one's body that which is opposed by one's convictions , such as derivatives from aborted fetal cells, is a burden on religious liberty that ought to be removed. I am grateful for the science of vaccination and the many lives it has saved; but I will always champion the freedom of my fellow Virginians to follow their consciences and honor God. I hope these bills will receive wide support. Thank you for your time.

I wish to comment in support of HB5075 which would limit the Governor's executive powers. Our founding fathers never intended for a state to be under the direction of one man (or woman). Laws should be decided by the consent of the governed. It is alarming to see how much these founding principles have been ignored during the recent months.

I am commenting in support of HB5082 which would prohibit mandates of unsafe and unethical vaccines. As a mother and concerned citizen, I consider it a fundamental right to receive or refuse any vaccine. Vaccines carry with them inherent risks and can never be deemed 100% safe for every person. Therefore each individual should be able to weigh the risks and benefits of a vaccine and decide for themselves if they want to receive it. Thank you

I wish to comment in favor of HB5070 which would protect vaccine religious exemption. As a mother and concerned citizen, I strongly believe it is fundamental to our freedoms to have the right to receive or refuse any vaccine. Also the manner in which some vaccines are made violates my religious beliefs. Thank you!

Respectfully, our family asks that you please consider your vote supporting HB5016. This bill represents a foundational part of The Constitution of the United States of America and our legislative system. Please reaffirm freedom of religion and conscience and the right of physicians to exercise professional judgment and conscience in the Commonwealth of Virginia by voting Yes for HB5016. Thank you for your time, Larisa K. Sawhney Annandale VA

Dear Assembled Legislators: We have never been yard sign people, but are preparing to actively campaign against any of our elected officials voting in favor of bills that give the state power over our bodies. In a “My Body, My Choice” state administration, it is appalling that we would need to point out the overstep of these bills onto personal freedom. The issue at hand is not about whether or not medical advice is correct. The issue is that the language in some of these bills set legal precedent for giving the commissioner the right to force medical care on citizens, particularly endangering our most vulnerable who do not have the capacity or resources to advocate for their own autonomy. We will not stand with or re-elect anyone who takes away the citizen’s freedom and hands it to the government. Will you stand for your constituents by supporting the following amendments to bills at the 8/25/20 assembly? - HB 5016, Delegate Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg), proposes the addition of a religious exemption to the powers given to the Commissioner of Health to mandate a vaccine during a pandemic. - HB 5070, Delegate LaRock (R-Clarke, Frederick, Loudoun Counties), would eliminate the authority of the Board of Health or Commissioner of Health to require, during an epidemic, that a person receive a vaccine if the person objects because it conflicts with his religious tenets or practices. - HB 5082, Delegate LaRock (R- Clarke, Frederick, Loudoun Counties), proposes limitations to the list of required vaccines based on the content of the vaccines. It states that no vaccine shall be added to the list if (i) the vaccine is derived from human fetal tissue, (ii) the vaccine modifies the RNA or DNA of the person to whom it is administered, or (iii) development of the vaccine did not include preclinical testing on laboratory animals prior to clinical trials involving human testing. The bill also requires the Department of Health to make data and information about the safety and efficacy of each vaccine, including any risk of harm associated with it, available to the public. Such information shall be presented in a manner that is easily understandable and accessible to all individuals. Please support these bills, but also vote to not give the commissioner, nor the governor, power to mandate vaccination at all and limit their powers during a pandemic— not just offer a religious exemption to their proposed or current powers. Virginians are watching and hopeful that you will protect their freedom during this election year. Thank you, Nicole Lancour

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/vaccine-fundamentalism-war-metaphors-in-the-covid-19-response-vaccine-policy-and-public-health-part-1/

As the founder and owner of IEP Equal Hope, advocate for parents and children in the public school system in need of help with IEP's and 504 plans; I wish to speak on the topic of vaccinations for children on the Autism spectrum. My daughter was diagnosed with autism at 2 1/2 years old. She was developing and reaching all of her milestones fine until that fateful day that she received her MMR vaccine. It was like a light switch had been turned off. As an older mother with my first child, I was sure that I was careful in everthing I consumed while pregnant but, that wasn't the problem. After seeking multiple therapies and having her administered drugs to cover up the problem I discovered that chikdren with special needs specifically those with autism, need to be healed from the inside out. Blood work was taken and it revealed that my child has a mutation of the MTHFR gene which allows our body to get rid of the extra toxins and junk it doesn't need. When this gene is mutated anything that enters the body stays in the body and that includes toxins that are harmful. Theses toxins have nowhere to go and cross the blood brain barrier therefore, causing behavioral issues, sensory issues, and speech delays, etc. I was told by my child's biomedical doctor that she is to no longer get any vaccinations of any kind. If I allow any vaccinations, this includes the flu, HPV, etc., that I am risking her to regress back significantly and all of the hard work and therapies will have been done in vein. I have since pulled my child out of public school to home school but she still attends the district after school program. Our children that have special needs and are at risk with vaccinations should be protected from further developmental damage. Virginia is documented as one of the worse states to support special needs children and their parents. I am asking that there be an exception or a clause of some kind on all mandatory forms requesting vaccinations for children that attend any public school to excuse those children with extenuating medical conditions where vaccinations could further exacerbate their conditions. Medical documention explaining the circumstances should be sufficient. This should not be required every year due to the fact that autism is a life long illness and gene mutation remains in that form for life. Please consider this heavily. I thank you and all of the parents and children thank you for listening and considering this important law. Twila Washington MT (ASCP) MHA (IEP Equals Hope LLC)

We, the people, are the creators of our servant government. Our Constitutional Republic was founded to protect the God-given, natural rights of all Americans, and our representatives and governor took an oath of office to uphold and defend the Constitution of these united States and Virginia's Constitution, against enemies, foreign and domestic. Our separation of powers means our governor cannot make law himself. Also, someone unelected, like Health Commissioner or any member of VDH can't lawfully mandate health interventions. Bodily integrity and autonomy are human rights, and religious beliefs must be respected, including religious beliefs at odds with health interventions being pushed currently. Those who object for religious reasons must never be made to violate their consciences, which goes against the very basis of our Constituttional Republic. The Virginia statute for religious liberty was such an important founding document, it was the basis for many other state constitutions as well. The 1st amendment gives protections for our God-given rights that government has no authority to strip from people. We, the creators of government, have rights that did not come from government, which government has no authority to infringe on, and we put our governor on notice for violating his oath of office. I also remind those considering violating individual's rights, that violating one's oath of office is very serious. Any law not pursuant to the constitution is null and void. Thank you for your time."

I am writing in support of the following proposals regarding vaccines: HB 5016, Delegate Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg), proposes the addition of a religious exemption to the powers given to the Commissioner of Health to mandate a vaccine during a pandemic. HB 5070, Delegate LaRock (R-Clarke, Frederick, Loudoun Counties), would eliminate the authority of the Board of Health or Commissioner of Health to require, during an epidemic, that a person receive a vaccine if the person objects because it conflicts with his religious tenets or practices. HB 5082, Delegate LaRock (R- Clarke, Frederick, Loudoun Counties), proposes limitations to the list of required vaccines based on the content of the vaccines. As a citizen of VA and of this great country, I have the right to determine what I think is best for myself and my family. No government official or body has the authority to determine what I put into my body, or my children's body. I support the above proposals because vaccines, both current and developing, for both covid-19 as well as other illnesses like the flu, have human fetal tissue in them, as well as are designed to alter the DNA and RNA of human cells. These technologies threaten the very existence of the human race. They do not support science in the betterment of health and safety for people. In fact, any alteration of a cell or its components has the potential to alter the brain and cause permanent damage to the subject. Vaccines also contain compounds that would cause Latrogenic reactions. These go directly against the Hippocratic oath where doctors promise to do no harm. Covid and other vaccines contain aborted fetal tissue in them, which means that other human lives were disposed of, and their tissue used to create the vaccine. This is murder, and I will not be forced into supporting the murder of innocent human life. Above all else, mandating vaccines goes against the liberty and rights that we have been given by the constitution of the Commonwealth of VA as well as the constitution of United States. It is an over-reach of government imposing it's will on the citizens. If the govt. wants to mandate anything, it should mandate regular exercise, the eating of non-processed foods, supplements that help the health of people and smart mental health choices. Our bodies are made to fight disease if taken care of. The healthy should not be forced to compromise our bodies because of the lack of respect by the unhealthy. If the unhealthy are afraid of illness, then they must take responsibility for their lifestyle - not force mandates to be imposed on the general public, for the sake of protecting their wrong lifestyle choices. I appreciate the service you render for the citizens of VA and expect that the voices of choice and liberty will also be heard by you on our behalf. Thank you!

Dear Committee Members, On behalf of myself and my family, I strongly urge you all to please support HB 5016, HB 5070 and HB 5082. In no wise should the Board of Health or the Commissioner of Health have the power or authority to mandate and require vaccines of any kind for any reason under any circumstances, period. Also, if an individual or family has religious beliefs that prohibit or prevent them from receiving such vaccines, it should always be well within their rights to refuse them. Finally, vaccines with questionable components should be strictly regulated and limited. Besides that, they should be illegal! The testing of these vaccines is also insufficient and with that said, no one should have to put theirs or their families’ health and/or values at risk in light of these circumstances. Thank you for your time and consideration.

I do not believe in mandatory vaccinations and I believe that our governor is overstepping his bounds With actions during covid

The past six months, the Governor has been using a public health emergency to make broad-sweeping policies without any legislative approval. This has hindered individual liberties and dictated a new way of life for Virginians. We want to get our economy and individual freedoms back, but there needs to be a restoration of the proper separation of powers. Please support HB 5023, 5025, and 5075 which seek to do that. Some of these executive orders have also caused people to be fearful of criminal charges for noncompliance, and the VDH has even instituted a reporting system that allows citizens to anonymously make allegations about businesses and churches. This does not promote a civil society in which private citizens learn to resolve disputes on their own. Please support HB 5018 and 5023 which seek to make any reporting system mandate names and contact information, and make that part of the public record. There should also be a penalty for those who knowingly make false allegations. I understand these are challenging times, but that doesn’t mean we cast aside important constitutional principles like the separation of powers or that we invite citizens to make anonymous claims against buisnesses and churches, some of which are erroneous. Please support HB 5018, 5023, 5025, and 5075.

As a person and family with medical at risk issues, I support these three bills that give my family and doctors the choices to review vaccinations and based on our family medical conditions be able to determine if they are safe for our family. In addition, I believe all families should have the choice to determine if they will take a vaccine and not be forced to take an unproven thru animal clinical trials or onces that used human fetus tissue in its creation. No person should be required to take a vaccine that alters their rna and or dna with their full consent and knowledge of how the vaccine will change them. Many vaccines have adverse reactions and vary from mild to severe. Depending on the medical condition of that person - they can have a severe reaction while someone else could have a mild one. This should be a decision for the person/family and their physcians to determine the risk versus benefit as we are allowed to due with voluntary vaccines such as for the flu shot. The CDC has published contraindications for not getting vaccines and further supports these bills. Lastly, we should have the choice to reject vaccines due to conflicts with personal religious beliefs, practices, and or tenets. and not be forced by government or health departments regardless of current epidemics or pandemics. As a Virginia resident I fully support these bills and rquest my legislators to support these bills for passage.

As a Virginia resident, I am concerned with the powers given to the Board of Health or Commissioner of Health on requiring vaccines. I support the limit of these powers. We should be able to make our own decisions based on facts presented. It is concerning that we are considering as a Commonwealth, mandating vaccinations for all citizens, without alternative options. This is especially concerning with a Covid19 vaccine that will not have had the standard period of testing that all traditional vaccinations have gone through. Virginians should be granted the right of choice to determine what they do with their own bodies. More medicines, therapeutics and vaccines are all helpful in the fight against this awful disease. However, opening access to citizens is different than mandating a specific vaccine. Please consider the long term implications of allowing mandated vaccines before rushing to judgement. Please consider leaving the choice to the people to govern their own bodies. Thank you for your consideration and time in reading this.

I am concerned citizen and mom. While I am not opposed to vaccines, I do realize their many benefits! I am greatly concerned about the mandating of vaccines. I have looked into the eyes of mothers with children who have experienced proven vaccine related injuries. Mothers whose children are clearly sensitive to the ingredients they contain. To tell them they have no right to decide what is in their child’s best interest is absolutely preposterous. In the United States of America, a country that was founded on RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, to tell someone who is religiously opposed to vaccines that they must go against their moral code, violate their deep convictions, for a virus that has a 97% chance of survival is disgusting. For the government to come into our homes and mandate to us what we must put into our bodies is a violation of liberty! If a woman is able to abort a fetus in the name of personal rights then she should be able to decide for herself and her family if they will be taking a vaccine. When a government starts mandating to people what they must do to their body in the name “Public safety”, what’s next? Please consider the greater implications of this. Thank you for your time.

I fully support Delegate Cole and Delegate LaRock’s proposed bills to amend the power given to the Commissioner of Health during a pandemic and to limit the components of vaccines. These are very important proposals which are needed to address the rights of individuals to make vaccine decisions for themselves and their children. I think we can all agree that parents, not the government, has the best interests of their children at heart and that parents should be the ones making vaccination decisions for their children and for themselves.

Please support the religious rights of individuals to make decisions about receiving vaccinations for them selves and their children. I support HB 5016, 5070 and 5082.

Committee Members, In regard to the proposed bills HB 5016, HB 5070, and HB 5082, in which individuals would be given the right to decline vaccines due to religious beliefs (as well as other specifications for vaccines that do not involve religious convictions,) I urge the members to vote in favor of these bills. Thank you

Please support and pass HB 5016, 5070, and 5082. Healthcare should never be a one size fits all treatment. Each individual should be able to decide along with their own physician what is best for that individual based on that person's medical records. I personally know of several people who have had life altering complications due to the flu vaccine. I cannot imagine the potential for adverse side effects from a vaccine that has been rushed through without proper testing. Due to negative government intervention, this virus, which has affected hundreds of thousands, is now affecting millions of people. While many are saying these measures are needed for the "good of the general public," please remember that the general public is made up of millions of individuals whose lives are now being destroyed by political force. Please return the rights of Virginians to govern their own health to each individual based on the advice from their personal doctor, not based on mandates from a health commissioner who could not possibly make wise medical decisions for eight and a half million people. Thank for serving the people of Virginia by supporting HB 5016, 5070 and 5082.

Please vote yes on HB 5016, HB 5070, and HB 5082. As a constituent I am pro-vaccine but also support the right of the individual to make the an informed decision for their health and the health of their family. Thank you for your time.

Religious freedom is one of the founding principles of our country. Those of us who choose to use an exemption do not do it lightly or without conviction and education. My son is anaphylactic to some of the ingredients in many vaccines, doctors won't write medical exemptions because they are limited to how many if any they can write, scared of retribution or they lose their payout for vaccinated numbers in practices. Let us govern our own bodies and make medical decisions based on our faith and knowledge of our own bodies and tolerance.

Hello: My name is Allen Getz, Jr. I live in the town of Boydton, the county seat for Mecklenburg. This message addresses the expectation of support from all members of the Virginia legislature regarding HB 5016, HB 5070, and HB 5082. Virginia works best when its government, true to its design as per the Commonwealth's Constitution, disengages from micro-management of its citizens at the behest of conglomerates. To this end, these bills protect and remind the source and responsibility of Virginia rests with each Virginian, not those chosen without our consent and, under the guise of 'public safety' endanger these same Virginians with questionable products. Also, the conscience and convictions of each Virginian receive reinforcement and recognition as befitting our heritage and for the preservation of our future via this legislation. For these reasons, I expect full support and passage of HB 5016, HB 5070, and HB 5082 without delay and revision. Sincerely, Allen Getz, Jr.

Hello: My name is Allen Getz, Jr. I live in the town of Boydton, the county seat for Mecklenburg. This message addresses the expectation of support from all members of the Virginia legislature regarding HB 5016, HB 5070, and HB 5082. Virginia works best when its government, true to its design as per the Commonwealth's Constitution, disengages from micro-management of its citizens at the behest of conglomerates. To this end, these bills protect and remind the source and responsibility of Virginia rests with each Virginian, not those chosen without our consent and, under the guise of 'public safety' endanger these same Virginians with questionable products. Also, the conscience and convictions of each Virginian receive reinforcement and recognition as befitting our heritage and for the preservation of our future via this legislation. For these reasons, I expect full support and passage of HB 5016, HB 5070, and HB 5082 without delay and revision. Sincerely, Allen Getz, Jr. This bill adds a religious exemption to a mandate for a vaccine issued by the state health commissioner.  Support HB 5070 This bill removes restrictions on religious exemptions during a declared emergency or epidemic.  Support HB 5082 This bill prevents vaccines being added to the current state school mandate that are derived from fetal tissue or have potential to modify RNA/DNA.

I'm writing to ask that you support HB 5016, HB 5070, and HB5082. I was shocked to learn that the health commissioner has the authority to mandate vaccines on all Virginians. By supporting these bills, you will allow Virginians to have the medical freedom to determine whether a vaccine is appropriate for themselves and their families. Please do not take freedom away from the people of Virginia!

I believe that we, as parents and citizens of the United States of America, have the right to make decisions concerning whether or not we or our children receive vaccines. Our state and federal government officials are elected by us TO SERVE the citizens of the United States. Government does not have the authority or right to mandate vaccinations. Please support the passage of HB 5016, HB 5070, and HB 5082 to allow individuals to continue making decisions regarding vaccines, and to limit the power of government to mandate such vaccines.

As a registered voter in Virginia and a parent I am asking you to please support bills HB 5016, HB 5070 and HB5082. An individual in the Commissioner of Health position or in the position of Governor should not have the authority to decide for others whether they should get any vaccine or wear a mask. That is violating health freedom and liberty. It should be an individual’s right to decide for themselves and for parents to decide for their children whether or not to get an injection of fluid into their bodies or cover their nose and mouth while inside buildings, at any point in time, even in the middle of a so-called pandemic. I am pleading with every legislator to keep Virginian’s freedoms of health, life and liberty intact. Please support these bills to allow that for Virginians. I am also asking that legislators do whatever they can to get the Governor to end the mask wearing mandate in VA immediately. There is no evidence that it actually helps and it could actually be causing harm. Now is the time to rise above fear and move on into living full on again. Germs have been and always will be among us. Now is the time to rise above, let’s keep doing the common sense things like handwashing and staying home when you are sick and get back to living life again.

As stated in the FDA’s Emergency guidelines, all criteria must be met in order to warrant an authorization like this. One of the criteria listed specifically states no alternative treatment be available prior to receiving this of approval. Given recent developments by the FDA in therapeutics as well physician administered medication, ALL resources have not been exhausted. Therefore, the argument for obtaining an EAU should be null and void. Furthermore, it’s an infringement on the rights of the citizens of Virginia. It’s egregious to even discuss removing the ability to opt out for religious or medical reasons. Each patient has individual rights and medical needs that lawmakers should respect. I would certainly hope the VDH recognizes this. If not, maybe our state should appropriate funding elsewhere. Thank you for your time.

In a free country individuals get to decide what pharmaceutical product goes into their body. The Covid vaccine has aborted fetal tissue in it and I absolutely will not consent to have that injected onto my body or any member of my family. We must have a religious exemption and any person who believes in God should object to having DNA fragments going into your body. Pass HB 5016 and do the right thing as a human elected by the people.

My name is Dr Steele, I am a Naturopathic Doctor, located in Virginia Beach. I treat a growing number of families who are concerned with the inability to choose how they treat their families, removing informed consent. Vaccines that are rushed to market without long term studies, present clear and present danger for those with methylation pathways imbalances. Those people with SOD, DHFR, and MTHFR genetic variants just to name a few have been known to have an inability to clear binders and fillers commonly found within vaccines to include known neurotoxins. Injection of neurotoxins place these people at greater risk. There is a growing concern over the impact and bombardment of synthetic ingredients within our environment, from all sources. As people of public health safety and science, it is critical for us to our due diligence to ensure that those we are trusted to serve that we are not unknowingly or unwittingly harming. There is no possible way to ensure and within confidence present this vaccine to the general public without doing our due diligence of long term studies. Virginians are losing confidence in allopathic medicine every single day, running to my office afraid and untrusting of conventional medical treatment. This piece of legislation will continue to place a wedge between allopathic medical care and public confidence. One in every ten person I see has not been to the doctor in years, many have neglected preventative healthcare screenings out of fear of pressure or a lack of understanding. Some wait and run into my office after they have a debilitating diagnosis looking for a hail mary, after they have either been terrorized by their primary provider or they were told something they did not want to hear. Passage of this legislation as a mandate without an avenue of refusal will continue to solidify this public uneasiness and could in the long term cause more deaths than it was intended to prevent. There is no doubt about that this various can be deadly for some, but we also understand it is deadly to those with multiple comorbitites. I just wonder how many of those people could have been saved had they had a better view of doctors. We sincerely want to strive to build the strength between the doctor patient relationship rather than the distain that is currently felt. When legislators come between medical and healthcare providers and their patients right to choose you jeopardize the therapeutic relationship. I ask that you not make it more difficult to facilitate healthcare in the trenches by allowing us to effectively serve and education those that trust our guidance. There is just simply no way to spin a rushed to market, untested vaccine with the promise of eradication of a virus that is here to say. Our best bet is to educate Virginians on how to support their bodies ability to fight back and be resilient than to mandate a man made solution.

In 2013 I had a profound religious experience that convicted me to follow Yaweh and abide by his commandments in the Torah. I cannot take non kosher animals into my body, I cannot mix my blood with foreign DNA , and I cannot support abortion. Because of this I can not take any vaccine with the above ingredients. 1. Please support the bill to protect vaccine religious exemption (HB5070). My husband had a severe reaction to his Hep B shot as a child. He erupted in a head to toe rash as a baby and proceeded to have a fever of 104 for 8 weeks. Yes, 8 weeks. Because of this, his family history, and the rest of the bad reactions he had as a child, he cannot safely take most vaccines. 2. Please prohibit mandates of unsafe and unethical vaccines through (HB5082) Warmly, Bonnie McAlpin

Delegates, In regard to HB 5016, HB 5070, and HB 5082 I would ask that you support every single one. The vaccine mandate that the Commissioner of Health has said he would support is outrageous and unconstitutional. In a nation that prides itself on personal freedoms, how can we even entertain the idea of a mandated vaccine? Are we not a country founded on freedom? How can we even begin to support a measure which would forcibly inject something into citizens? If they say tomorrow that we all have to cut off our right arm to save the world from the virus, are we to be mandated to do that too? That is not America. To have any governmental official or agency have the power to mandate a vaccine is unethical, illogical, and flies in the face of the very tenants of our constitution. This has nothing to do with personal stance on vaccines, but rather, on personal stance on freedom. You hold in your hands the power to remove this gross overstep of power from the hands of the Commissioner and to grant Virginians a religious exemption from such an atrocious mandate—and I ask that you would use that power. The people you represent are looking to you to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America which grants us, under the First Amendment, freedom of religion. It also protects against the restriction of an individual’s religious practices. And if someone’s religion prevents them from accepting vaccinations—then what? Are we to say that their religious beliefs do not count? Nonsense. This so-called power that the Commission has been granted is inappropriate, at best and needs to be removed or at the very least an exemption on religious grounds needs to be provided. Delegates, I ask that you vote in favor of HB 5016, HB 5070, and HB 5082. Stand up for freedom. Stand up for Virginia. Historically, Americans have not taken kindly to tyrannical leadership—let this be no exception.

Dear Delegates, I urge you to please support these bills. These bills will protect bodily autonomy and informed consent, medical choice and freedom, and ultimately the state. This is NOT a partisan issue. One man telling all Virginians to undergo the same medical procedure, regardless of health history and/or religious beliefs, flies in the face of both Democratic and Republican beliefs. No two citizens have the exact health history, and no two citizens will have the exact reaction to every medical procedure. This is why patients discuss health risks and benefits with their doctors before giving consent. Once something is mandated, there can no longer be consent. Unless dissent is an option, consent does not exist. In addition, there are many unanswered questions. For instance, if a COVID-19 vaccine is mandated, who will bear the financial burden that this will place on the state's most vulnerable citizens? What about the people who already had COVID19, will they be forced to pay for antibodies their body fought for naturally? The safety tests have been accelerated for this vaccine, and it is being tested on a mostly healthy and mostly white population. Again, does this place an additional risk on citizens of color and those who have underlying health conditions? If so, and there are more and worse side effects than foreseen, who will bear responsibility? Pharmaceutical companies will have indemnity, they will bear NO responsibility but will make ALL the profit. Does that mean the state is liable should more citizens be harmed by the vaccine than were harmed by the actual virus? By allowing citizens the right to choose what is best for them and for their health, all of these questions are eliminated. The state is not liable if it there are not mandates, or if those mandates offer the same exemptions as are currently the law. People are not forced to undergo procedures that violate their religious beliefs. Bodily autonomy and informed consent are protected. Please use your vote to support HB 5016, HB 5070, and HB5082.

Hello, I am writing today with great concern regarding government mandates surrounding a potential COVID-19 vaccine, and any vaccine for that matter. My children have had immunizations, but it was a decision that was researched and deliberated extensively between myself, my husband, and most importantly our pediatrician. Healthcare and medical procedures are extremely personal, and never a one-size-fits all approach. There are many risks associated with medicine/prescriptions, medical procedures, and vaccines. Congress has stated that vaccines are unavoidably unsafe, and we know this to be true from the actual vaccine product inserts as well as the VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System), which has been proven to be under-reported to. Where there is risk, there MUST be a CHOICE. Please allow citizens to make this choice! The COVID-19 vaccine is being fast-tracked to market, and safety and efficacy are both widely unknown. Many Americans (Republican, Democrat, Pro-life, Pro-choice, Pro-vaccine, and from every walk of life) have concerns with the COVID-19 vaccine. This is not a political issue, and my medical decisions should never be determined by the government. A vast majority of people are asymptomatic or present very mild symptoms. This virus is not as scary as originally thought in March of 2020, and there are treatments available that have greatly reduced the death rate. Please respect individual autonomy, our rights and freedoms under The Constitution, and allow for CHOICE not mandates. Please SUPPORT the following bills: HB 5016 HB 5070 HB 5082 Thank you for listening to Myself and the countless Americans who agree with Medical Freedom.

I strongly urge you to vote “yes” on HB 5016, 5070, and 5082. The decision to use a brand new, fast tracked medical intervention of any kind, including a covid-19 vaccine, should not be up to one single Virginian. Dr. Norman Oliver not only has the authority to mandate this without exception for every Virginian as the law is currently written, but also has already stated his intent to do so once the vaccine becomes available. This is not a party-line issue, nor is it a pro-vaccine vs anti-vaccine issue - it is an issue of “my body, my choice” that every Virginian on both sides of the aisle should be able to agree on. We have a constitutional and human right to bodily autonomy, and the state should not be able to take that right away from any man, woman, or child in any circumstances. In support of the bodily civil rights of all Virginians, please vote YES on HB 5016, 5070, and 5082. Thank you for your time.

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to encourage you to STRONGLY SUPPORT 3 vaccination bills being heard today (HB 5082, HB 5070, and HB 5016). I am in full support of parents making vaccine decisions for their families, not the government. Sincerely, BettySue Burnham-Minnick

I am writing in support of HB 5016 and HB5070. As a Christian, a major tenet of my faith is to trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not to my own understanding. In all of my ways, I acknowledge Him and allow Him to direct my path. (Proverbs 3:5-6). God has also promised me in His word that no plague would come near His people (Psalm 91:10). To be forced to take vaccinations would be forcing me to violate the trust/faith that I have in God to protect me, putting my trust/faith in manmade medicines and vaccinations instead. While I do understand the benefits of some vaccinations, I would only take them if directed by God to do so. I need the freedom to be led by God when it comes to my health. These bills would allow me to do that.

Hello, I am writing to request your support for HB 5016, HB 5070, and HB 5082. As the mother of five young children who have received many vaccinations, I plead with those of you on both sides of the political spectrum to vote in favor of the bills mentioned above. Citizens deserve freedom with respect to what medical procedures (including immunizations) we will or will not receive. Parents deserve the freedom to determine, based on their own research and the advice of their physicians, what vaccinations their children should and should not receive. Citizens of this great state of VA should have freedom to refuse vaccines if they so choose. Many of your constituents are not yet comfortable with receiving a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. The Commissioner of Health should not have the right to mandate a vaccine that a large percentage of Virginians agree has been rushed into development, without sufficient in-depth, long-term studies to determine safety, efficacy, and long term side effects. I have never considered myself an “anti-vaxxer,” and yet many others like myself who are not opposed to vaccines are deeply concerned about the tyranny we see in this potential government mandate. All of the aforementioned bills will contribute to keeping Virginians safe AND free. Please vote in favor of these bills.

PLEASE pass this bill. I am absolutely terrified of being force to have a vaccine. I don't understand how a legislature can allow a woman to terminate a pregnancy because it is "her body, her choice" but then turn around and not allow her to choose to have a vaccine, or not. I don't understand how a legislature can presume to know better than any individual what medical risks are worth them taking, and what aren't; and it seems to me thatdoing so may violate the 9th amendment of the US Constitution, because taking charge of our own health is a fundamental right of each person. And I most certainly do not understand how a legislature can require any person be forced to choose between their deeply held religious beliefs and complying with the state laws.... that choice is simply too big: To suffer in life or to be damned to suffer for eternity? That's no choice at all. If there was a vaccine mandate that did not allow me to decline, I would have to to leave Virginia. I have never lived anywhere else in my life, nor have I ever wanted to. This is my home, and it's been the home of my families for generations. There is land in Virginia that has been owned by my family since before there were land records. Towns, roads and churches in different areas of the state are named after my ancestors to honor their roles in law enforcement, as elected officials, veterans, and prominent business people. Don't make me make that choice. You simply must allow a religious exemption. Vote to support HB5070. Thank you.

I stand in support of HB5016. Please pass this bill protecting the medical freedoms of all Virginians.

These are concerning issues for our family. We have a personal awareness of what the side effects of vaccines have done or could do to children and adults when administered vaccines are not in the best medical interest of the individual. Could you please be an advocate for the HB5016, HB5070 and HB5082? As I read them, they all appear to support the overall freedom of choice and rights of the individual to make vaccine decisions for themselves and not dictated by governing individuals who are completely unaware of someone's specific health concerns. As a parent, I choose to educate myself on both sides of the vaccine issues and prayerfully make decisions for each of my children. I'm also a vocal advocate and resource many in my sphere of influence and community rely on for learning more about their vaccine choices so they aren't being told how to think by those who don't have their families specific health needs in mind. I appreciate your support in these bills to continue to allow personal freedoms to remain in America. Thank you, Renee Ward

I urge my representation in the Virginia House of Delegates to vote in favor of HBs 5016. 5070 and 5082. Vaccinations must be carefully tested and should not be rushed in to distribution. Those with the highest risk conditions should be prioritized. Sensible prevention measures should be fully implemented prior to forced vaccination. These bills provide an instrument to protect those who would possibly suffer.

Thank you for supporting a bill for religious conscience and freedom, and a woman’s right to decide her own medical care. I would like to remind you that the HHS allows you to file a complaint of anything that is against civil right, conscience, and religious freedom. If people choose not to take the vaccine but are prevented from a job, or school because of their religious beliefs, they can fill out this form. https://www.hhs.gov/conscience/complaints/filing-a-complaint/index.html I am however in favor of the protocol using Hydrochloroquine, zinc, and antibiotics. Please let this be an option instead. I have been taking hydrochloroquine for many years with zinc with no problems for arthritis way before the pandemic started. From personal experience, it’s safe, and sold over the counter in some countries that have had almost no outbreaks of covid19. It had been on the market for 50 years for malaria, and joint pain. Please use this instead of a harmful and dangerous vaccine that Russia is fast tracking . Thank you, Cindy Walsh

I DO NOT support the government of Virginia MANDATING that I inject something into my body or the bodies of my children. I say this as a mom who has given her children most of the vaccines on the list, and as someone who has received vaccines myself in preparation for international travel. The issue? I HAD A CHOICE!!!! My body, my choice!

I am vehemently opposed to the mandatory COVID virus vaccine. The decision as to medical treatment belongs to the individual, not the government. The vaccine has not had time to be tested either for safety or for effectiveness. For those who chose it it is their choice, but so is the choice of us not to The flu vaccine has been out for years and even now is only approximately 45% effective. And, many who get the flu vaccine actually end up getting the flu or other side affects . Why would we trust the safety or effectiveness of this vaccine? While the virus is dangerous to those with underlying conditions, MOST people survive it and have nothing worse than a bad case of the flu. The survival rate is quite high. People need to assume responsibility for their own healthcare. I had the measles, the mumps and the chicken pox as a child and while I was sick for a week or so, I am alive to tell about it. As an adult I have had the RUSSIAN flu as a young adult and pneumonia, and while sick I recuperated. Even now it is not recommended that I get the pneumonia vaccine because I am “not yet old enough”.. We do not live in a perfect world, nor will we ever. It is up to me to take charge of my healthcare and make the best decisions for me based on my health, my body chemistry and my choose, not the government. I’m the beginning there was little known about this virus, but now there is so much more known. And, what is known does not indicate the need for a mandatory vaccine. Let’s look at how the virus spread: sending sick patients back to nursing homes. Sending sick workers in to care for the patients at nursing homes. The majority of the deaths have not happened to the general population or those who have the virus. We do not need to be controlled by fear! I have a mother and sister in the most vulnerable group and we do all we can to protect them and they do the same for their own health. We take responsibility for their care. If women can have “a choice” over taking the life of an innocent child I certainly have the right to make my own decisions! For this to become mandatory it intrudes on freedoms and rights of the individual. Not only intrudes, but takes away. The government does not have this right and we will not allow our rights to be TAKEN away! This mandatory vaccine bill is not legal and can not be pushed upon those who oppose it! For those that want it give it to them! But don’t push it in those who have deep, valid concerns! Please stop this ridiculous action!

I am writing on behalf of myself and my family. I am a mother of two children, ages 2 and 6. I think it is important to note that we are not an "anti-vaccination" family. Quite the opposite actually, my children have received all their required vaccinations on the recommended schedule. We also get the annual flu shot. Having worked in the medical field, I appreciate the importance of vaccines, but at the same time I also recognize the importance of throughly studied and tested vaccines. I am fearful of a rush to development for a vaccine, particularly the kind of rushing that is occurring right now to find create a vaccine for COVID-19. I am not comfortable having my children injected with a chemical that I do not trust; Nor am I okay with having something done to my children that is against my will as a parent. It has been my sole priority to protect my children and that is a job I take seriously. I have always done what is best for their health and in this case, in the case of a possible new vaccine rushed through development, I must protect them from the unknown ramifications. My understanding is that the way the law stands currently that right as a parent could be eroded away. Therefore, I am writing in support of all three vaccine bills (HB5016, HB5070 and HB5082). I believe that HB5070 & HB5082 are the best forms of protection for ALL citizens. Lawmakers must remember: parents will be the ones living with the consequences of vaccines, parents will always do what is necessary to protect their children, and lastly, parents will vote in elections to replace representatives who do not vote in favor of their constituents. I am asking that for the vaccine bills to be passed. Thank you for your time.

As a 9th district leader in our community of home schoolers in Montgomery County, PLEASE ask to have the following HBs amended to: HB 5016 - Add religious exemption HB 5070 - eliminate the authority of the Board of Health or Commissioner of Health to require vaccination HB 5082 - limit list of required vaccinations to not include those that (i) contain human fetal tissue (ii)vaccines that modify recipients DNA/RNA , (iii) have not first been tested on animals before humans. Plus DoH musy provide all vaccine efficacy data and ingredients.

Please vote to allow religious exemptions to continue in VA, even in times of pandemic. Our religious convictions do not change, even in times of pandemic. Vaccines that have objectionable ingredients are still objectionable, even in times of pandemic.

Dear Committee Members, I am writing as a concerned citizen of the state of Virginia. I am writing to respectfully request that you support the following three bills (HB-5016, HB-5070 and HB-5082 ) scheduled to be heard at 9:00 am on 8/25/20. I believe that protections need to be in place to ensure our personal health liberties are not violated. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Vaccines are not safe per CDC and fast tracking a vaccine requires steps to be skipped in order to rush a product that has not been thoroughly tested. My religious beliefs as a pro-life activist and the ingredients in vaccines go against all that I believe in. This is communist level control and once we allow an inch people who don’t care about our basic human and religious rights will try and gain even more control of our bodily selves even against our religious objections. Please do the right thing and allow Us to self govern our own bodies as the constitution says through our religious freedoms.

Please support HB5016 and HB5070. Bodily autonomy is a basic human right and part of what makes this country so beautiful and great. Medicine has never been a one size fits all and what works for some does not work for others. This new vaccine has been fast tracked with very little testing and will come with great risk! Please be a voice for the people in supporting our desire to maintain our rightful liberties in this country we call home!

Please vote yes to HB 5016 and HB 5070 And HB 5082. I would like there to be more research done on any pandemic vaccine, before it being mandated. Thank you for time.

HB 5070 During 1954, the Salk vaccine was developed and prematurely launched in 1955 after the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP), the CDC and state health departments suppressed adverse outcome reports that the Salk vaccine (Sv) was causing more polio than it was preventing. Then Oak Park, Illinois Health Director, Dr. Herbert Ratner, initially declined to implement the Salk polio vaccination program after documenting cases of child polio caused from vaccination with the Salk vaccine. On May 7, 1955 it became evident that not only Cutter Labs but other polio vaccine manufacturers were having similar problems, and all vaccinations were suspended until May 27, 1955. But unsafe left over Polio vaccine doses, from before November 11, 1955, were used in early 1956, starting another round of vaccine-caused polio. The USPHS never ordered the withdrawal of the less safe 1955 vaccine for the “safer” 1956 vaccine version. Dr. Ratner noted that the reduced effectiveness of the “improved” vaccine was not acknowledged until 1959. A participant at Surgeon General Scheel’s “experts” meeting held April 27, 1955, reported: “… They could not … cancel all vaccinations without giving the public the idea that the vaccine should never have been licensed in the first place.” (Richard Carter, Breakthrough: The Saga of Jonas Salk, New York Trident Press, 1965) Dr. Ratner was fired as the editor of the Bulletin of the American Association of Public Health Physicians for his critical article about the Salk vaccine. There are already a considerable number of persons in the United States and abroad who are suspicious of the real purposes of vaccinations. The Kenyan Catholic Bishops Conference, do not oppose vaccination per se, but: “… raised questions on whether the tetanus vaccine was linked to a population control program that has been reported in some countries, where a similar vaccine was laced with Beta-HCG hormone which causes infertility and multiple miscarriages in women. … The Catholic Church struggled and acquired several vials of the vaccine, which we sent to Four unrelated Government and private laboratories in Kenya and abroad. … all the tests showed that the vaccine used in Kenya in March and October 2014 was indeed laced with the Beta-HCG hormone.” “… we are shocked at the level of dishonesty and casual manner in which such a serious issue is being handled by the Government. … we are dismayed by attempts to intimidate and blackmail medical professionals who have corroborated information about the vaccine, with threats of disciplinary action. … we shall not waver in calling upon all Kenyans to avoid the tetanus vaccination campaign laced with Beta-HCG.” In 2017, the results of an independent examination and evaluation of the Kenyan Bishops’ challenge of the tainted Tetanus vaccine, was published. Researchers from the University of Louisiana, University of British Columbia, a Canadian Research organization, and the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association confirmed the bishop’s contentions: (John W. Oller, et. sl., , “HCG Found in WHO Tetanus Vaccine in Kenya …” Open Access Library Journal, 10/27/17). The current Commissioner of Health refuses to authorize the out-patient use of FDA approved as safe Hydroxychloroquine, but he has already decided he will subject all Virginians to a fast-tracked never before approved MRNA vaccine!

Please vote in favor of keeping the religious exemption in place. Freedom of religion should not be infringed upon and we deserve to be able to choose what goes into our bodies. Thanks

I am in full protest of any vaccination, including corona virus, being made mandatory. I believe it would violate my autonomy and Constitutional rights. It’s my body, my choice and I believe a religious/moral exemption should also remain in place for those who believe it goes against their beliefs.

I fully support the passage of HB 5016. Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and other religions have religious concerns when it comes to medical procedures, vaccines being no exception. In every religion, the body is a temple that belongs to God, not to the state. I fully support the right of any religious person to conscientiously object to a medical procedure. Should the Commonwealth wish to encourage its citizens to choose vaccination, it should definitely not alarm its citizens with a threat of mandates that would force them to violate their conscience. You cannot uphold Religious Freedom for all, but withhold it for one issue. The Constitution guarantees freedom of Religion, and it must be upheld, even for controversial issues.

Hydroxychloriquine should be available to treat COVID-19 at the onset of testing positive. Too many Drs praising the positive outcomes of its use. It should be up to the patient and Dr to make that decision, not the government.

no governor or vdh director should have the right to mandate a vaccine or control the citizens of the state even during a health issue indefinitely with out any limitations of the duration of the health order. the governors orders have been allowed to continue well pass the time.frame and guidelines that he stated had to be meet to allow the state to reopen. it has went from being cautious to an issue of control and manipulation of the citizens of Virginia. no governor should be allowed to have unchecked power for longer than 30 days with out the vote of the legislative branch. the same goes for the head of vdh they should not have the ability to force the citizens of Virginia to have a vaccine or force the wearing of masks by citizens especially those who are not ill.

I would like voice my concerns around mandating vaccines. I stand with the proposal put forth by Delegate LaRock and Delegate Mark Cole.

I would like to express my sincere opinion and protect my right to make decisions for myself and my children that I feel is in their best interest when it pertains to vaccinations. I am not an anti-vaccine individual, however; I do hold dearly the right to decide when and where myself, my children and loved ones should and should not receive certain vaccinations based on the fact that I am a expert in mine and my children’s needs and only I know myself and my children needs completely. Because if this, I am strongly opposed of having government dictate or mandate when a vaccination is essential for myself or my family. Based on my religious beliefs, I would like to protect my right to adamantly oppose the intake of any foreign substance in my body. In addition, I want to protect my right to oppose any potentially harmful substances which may be composed in any vaccination if adequate details of its ingredients can not be provided. The individual rights of many may never be sacrificed for the assumption that a governing body knows what’s best for individuals that they have no prior knowledge or history of.

I fully support HB 5016, HB 5070 and HB 5082!!!

As a resident of Hanover county, I want to voice my opinion on the following: I support Delegate Mark Cole’s HB 5016 which would supply citizens with the vital right to a religious exemption from a mandated vaccine during an epidemic. I support Delegate LaRock’s HB 5070 which would ensure that there is not an overreach in the authority of the Board of Health and would protect citizen’s rights to a religious exemption from mandated vaccines. Additionally, I support Delegate LaRock’s HB 5082, which is a common sense bill that would protect and ensure an actual informed consent on the matter of vaccinations.

Please limit/eliminate the authority of the Commissioner of Health to mandate a vaccine during a pandemic.

Based on my 1st Amendment and my religious beliefs, I would highly recommend that religious exemptions be included in the Commissioner of Health mandated compliance with vaccination for the coronavirus. If something is truly "good" for the health of the public, then it will not have to be mandated. The efficacy is questionable, at best for this proposed vaccine. There is no liability for the manufacturers because of immunity placed in to law by Ronald Reagan. The numbers flat out do not corroborate the narrative for the coronavirus. The preponderance of evidence is not visible for this narrative either. 20,000,000 plus million infected around the world of 8,000,000,000 plus? That is not even a tenth of one percent. There is a lot of smoke, but not much fire to this whole matter.

It is our right to refuse immunization and vaccines

Please support the bills HB 5016, HB 5070, HB 5082 tomorrow, as these vaccines are against my Christian religious rights. Vaccines are often filled with fetal matter that can affect RNA, and DNA, and that is against my personal beliefs. Please represent all Virginians by supporting these bills.

I write to you today as the President of the Virginia Telehealth Network. VTN is a 501c3 nonprofit membership organization dedicated to supporting telehealth efforts in the Commonwealth. Started in 2006 by a group of health professionals with an interest in promoting telehealth, VTN seeks to provide education, resources, and best practices to telehealth stakeholders while advocating for safe and effective delivery of telehealth services. We seek to develop and maintain strong partnerships that allow for the exploration and promotion of innovative programs that promote access to high-quality health care. VTN supports the efforts of HB 5046, to ensure that patients have high quality access to telehealth services, especially in light of the current health crisis throughout our Commonwealth. The legislation amends the definition of originating site to allow for patients to access telemedicine at any site where the patient is located. This means that originating sites will include any medical care facility, office of a healthcare provider, home of the patient, the patient's place of employment, or any public or private primary or secondary school or postsecondary institution of higher education and more. In addition, the legislation will also ensure that providers are not required to use proprietary technology or applications, codifying language around controlled substances act, and ensuring state Medicaid plans can cover services. We encourage the House of Delegates to amend the definition of telemedicine as proposed in HB5046 so as to return to the current definition in code. Removing the prohibition of “audio-only” may lead to unintended consequences in the quality of medical services provided to citizens of the Commonwealth. If phone-only is defined as telemedicine, we conflict with current statutes and regulations regarding the establishment of a provider-patient relationship, prescribing, network adequacy and more. A change in the definition of telemedicine may also lead to greater numbers of for-profit out of state providers caring for Virginians by telephone only, impacting quality and risking fragmentation of care. It also contradicts federal definitions of telemedicine and coverage determinations utilized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, thereby adding confusion for providers. Lastly, it provides a disincentive for broadband deployment and a disincentive for using video which in many cases would result in better quality of care. Currently, we ask you not to remove the prohibition of “audio-only” as a telemedicine service. We seek to revisit the opportunity to provide coverage of telephone-only services (but not as a telemedicine service) in the context of an existing provider-patient relationship during the next session, informed by data generated during the public health emergency. We fully support extension of the Medicaid waivers put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful for the work of the General Assembly in addressing issues that arose in the delivery of telemedicine over the recent months and look forward to working with you to ensure that all Virginians can receive high quality health care via telehealth. Please do not hesitate to contact me or the VTN if you have any questions. Thank you. Sincerely, Karen S. Rheuban, M.D., Board President, Virginia Telehealth Network

I am strongly in support of all three of these bills. I agree with HB 5070 even more so than HB 5016, as HB 5070 more strictly limits governmental authority. Thank you.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." - First Amendment The current legislation surrounding vaccinations and the authority given to the VA Health Commissioner is unconstitutional and is is direct conflict with what is written in our first amendment. Although our Constitution already gives all citizens the freedom needed to choose what happens to their physical body, I implore you to support HB5016, HB5070, & HB5082 to ensure that religious exemptions remain for vaccinations.

Religious exemptions are paramount to our freedom of choice in Virginia. The Department of Health says this of epidemics, "There is no strict definition of an outbreak or specific number of cases that need to occur to be considered an outbreak." For the Commissioner of Health, or any authority, to use this loose definition of an epidemic without providing religious exemptions to those who seek them would be unreasonable. Our Commissioner of Health has already declared publicly that he intends to mandate vaccines to all. Virginians should not have to concede to an unelected official's authority when there is not even a clear definition of what qualifies as an epidemic. The potential for abuse and/or misuse of this power is clear. Virginians have sacrificed a lot of freedoms willingly in the past six months because of COVID-19. There is no reason to believe they will not also willingly utilize any potential vaccines that may be produced. Religious exemptions offer the minority who object to those vaccinations the freedom to do so, as has always been the case in Virginia for families with school-age children. Never have those religious exemptions used by children in schools resulted in an outbreak of a vaccine-related disease. Thus, we have no reason to believe that those wishing to utilize religious exemptions during an epidemic would have any effect on the rest of the population. Please support HB 5016 and preserve every bit of liberty we can in Virginia.

HB 5070 During 1954, the Salk vaccine was developed and prematurely launched in 1955 after the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP), the CDC and state health departments suppressed adverse outcome reports that the Salk vaccine (Sv) was causing more polio than it was preventing. Then Oak Park, Illinois Health Director, Dr. Herbert Ratner, initially declined to implement the Salk polio vaccination program after documenting cases of child polio caused from vaccination with the Salk vaccine. On May 7, 1955 it became evident that not only Cutter Labs but other polio vaccine manufacturers were having similar problems, and all vaccinations were suspended until May 27, 1955. But unsafe left over Polio vaccine doses, from before November 11, 1955, were used in early 1956, starting another round of vaccine-caused polio. The USPHS never ordered the withdrawal of the less safe 1955 vaccine for the “safer” 1956 vaccine version. Dr. Ratner noted that the reduced effectiveness of the “improved” vaccine was not acknowledged until 1959. A participant at Surgeon General Scheel’s “experts” meeting held April 27, 1955, reported: “… They could not … cancel all vaccinations without giving the public the idea that the vaccine should never have been licensed in the first place.” (Richard Carter, Breakthrough: The Saga of Jonas Salk, New York Trident Press, 1965) Dr. Ratner was fired as the editor of the Bulletin of the American Association of Public Health Physicians for his critical article about the Salk vaccine. There are already a considerable number of persons in the United States and abroad who are suspicious of the real purposes of vaccinations. The Kenyan Catholic Bishops Conference, do not oppose vaccination per se, but: “… raised questions on whether the tetanus vaccine was linked to a population control program that has been reported in some countries, where a similar vaccine was laced with Beta-HCG hormone which causes infertility and multiple miscarriages in women. … The Catholic Church struggled and acquired several vials of the vaccine, which we sent to Four unrelated Government and private laboratories in Kenya and abroad. … all the tests showed that the vaccine used in Kenya in March and October 2014 was indeed laced with the Beta-HCG hormone.” “… we are shocked at the level of dishonesty and casual manner in which such a serious issue is being handled by the Government. … we are dismayed by attempts to intimidate and blackmail medical professionals who have corroborated information about the vaccine, with threats of disciplinary action. … we shall not waver in calling upon all Kenyans to avoid the tetanus vaccination campaign laced with Beta-HCG.” In 2017, the results of an independent examination and evaluation of the Kenyan Bishops’ challenge of the tainted Tetanus vaccine, was published. Researchers from the University of Louisiana, University of British Columbia, a Canadian Research organization, and the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association confirmed the bishop’s contentions: (John W. Oller, et. sl., , “HCG Found in WHO Tetanus Vaccine in Kenya …” Open Access Library Journal, 10/27/17). The current Commissioner of Health refuses to authorize the out patient use of FDA approved as safe Hydroxychloroquine, but he has already decided he will subject all Virginians to a fast-tracked never before approved MRNA vaccine!

HB 5070 During 1954, the Salk vaccine was developed and prematurely launched in 1955 after the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP), the CDC and state health departments suppressed adverse outcome reports that the Salk vaccine (Sv) was causing more polio than it was preventing. Then Oak Park, Illinois Health Director, Dr. Herbert Ratner, initially declined to implement the Salk polio vaccination program after documenting cases of child polio caused from vaccination with the Salk vaccine. On May 7, 1955 it became evident that not only Cutter Labs but other polio vaccine manufacturers were having similar problems, and all vaccinations were suspended until May 27, 1955. But unsafe left over Polio vaccine doses, from before November 11, 1955, were used in early 1956, starting another round of vaccine-caused polio. The USPHS never ordered the withdrawal of the less safe 1955 vaccine for the “safer” 1956 vaccine version. Dr. Ratner noted that the reduced effectiveness of the “improved” vaccine was not acknowledged until 1959. A participant at Surgeon General Scheel’s “experts” meeting held April 27, 1955, reported: “… They could not … cancel all vaccinations without giving the public the idea that the vaccine should never have been licensed in the first place.” (Richard Carter, Breakthrough: The Saga of Jonas Salk, New York Trident Press, 1965) Dr. Ratner was fired as the editor of the Bulletin of the American Association of Public Health Physicians for his critical article about the Salk vaccine. There are already a considerable number of persons in the United States and abroad who are suspicious of the real purposes of vaccinations. The Kenyan Catholic Bishops Conference, do not oppose vaccination per se, but: “… raised questions on whether the tetanus vaccine was linked to a population control program that has been reported in some countries, where a similar vaccine was laced with Beta-HCG hormone which causes infertility and multiple miscarriages in women. … The Catholic Church struggled and acquired several vials of the vaccine, which we sent to Four unrelated Government and private laboratories in Kenya and abroad. … all the tests showed that the vaccine used in Kenya in March and October 2014 was indeed laced with the Beta-HCG hormone.” “… we are shocked at the level of dishonesty and casual manner in which such a serious issue is being handled by the Government. … we are dismayed by attempts to intimidate and blackmail medical professionals who have corroborated information about the vaccine, with threats of disciplinary action. … we shall not waver in calling upon all Kenyans to avoid the tetanus vaccination campaign laced with Beta-HCG.” In 2017, the results of an independent examination and evaluation of the Kenyan Bishops’ challenge of the tainted Tetanus vaccine, was published. Researchers from the University of Louisiana, University of British Columbia, a Canadian Research organization, and the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association confirmed the bishop’s contentions: (John W. Oller, et. sl., , “HCG Found in WHO Tetanus Vaccine in Kenya …” Open Access Library Journal, 10/27/17). The current Commissioner of Health refuses to authorize the out patient use of FDA approved as safe Hydroxychloroquine, but he has already decided he will subject all Virginians to a fast-tracked never before approved MRNA vaccine!

I am taking time to write these words, with a terrible, rural internet connection and a too-full work schedule, because I heartily support medical choice and our freedom as American citizens to decide what happens to our own bodies. It saddens me that many will (quite understandably) feel similarly but will simply not be able to take the time to let Richmond know, hoping that things will 'just work out.' Sadly, this is never the case with government, which overreaches slowly, and then very quickly indeed. We must be vigilant, but modern lives are busy. Tonight I am taking that time - this is beyond important. My Body My Choice' is a very clever slogan that is often used to describe a woman's right not only to have dominion over her own body, but the body of another. Tonight I use it solely to refer to my own. My Body. My Choice. No government entity should have the right to inject foreign substances into my bloodstream against my will. Period. My Body. My Choice. For those of you who believe strongly in a woman's right to choose, even though it ends another human life, I ask you to take a moment to reflect on the ramifications of that statement throughout all decisions that involve our medical care. Furthermore, we should have the right to choose the treatments that have the potential to save our lives - particularly when individuals are not asking for government to subsidize these treatments, they are given to combat an established infection, and they have been proven over many decades as safe at standard dosage. I ask you to put aside political leanings and the clever words of pharmaceutical lobbyists and realize what it means when a citizen of the United States no longer has the ability to choose what goes into their body. Not just for me. But for you. And for your children. You above all others know how powerful political lobbyists are. Please do not set this precedent. Please support these bills. Yours sincerely, Marianne Willburn Lovettsville, VA

Virginia Organizing members have been organizing to win a public option for over 10 years. Our members, many of whom do not have insurance (especially insurance that is affordable) and live in fear of a medical diagnosis that would potentially bankrupt them, call on the General Assembly to create a public option so that people have another more accessible and affordable place to get the insurance for the care they need. We believe health care is a right, not a privilege. This is a solution that would help address both pandemics we are facing right now--COVID 19 and the pandemic of systemic racism in Virginia. This would save the state money in addition to our most medically vulnerable Virginians. Please pass the public option.

Americans should be able to take risks, and to freely choose which risks to take. We take risks everyday in many ways, multiple times a day, whether driving a car, drinking another beer, or eating less-than-healthy food. Some people choose to take more risk than others- riding motorcycles, chain smoking, or eating sweets daily. We all know of the risk of contracting Covid-19... however vaccines also carry risk. There are many possible side effects, including many serious side effects such as seizures, Guillian-Barre syndrome, SIDS, encephalopathy, and even death. To mandate or allow anyone to mandate any kind of vaccine goes against the foundational American principal of individual autonomy and freedom of choice. It also goes against the foundational medical principle of informed consent. Where there is risk, there MUST be consent. To mandate any vaccine for any reason is to take away these foundational freedoms upon which America was built. Like all drugs, vaccines are not a one-size approach, and should never be required across the board. Just as one medicine may properly address one person's symptoms, so the same medication could prove fatal for another. Medical exemptions to vaccines are not enough, because requiring harm before an exemption is inhumane. Further, there are many valid religious and philosophical arguments against vaccines. How is it that many vaccine ingredients are labeled toxic in cleaning products, etc., but it's ok to inject them directly into the bloodstream- bypassing the body's natural filtration system (digestive processes)? Some people may be fine with taking the risk to find out the affect these toxins have on the body, it should always be my choice whether I want to take that risk. I implore you to support the House Bills that will protect religious and philosophical exemptions from vaccines and protect Virginians' right to choose whether to have a vaccine under all circumstances. Thank you. -Krystle Wrobleski, J.D.

Committee members, I urge you to vote yes on HB5016. Virginians deserve to choose what is injected into their bodies as well as religious protections, especially when it pertains to an unproven, fast tracked, inadequately tested medical procedure. Furthermore, the position of Health Commissioner is an unelected one and it should not be the deciding factor on what happens to all Virginians. I ask you again to vote yes on HB5016 Thank you, Sara Campbell

I really don’t care whether you pass this amendment. I fought against HB1090, and the assembly didn’t listen. So hear this.. Under the guiding law by which our state constitution was written, and which went on to inspire the US Constitution, no public servant has any authority to force, mandate or otherwise coerce any medical treatment, modality, prevention, or any other form of medical care or intervention, including but not limited to vaccines. We The People are the authority, and we are sovereign. Public servants are just that. Servants. So I will not ask you, my servant, to give me a permission slip to say NO to something to which I already have the authority. I simply refuse to comply with any unlawful demands, as is my natural and constitutional right. Further, it is the duty of free people to civilly disobey any and all unlawful legislation, mandates and codes. These are null and void as they contradict our constitution and inalienable rights. Any mandate coercing or otherwise forcing any vaccines are unlawful, and will be ignored.

Support HB5016. Every one should have the right to medical freedom, at all times.

I am a mother of two young children and I am currently pregnant and expecting another child in March. I have serious concerns about a fast-tracked COVID-19 vaccine being mandated by the Virginia Health Commissioner. As a pregnant woman, will this mandate offer a medical exemption for myself and other expecting women? One of the leading vaccine candidates, Moderna, is manufacturing vaccines using human fetal cells and genetic RNA/DNA. As practicing Catholics, my family is morally bound to avoid vaccines containing human fetal cells, as this goes against our deepest religious convictions. It is vital that a religious exemption be applied to the current law at the very least, to safeguard our religious freedoms. It is morally imperative to make the COVID-19 vaccine optional for the general population. HB5016 is not a Republican or Democrat issue. It is not a pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine issue. It is about restoring the freedom to choose to accept, delay or decline a COVID shot instead of being coerced or forced into it by the state. Current Virginia State Law does not allow individuals or parents to refuse any vaccine that is mandated during an epidemic for religious or conscientious beliefs. Freedom of religion and conscience in vaccine decision making must be protected by law. Current Virginia State Law gives the authority to just one person to require the immediate immunization of all persons in case of an epidemic of any disease of public health importance for which a vaccine exists. The means COVID Vaccines could be mandated for every person in Virginia, not just students. Virginia health commissioner Oliver just went on record saying that he will mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for all Virginians who don’t have a medical exemption, as soon as it is released. One person should not have this broad authority. Decisions on mandating any vaccine during an epidemic should not be based on fear and inaccurate or incomplete information. Please also support HB 5070 - medical procedures are not a one-size-fits-all. Where there is risk and undetermined side effects there must be choice. Informed consent is a vital part of a high-functioning society. Lastly, please support HB 5082. There are many Virginians like ourselves who have religious and philosophical beliefs that conflict with use of vaccines that contain human fetal cells and highly experimental genetic RNA/DNA. For this bill, like the others above, we must respect people’s bodily autonomy and their right to make an informed choice that is between them and their medical doctor alone. The law needs to protect individual rights and provide for legislative oversight. HB 5016, 5070 and 5082 are vital steps in that direction.

I am writing to support HB 5070, HB 5075, and HB 5082. Many of the vaccine have been developed using aborted fetal tissue. As a Christian I strongly believe that abortion is murder and the shedding of innocent blood. Corona Virus vaccines have been proven unreliable. As the strain evolves these vaccines can lower your immune systems response to the wild virus. Vaccine manufacturers have no accountability and as a result can no longer be trusted. US Code 300aa-22 states that NO VACCINE MANUFACTURER SHALL BE LIABLE IN a CIVIL ACTION for damages arising from VACCINE RELATED INJURY or DEATH.

Our Republic was built on free speech and religious freedom. These are natural/God given rights, affirmed and protected by the Constitution and it's accompanying Bill of Rights. The Founder's knew that governments, because they are run by men and not angels, have the propensity towards tyranny. The government mandating that I must be forced to accept something into my body, that is either made with aborted baby parts (no matter how small) or introduces engineered RNA into my blood stream, possibly damaging my DNA (which God created perfectly for each of us) permanently, violates the tenants of my faith and my conscience. I find the fact that you have denied people access to early treatment with HCQ (its efficacy proven in both India and all over the continent of Africa), for no legitimate medical reasons, and thus allowed people die, immoral, criminal and unconscionable. I am a human being, created in God's image, I have a natural and legal right to protect myself from physical and spiritual violation, mutilation or experimentation. Your lack of belief in, or fear of, God... does not negate my rights. I respectfully request that you violate them.

I absolutely am against any vaccine being mandated and want to beg that there be a religious exemption at a minimum, to allow us the freedom to choose if we want to receive one or not. I for one will never get the COVID vaccine and will Not have my children receive one. My husband and I have talked and we will leave Virginia and move to a state with the freedom to choose if it comes to this.

The Virginia Association of Community Services Boards supports HB5048 and all measures to expand access to services via traditional telehealth platforms, commercially available 2-way audio-visual products or by telephone only. Removing requirements related to originating site and the requirement that the individual have a health care provider present with him/her at the time of the intervention are critical to the continued success of telehealth interventions. Individuals should have the right to access care without unnecessary barriers. The technology has changed appreciably since the 1990s when Virginia first started telehealth services and the statutes and regulations need to catch up. This pandemic has proven the value of the ability to flexibly access services that are timely and effective and we need to preserve these gains going forward.

VOCAL supports this bill because many peers with mental health and co-occurring disorders are struggling due to isolation and are in desperate need of better access to their providers.

I am writing in support of HB 5075, a bill to add some policy principles and standards for the exercise of certain emergency authorities. For background, I worked in the U.S. House of Representatives as Committee Staff for about 17 years including work on issues like emergency and pandemic preparedness as well as many regulatory programs. I also worked in the Office of General Counsel for the Environmental Protection Agency for about 7 years with respecting to many rulemakings. Due to my concerns on this issue I joined with lead counsel by motion to participate in litigation concerning certain aspects of the recent exercise of authorities of these orders. I have reviewed a great deal about the applicable law and positions of the Executive Branch regarding these authorities. I have never seen a situation where one or two individuals can sign orders that operate as rules for months and which impose criminal sanctions for each violation of up to a year in jail and $25,000. There are no legislative standards guiding these orders. According to the Executive Branch, if it is about COVID, the Executive Branch can issue orders and there are no legislative standards beyond the fact there is a public health emergency. According to the Executive Branch, even though the content of the orders operate as rules with the meaning of the Virginia Administrative Process Act (VAPA), the Executive Branch purports to operate outside of VAPA. VAPA itself contains emergency rule sections but the Executive Branch simply asserts VAPA does not apply. The Executive Branch claims the only standard for reviewing the orders is the "good faith" of the Executive Branch. With this purported authority the Executive Branch placed limits on the Constitutional Rights of Assembly, Association, and Free Exercise of Religion. While a government body with proper authority may permissibly limit such rights in certain circumstances for very important purposes, any such approach should properly acknowledge the higher standards that must attach. The Executive Branch has purported to have a government definition of who must distance and who may be together in certain settings. In a restaurant, the definition is a "party"-- meaning the patrons decide. In a religious service and other settings the definition is "family" or "household" which are government definitions that define association for purposes of distancing. Under this definition, as an example, a couple may not sit together at a religious wedding if they do not reside in the same household. A government definition of association is extraordinary and in this circumstance not well thought through. There are dozens of examples of the problems. This bill would try to prospectively address certain issue by bringing some legislative guidance to these issues and by limiting the longer term use of emergency authorities without further engaging the legislative branch. Separation of Powers belongs to everyone in Virginia. It is important that the General Assembly respect this element of the Virginia Constitution and provide the type of guidance and limitations that are required before threatening millions of Virginians, hundreds of thousands of Virginia businesses, and tens of thousands of religious institutions with criminal sanctions. These provisions are common sense standards and by no means prevent the exercise of such authorities where appropriate.

The Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) has a long-standing position in support of the use of telemedicine to provide long-distance clinical care, patient and professional education, and public health, as well as support for flexibility in the delivery of these services. Additional flexibility, such as the ability for a patient’s home to be an originating site (as included in HB 5046), would enhance the ability of providers to serve community members, particularly in rural areas. Thank you for your consideration.

The disAbility Law Center of Virginia -- a state-wide organization advocating for people with disabilities -- supports HB 5048 and thanks the Chair for introducing it. At a time when people living in congregate settings are so very vulnerable to exploitation and neglect due to isolation, transparency about facility outbreaks is especially critical. The publication of information required by HB 5048 will enable friends and family members to assist with necessary advocacy for people with disabilities living in these settings. Thank you.