S.21.1-1: Southern COVID-19 Vaccination Act (Law'd)

[tmthforu94]

Southern COVID-19 Vaccination Act

Section 1: Vaccination Infrastructure
1. $2 billion shall be allocated from regional reserves for the purchase of the Moderna vaccine approved by the FDA.
2. $500 million shall be allocated to secure physical infrastructure to securely hold and distribute the vaccines.
3. Training shall begin immediately to ensure healthcare worked at distribution and holding locations are trained and capable to properly store and administer all vaccines.
4. The Southern Government shall set up and maintain a website that will provide vaccination resources to residents, included, but not limited to: distribution locations, reasons to get the vaccine and tracking on what percentage of residents in each state have received the vaccine.

Section 2: Distribution Priorities
1. The distribution of the vaccine shall be divided into phases to ensure it is dispersed based on importance and need:
a. Phase 1 - Front-line healthcare workers, ambulance drivers, cleaners, first responders and all individuals working at distribution and storage locations. Those determined to have underlying conditions that put them at a significantly higher risk, those with two or more chronic conditions, those aged 65 and above living in group living facilities, all individuals age 80 and over.
c. Phase 2- Critical workers in high risk situations, including: teachers, child care workers, all remaining healthcare workers, those with underlying conditions that put them at a moderately higher risk.
d. Phase 3 - All individuals working in the service and other industries whose job requires working at a physical location and all people living in prisons, jails and detention centers.
e. Phase 4 - All remaining Southern residents who opt in to take the vaccine.

Section 3: Advertising Campaign
1. $50 million shall be allocated from regional reserves to launch a public advertising campaign encouraging Southern citizens to get vaccinated according to what phase they qualify for.


Section 4: Implementation
1. This act is effective immediately upon passage.

Sponsor: Tmthforu94 on behalf of Governor LouisvilleThunder

Minimum 48 hours for debate, the sponsor is invited to advocate for the bill.

[Holy Unifying Centrist]

I want phase 1 through 3 to be combined. Vaccines only last a limited amount of time in storage. If we are too stingy with the initial phases, we will end up throwing away some vaccines because they go bad

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

This bill funds vaccine distribution along with providing information to people on how to obtain it. Tmth and I agreed that it would be best to use the Moderna vaccine for Southerners because it is shown to be the most effective according to this article here. https://www.statnews.com/2020/12/19/a-side-by-side-comparison-of-the-pfizer-biontech-and-moderna-vaccines/

We also set up the phases in which the vaccine will be prioritized among those who opt in to taking it.

[tmthforu94]

Given how far Atlasia has been in comparison to America, I'd be fine with at least combining phases 1 and 2 to help this move quickly:

Southern COVID-19 Vaccination Act

Section 1: Vaccination Infrastructure
1. $2 billion shall be allocated from regional reserves for the purchase of the Moderna vaccine approved by the FDA.
2. $500 million shall be allocated to secure physical infrastructure to securely hold and distribute the vaccines.
3. Training shall begin immediately to ensure healthcare worked at distribution and holding locations are trained and capable to properly store and administer all vaccines.
4. The Southern Government shall set up and maintain a website that will provide vaccination resources to residents, included, but not limited to: distribution locations, reasons to get the vaccine and tracking on what percentage of residents in each state have received the vaccine.

Section 2: Distribution Priorities
1. The distribution of the vaccine shall be divided into phases to ensure it is dispersed based on importance and need:
a. Phase 1 - Front-line healthcare workers, ambulance drivers, cleaners, first responders and all individuals working at distribution and storage locations. Those determined to have underlying conditions that put them at a significantly higher risk, those with two or more chronic conditions, those aged 65 and above living in group living facilities, all individuals age 80 and over.
c. Phase 2- Critical workers in high risk situations, including: teachers, child care workers, all remaining healthcare workers, those with underlying conditions that put them at a moderately higher risk.
d. Phase 3 - All individuals working in the service and other industries whose job requires working at a physical location and all people living in prisons, jails and detention centers.
e. Phase 4 - All remaining Southern residents who opt in to take the vaccine.

Section 3: Advertising Campaign
1. $50 million shall be allocated from regional reserves to launch a public advertising campaign encouraging Southern citizens to get vaccinated according to what phase they qualify for.


Section 4: Implementation
1. This act is effective immediately upon passage.

24 hours for objections.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

No objection.

[tmthforu94]

The amendment is adopted, debate resumes.

I am calling for a final vote, I believe in moving quickly on this important matter.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

The 24 hour time period for objections has ended, the Deputy Speaker or Speaker ought to open a final vote.

[tmthforu94]

Apologies, I have been sick. A final vote is open, please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.


AYE

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

ayeeee

[Holy Unifying Centrist]

Aye

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Aye

[tmthforu94]

This has enough votes to pass, delegates have 24 hours to change their votes.

[reagente]

Aye

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Looks like I missed the boat on an opportunity to address this here, but perhaps in a different bill.

Anyway, this modification was passed in late last year and it was my plan to work with the Governor and the Cod on a fix for the Southern statute after the December elections, then Covid literally wrecked my sh@$t.

Minimum Coverage Requirements
a. Preventative Care: Every exchange must offer at least one provider that covers preventative care with no co-pays, deductibles or out of pocket expenses, be it in the form of a private insurer, co-op or public health care benefit. Preventive care shall be defined as care related to disease prevention, early diagnosis and health maintenance, including clinical examinations, immunization, prenatal care and medically indicated screenings.

Atlascare, "the public option", does cover these things itself, but of course the South is opted out of the public option. For the opt out to be maintained, compliance with this provision is necessary.

There are a number of ways to achieve this.
1. A private provider offers it in the exchange
2. A regional or independent group creates a co-op that overs these things in this fashion
3. The Region offers them through a public health agency
4. Going much broader, the region could create its own public option theoretically.

As long as it meets the basic requirements, it should be eligible for R&RPHA sliding scale subsidies to be spent on it.
 

[tmthforu94]

With 5 Ayes and 2 not voting, this has passed and will be presented to the governor for signature.