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See Corresponding Action Alert for HB 73
UPDATE: 12/18/2024 - HB 73 died. It failed to be concurred in the House by a vote of 3 Yeas, 88 Nays, on 12/11/2024. HB 73 passed the full Senate, as substituted, by a vote of 18 Yeas, 13 Nays, on 12/11/2024, and passed the full House by a vote of 75 Yeas and 16 Nays on 6/21/2023. The provisions in subparagraph (D) related to protecting medical free speech of health care providers and subparagraph (E) related to prohibiting WHO jurisdiction in the state were included in HB 315 that was enacted on 1/2/2025. HB 315 was signed by Governor Mike DeWine on 1/2/2025 with a line-item veto of Section 3592.07(B) that contained the medical free speech provision. NVIC opposes Govenor DeWine's line-item veto of Section 3592.07(B).
UPDATE: 12/11/2024 - HB 73, as substituted in the Senate, failed to be concurred in the House by a vote of 3 Yeas, 88 Nays, on 12/11/2024. View Representative Jennifer Gross' non-concurrence speech explaining why the sponsor and supporters of HB 73 request a non-concurrence vote in the Ohio House of Representatives on 12/11/2024 HERE. Timestamp 6:23:30.
UPDATE: 12/11/2024 - HB 73 passed the full Senate, as substituted, by a vote of 18 Yeas, 13 Nays, on 12/11/2024. View the Current Version HERE.
UPDATE: 12/11/2024 - HB 73 was reported with the recommendation of favorable passage as substituted in the Senate Health Committee by a vote of 5 Yeas, 2 Nays, on 12/11/2024. View the Senate Committee Substitute HERE and the synopsis of the Senate Committee Substitute HERE.
The 12/11/2024 Senate Health Committee Substitute enacts a new section of the Ohio Revised Code to be numbered 3792.06, under Title 37, related to health, safety, and morals, that (D) prohibits any licensing board, state board of pharmacy, or other state board or agency from pursing an administrative or disciplinary action against a prescriber, pharmacist, or other licensed health care professional for publicly or privately expressing a medical opinion about off-label prescribing that does not align with the opinions of the board or agency, a board of health of a city or general health district, or the department of health. This is a change from the previous version of the bill that protects a health care professional from administrative or disciplinary action for publicly or privately expressing a medical opinion about any topic, not just about off-label drug prescribing.
Subparagraph (E) prohibits the World Health Organization (WHO) from having jurisdiction in Ohio remains unchanged. NVIC supports this provision.
NVIC cannot support the Senate Committee Substitute's change to subparagraph (D) because it limits the medical free speech protection to only off-label drug use and does not protect a health care professional from administrative or disciplinary action for expressing an opinion about vaccine risks that does not align with the opinions of the state. This obstructs a patient's ability to provide true informed consent to a medical procedure, including vaccination. This substitute version necessitates a title change from "Protects medical free speech for health care providers & prohibits WHO jurisdiction in the state" to "Protects health care providers’ medical free speech related to off-label drugs & prohibits WHO jurisdiction in the state."
UPDATE: 12/7/2024 - HB 73 is scheduled for the 4th Senate Health Committee hearing, taking testimony from all interested parties, on Wednesday, 12/11/2024 at 9:30AM in the South Hearing Room of the Statehouse Building. View the hearing details and agenda HERE. Continue to contact the Senate Health Committee Members until a vote is taken.
UPDATE: 6/12/2024 - HB 73 was heard for the 3rd time in the Senate Health Committee taking testimony from opponents on 6/12/2024. View the meeting minutes HERE. Continue to contact Senate Health Committee Members and your Senator until a vote is taken.
UPDATE: 6/6/2024 - HB 73 is scheduled for the 3rd Senate Health Committee hearing, taking testimony from opponents, on Wednesday, 6/12/2024 at 9:30AM in the South Hearing Room. View the hearing agenda and details HERE. You can view the hearing live HERE. You can view the hearing as an archive HERE. Continue to contact the Senate Health Committee members asking them to vote in SUPPORT of HB 73 until a vote is taken.
UPDATE: 5/10/2023 - HB 73 is scheduled for the 2nd hearing in the Senate Health Committee, taking testimony from proponents, on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at 9:30 AM in the South Hearing Room of the Statehouse Building. View the legislative calendar HERE. You can watch the Senate Health Committee hearing LIVE HERE. Please see the Corresponding Action Alert for instructions to submit written testimony before Monday May 22nd at NOON, committee emails before the committee vote, and Senator emails before the Senate vote.
UPDATE: 5/8/2024 - HB 73 was substituted in the Senate Health Committee on 5/8/2024. View the Senate Substitute bill HERE.
This substitution requires a title change to the bill from "Prohibits any licensing board or state board from penalizing a health care provider for expressing their medical opinion" to the new title, "Protects medical free speech for health care providers & prohibits WHO jurisdiction in the state."
The Substituted version of HB 73 adds new language that prohibits the World Health Organization (WHO) from having any jurisdiction in Ohio. This includes a prohibition on the state, political subdivision of the state, public official, or any state entity from enforcing or using any state funding to implement any guideline, mandate, recommendation, or rule issued by the WHO that prohibits issuing a prescription for or dispensing an off-label drug. NVIC SUPPORTS this new substituted version of HB 73 and gives it the following title: "Prohibits World Health Organization (WHO) from having jurisdiction in Ohio."
The Substituted version of HB 73 enacts a new section of the Ohio Revised Code to be numbered 3792.06, under Title 37, related to health, safety, and morals, that authorizes the prescribing of off-label medications. Subparagraph (E) prohibits the World Health Organization (WHO) from having jurisdiction in Ohio, including a prohibition on the state, political subdivision of the state, public official, or any state entity from enforcing or using any state funding to implement any guideline, mandate, recommendation, or rule issued by the WHO that prohibits issuing a prescription for or dispensing an off-label drug.
NVIC SUPPORTS the Substituted version of HB 73 because it protects the people in Ohio from harmful interference or mandates, including vaccine requirements, tracking, testing, and passports, from the international organization. NVIC opposes all vaccine mandates and supports informed consent for all individuals. International organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) have been hostile toward informed consent to vaccination, which includes the right to refuse a vaccine without coercion, harassment, or penalty. The WHO has labeled individuals who have refused a vaccine for medical, personal, or religious reasons as "anti-vaxxers" and has publicly concluded they are a menace to society and the greatest threat to global health in its 2019 publication. Based on the WHO's opinion that refusing a vaccine is a threat to global health, bills like HB 73 are necessary to protect citizens from global interference with their right to informed consent and an individual's ability to refuse a vaccine for themselves or their child for medical, personal, or religious reasons as codified in Ohio Revised Code §3313.671. An improvement to this bill would be to add a penalty for any state entity or political subdivision of the state that violates the provisions of this bill.
For more information on the WHO's International Health Regulations, please read and share the 4/11/2024 commentary by Barbara Loe Fisher at NVIC.org.
https://www.nvic.org/newsletter/april-2024/stop-the-world-health-organization.
After contacting your local legislators about actions to be taken in your legislature, you can take additional steps on the state and national level. Please refer to the instructions in the NVICAdvocacy.org Action Alert and share the link with family and friends by email, text, or on social media: https://nvicadvocacy.org/members/State-Teams/My-State/Action-Alert-Details-Alt/itemid/4054/State/US?Page=True
UPDATE: 6/21/2023 - HB 73 passed the full House by a vote of 75 Yeas and 16 Nays on 6/21/2023.
UPDATE: 6/21/2023 - HB 73 was reported favorable passage by the House Health Provider Services Committee by a vote of 8 Yeas and 4 Nays on 6/21/2023.
UPDATE: 6/21/2023 - HB 73 was substituted by the House Health Provider Services Committee on 6/21/2023. View committee minutes, including the adoption of the House Health Provider Services Committee Substitute bill HERE. NVIC does not take a position on the sections in the bill that are substituted.
UPDATE: 2/28/2023 - HB 73 was referred to the House Health Provider Services Committee on 2/28/2023.
HB 73 was introduced in the House on 2/27/2023. This bill is sponsored by Representative Jennifer Gross and Representative Mike Loychik.
HB 73 prohibits any licensing board or state board from taking administrative or disciplinary action against a health care provider for expressing a medical opinion that differs from the consensus of the board or agency or department of health.
HB 73 creates new code to be numbered 3792.06 of the Revised Code to authorize the prescribing of off-label medications, and if prescribed, to generally require their dispensing. This bill also prohibits any licensing board or state board from taking administrative or disciplinary action against a health care provider for expressing a medical opinion that differs with the consensus of the board or agency or department of health. This bill, if passed, would be named the "Dave and Angie Patient and Health Provider Protection Act." This bill is summarized as follows:
(D) of this bill prohibits any licensing board, state board of pharmacy, or other state board or agency from pursing an administrative or disciplinary action against a prescriber, pharmacist, or other licensed health care professional for publicly or privately expressing a medical opinion that does not align with the opinions of the board or agency, a board of health of a city or general health district, or the department of health.
NVIC SUPPORTS HB 73 because it protects the free speech of health care providers to speak about the risks of vaccination without fear of having their license restricted or revoked in the State of Ohio. A patient cannot provide informed consent to vaccination if they are unable to discuss the risks of vaccination with their health care professional. Physicians and other health care professionals are afraid to speak out about vaccine risks for fear of losing their license. This is an ongoing issue in the State of Ohio and across the country. In August 2023, Dr. Sherri Tenpenny was stripped of her medical license after an investigation by the Ohio State Medical Board began due to her warning the state legislature that COVID-19 shots posed a risk to public health. Her license was reinstated in May 2024. You can read more about the Ohio State Medical Board's targeting of Dr. Tenpenny HERE. This bill would prohibit these types of threats to a practitioner's license simply because they chose to speak out about the risks associated with vaccines. NVIC supports informed consent, which includes the right to discuss vaccine risks and refuse a vaccine without coercion, harassment, or penalty. All vaccines are pharmaceutical products that carry a risk of injury and even death. It is important to protect the right of every individual to speak about vaccine risks without the threat of punishment or retaliation. An improvement to this bill would be to add a penalty for any licensing board, state board of pharmacy, or other state board or agency who violates this section. NVIC does not take a position on provisions in this bill that are unrelated to vaccination.
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