Idaho House lawmakers will once again consider a bill banning mask mandates nearly five years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Specifically, government agencies could not “for the purpose of preventing or slowing the spread of a contagious or infectious disease.
Idaho never had a statewide mask mandate during the pandemic. But public health districts occasionally limited gathering sizes and some public school districts required staff and students to wear masks to lessen the spread.
“I think one thing we learned from the COVID lots of government overreach and overreaction, so trying to put some guardrails back in place,” said Rep. Rob Beiswenger (R -Horseshoe Bend), who sponsors the bill.
Government agencies, schools and other political entities can recommend people wear masks under the proposal, but they must also include a notice that it would not be mandatory.
Beiswenger’s bill would not apply to the private sector or government workers whose duties require them to work around hazardous materials.
“So if you’re a dentist or a surgeon and you don’t want your saliva going out on your patient, you could still be required to wear a mask mandate in that sense,” he said.
Conservative legislators have unsuccessfully tried to ban mask mandates since 2021. Last year’s effort cleared the House, but never got a Senate committee hearing.
The bill could get a public hearing in the House State Affairs Committee later this week.
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