As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues around the country, the Iowa legislature is moving forward with a bill to limit the use of vaccine passports. State Representative for District 78 Jarad Klein of Keota (R), serves on the judiciary committee which has advanced House File 889 stating that government entities, schools and businesses in the state will not be eligible for state funded grants or contracts if they require customers, clients or others to prove that they have been vaccinated. The bill excludes health care facilities, and doesn’t dictate whether businesses can require employees to show proof of vaccination. Klein spoke with KCII news this week about the legislation. “We believe that Iowa law is very clear on this issue, regardless of what the federal government is saying. We answered the concerns of our constituents. Passed a pretty good piece of legislation, that basically ensures that you have the freedom to live your every day life without proving if you’ve had a shot or not.”

The bill also forbids state and local government agencies from issuing an ID card that says whether someone has been vaccinated, commonly referred to as a “vaccine passport”. The bill is receiving some bipartisan support as it makes its way out of committee. Governor Kim Reynolds has publicly stated  that while she encourages all Iowans to be vaccinated, she would use her executive order powers to ban the passports if the legislature doesn’t take action.