West Virginia bills related to employer vaccine mandates

West Virginia lawmakers introduced two bills Thursday that would make COVID-19 vaccine injuries compensable in workers compensation and would provide unemployment benefits to a worker who refuses an employer-mandated vaccine.

S.B. 578 states that comp benefits “shall apply if an employee becomes ill or dies as the result of a disease, injury or illness resulting from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine mandated by an employer in order to retain employment with the employer.”

Referring to unemployment insurance, S.B. 576 states “an individual shall not be deemed to have left his or her most recent work voluntarily, without good cause involving fault on the part of the employer, if the individual leaves such employment as a result of being denied a religious or medical exemption to the COVID-19 vaccination by his or her employer.”

Both bills were sent to Committee on the Judiciary.