Representative Don Beyer, Democrat of Virginia, introduced a new legislation on Thursday that, if passed, would require all passengers and staff traveling on domestic airlines and American railroads to provide them within 72 hours COVID-19 vaccine certificate or negative test.
billHe called it the “Safe Travel Act” and will also require all airport and Amtrak employees and contractors to show proof of vaccination or submit a weekly COVID test.
“It is just common sense to require airport and Amtrak passengers and employees to provide a COVID vaccine certificate or negative test,” representative Beyer said in a press release.
“These are the simple steps we can take to make travel safer, because companies like United Airlines have proven responsible policy changes. Americans want to return to normal, including business or leisure travel, and Congress By establishing basic requirements to prevent the spread of COVID, people can travel comfortably again. “
Bayer may be referring to United Airlines Become the first American airline to compulsorily vaccinate its employees. According to the NBC Financial Channel, on Wednesday, United told its employees that anyone who said they could not get vaccinated due to religious exemptions would take unpaid leave.
Bayer’s new safe travel law was released on the same day as the president Joe Biden A series of comprehensive measures have been announced to combat the rising pandemic of the new coronavirus. Biden announced that the Department of Labor is formulating an emergency regulation that requires companies with more than 100 employees to be vaccinated or require weekly testing. It is not yet clear how the rule will be implemented and whether it will deny the need to enact laws specifically for airlines and Amtrak.
Beyer is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has certain jurisdiction over public health policy.Last month, he introduced Protection of Vulnerable Patients Act, It seeks to request medical staff who see Medicare or Medicaid patients to be vaccinated. In 2020, he introduced a clause in a bill that resulted in free COVID-19 vaccination.
Alex Wong/Getty
Currently, the United States has federal mask requirements for all public transportation, but there is no federal public transportation vaccine requirement. Biden implemented the requirement to wear masks in an executive order in January. The US Transportation Security Administration’s current mask regulations will expire on September 13, but have recently been extended to January 18, 2022.
Weekly newspaper Contacted TSA for comments, but did not receive an immediate response.
