The Biden administration is withdrawing an emergency private-sector vaccination mandate against Covid-19 after the Supreme Court blocked its implementation. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday, January 25, 2022, it would continue to work on imposing the vaccination requirement through the regular -- and lengthier -- rule-making process. The emergency rule, issued in November, mandated that employers with 100 or more employees require their workers to be vaccinated against Covid-19 or submit to weekly testing and wear a mask while indoors. The rule, most of which was set to take effect earlier this month, prompted a lawsuit by business groups. On Jan. 13, the Supreme Court stopped the rule from going into effect while it deliberated over the lawsuit. The rule would have affected roughly 84 million workers. In an unsigned ruling, the court's conservative majority said the administration likely didn't have the power to impose such a requirement on private businesses. Following the Supreme Court’s decision, GCCA and coalition partners provided OSHA with written comments recommending the termination or at the very least suspension of the current COVID-19 Vaccination, Testing, and Face Covering Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) and we are pleased with OSHA decision to withdraw this rule. However, with OSHA stating they will continue working on a vaccine requirement through the formal rulemaking process, we may see fragments of the ETS resurface in this rulemaking. GCCA will continue to keep you updated as new developments arise.

Read the full letter HERE.