On Friday, the Minnesota Senate took action to protect Minnesotans’ medical privacy rights from COVID-19 vaccine passports and contact tracing. The bill prohibits state and local units of government from mandating a person disclose their personal health status. The bill is in response to efforts by governments to obtain and track citizens’ private health information during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Requiring vaccine passports to return to normal life is a massive invasion of privacy for each Minnesotan by their government,” Senator Julia Coleman (R-Chanhassen) said Friday. “If we give up medical freedom and privacy, there isn’t anything left that the government cannot control in our lives. I am proud this legislation is moving in the Senate and remain hopeful that the House and Governor will see this as the invasion it truly is.”

Under the legislation, no person must be required to possess, wear, or display any indicator they received a positive or negative test result or possess the antibodies for a communicable disease. Additionally, the Minnesota Department of Health is prohibited from forcing anyone to participate in contact tracing or digital contact tracing and Minnesotans cannot be compelled to get a vaccine or get a test for a disease.