MONTPELIER — Five years on from the start of the Covid-19 pandemic when wearing face masks in public was common and, later, mandatory in Vermont, state lawmakers are again considering the government’s role in overseeing what steps people take, or don’t, to protect their health.
The Senate Government Operations Committee on Tuesday took up a bill, S.61, that would prevent local leaders from limiting or banning mask-wearing in their cities and towns. The bill is sponsored by 15 senators, half of the chamber, who hail from all three major parties.
photo by Glenn Russell, VTDigger
Senators said they weren’t immediately aware of any communities in the state that have put such restrictions in place. But some have heard, anecdotally, of local officials weighing the idea in recent years, said Sen. Becca White, D-Windsor, who is one of the legislation’s backers.
In 2025, “your ability to wear a mask is your decision. And I would strongly encourage anyone who feels unwell to make that decision,” White said during Tuesday’s committee hearing. “So, I appreciate this proactive step.”
Still, public face mask bans have been proposed, and in some cases enacted, in other parts of the country over the past year. Last August, a county in New York put in place a ban that local lawmakers said was a response to “antisemitic incidents, often perpetrated by those in masks” they described having taken place after the start of the Isreal-Hamas war, the Associated Press reported.
The county’s law excludes masks worn for health or religious reasons, though it faced swift opposition including a class action lawsuit from disability rights’ advocates, who argued that it discriminates against people who are at greater risk of complications from Covid-19.
Vermont’s proposal refers to any potential ban on “hygienic” masks, which Tucker Anderson, an attorney with the Office of Legislative Counsel, noted keeps the bill’s focus specifically on public health.
Since Senate GovOps didn’t take up the bill ahead of crossover, it may not get off the committee’s wall this year. But panel chair Sen. Brian Collamore, R-Rutland, said he may nevertheless work with his colleagues to tack its language onto another bill.
