LINCOLN- Nebraska lawmakers gave second-round approval Wednesday to a bill that would allow employees to claim medical and religious exemptions from workplace COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Legislative Bill 906 advanced to the final stage of consideration on a 36-2 vote, despite complaints from some senators that it had become “more symbolic than functional.” The bill, introduced by State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, spells out how employees can be exempted from workplace requirements to get the COVID vaccine. The proposal advanced based on a carefully crafted compromise that removed opposition from business and health care groups.

Under the compromise, employees can claim an exemption by filling out a state-produced form and declaring that the vaccine conflicts with their “sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance.” The forms could be used to claim a medical exemption, as well, as long as the claims were accompanied by a written statement from a doctor or other health care provider.

The bill makes clear that employers could require unvaccinated workers to be tested regularly and to wear masks or other protective equipment.

It also states that federal requirements would take precedence for federal contractors and for hospitals and other entities covered by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services standards.

The debate about the bill frequently veered into arguments about the value of COVID-19 vaccines and masking, as well as discussion about the role of government and comparisons with other employee protection measures.

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