House Bill 51 would ban schools, colleges, and universities from requiring universal masking. We wrote to the Senate Education Committee explaining how this bill would violate federal law.
Call-to-call the General Assembly or dial 1-800-372-7181 and ask them to OPPOSE House Bill 51. Calling takes only a couple of minutes and you don't even need to know the name of your representative or senator, plus you can call every day!
Read our letter in the PDF at the bottom of the page.
Banning safe, simple, and effective precautions would limit equal access to education for some students with disabilities.
Similar bans have been blocked in other states because policies like this violate the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. Cases are declining and masks may not be necessary in the near future. However, HB51 would prevent leaders from taking appropriate action to protect students with some disabilities if another coronavirus variant arises or covid-19 cases increase.
Lawmakers revoked the governor's authority to issue universal mask requirements in schools during the 2021 special legislative session, leaving those decisions to local districts. HB51 would go further, preventing schools, colleges, and universities from even having the ability to make that decision for themselves.
Read more about masking, the obligations of policymakers, and federal law here.
