WEST virginia legislature

2026 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 606

By Senator Rucker

[Introduced January 27, 2026; referred
to the Committee on Health and Human Resources]

A BILL to amend and reenact §21-1A-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to employee exemptions from employer-mandated vaccinations.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 1A. LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS ACT FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

§21-1A-3.  Rights of employees.

(a) Employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection, and shall also have the right to refrain from any or all of such activities, including the right to refrain from paying any dues, fees, assessments or other similar charges however denominated of any kind or amount to a labor organization or to any third party including, but not limited to, a charity in lieu of a payment to a labor organization.

(b) Employees shall have the right to be exempt from mandated immunizations of his or her employer upon the presentation to his or her employer of a certificate by the employee that he or she objects to immunization based on sincerely held religious beliefs. Employers shall not penalize or discriminate against employees for exercising this exemption right by practices including, but not limited to, withholding bonuses, pay raises, and promotion.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish a religious exemption for employees from employer mandated immunizations.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.