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UPDATE: 2/25/2024: HJR 24 died, it failed to be scheduled for a hearing in the House Health and Human Resources Committee before the deadline for bills to be reported from committee in their chamber of origin of 2/25/2024.
HJR 24 was introduced in the House and referred to the House Health and Human Resources Committee on 1/26/2024. This bill is sponsored by House Delegate Evan Worrell.
HJR 24 proposes an amendment to the West Virginia Constitution to include the right to refuse a medical treatment, including vaccines, and to provide equal protection and prohibit discrimination for those exercising this right through a public vote.
HJR 24 proposes an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia amending Article III, "Bill of Rights," and adding a new section, to be numbered §3-23 titled, "Right to refuse medical procedures," which establishes the right to refuse any medical treatment, injection, device, vaccine, or prophylactic. This proposed amendment also protects against discrimination and provides equal protection of the law for individuals exercising the rights contained in this section.
If passed, this amendment will be presented to the voters of the State of West Virginia at the next general election in the year 2024 to be ratified or rejected by vote.
NVIC SUPPORTS HJR 24 because it proposes ratification of an individual's right to refuse a vaccine by the state constitution, creating a barrier of protection that supersedes even West Virginia Code of Law. Because the state constitution is the supreme law of the state, this protection becomes resolute and much more difficult to change or revoke in the future, unlike laws that are amended and rewritten throughout the legislative process each session. Constitutional Amendments provide long-lasting and enduring protections for citizens within the state. A Constitutional Amendment to protect the individual's right to refuse a vaccine and provide discrimination protection and equal protection of the law is the highest form of protection against vaccine mandates legally possible on the state level. This protection would extend to all persons, including kids regarding school vaccine requirements, employees regarding employer vaccine requirements, customers regarding business vaccine requirements, patients regarding health care center and practitioner vaccine requirements, and post-secondary students regarding institutions of higher education vaccine requirements, among others. NVIC supports an individual's right to refuse a vaccine and opposes all forms of vaccine mandates. All vaccines are pharmaceutical products that carry the risk of injury and even death. Every individual deserves the right to informed consent, including the right to refuse.
https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Resolution_History.cfm?year=2024&sessiontype=RS&input4=24&billtype=jr&houseorig=h&btype=res - text, status, and history of HJR 24
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