Washington state bill seeks to criminalize use or sale of fake vaccine cards
Original reporting: Showing or selling a fake COVID-19 vaccine card could become a crime in Washington (Northwest News Network)
______________________________________________________________________
Source: Associated Press
Bill seeks to criminalize use or sale of fake vaccine cards
January 21, 2022
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A lawmaker in Washington state wants to make it a crime to use or sell a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.
Northwest News Network reports that the measure, sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Jesse Salomon of Shoreline, would make it a misdemeanor to use a forged or falsified COVID-19 vaccination document. It would also make it a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine to sell or transfer false COVID-19 vaccine cards.
The state of New York has a similar law on the books.
King County, the state’s most populous, requires proof of vaccination or a negative test in order to eat at bars and restaurants or go to venues like gyms and theaters. Statewide, vaccination verification or a negative test is required to attend large indoor and outdoor gatherings.
-snip-
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-washington-f8a55d5358ffb85d6201135cbb09ac50
______________________________________________________________________
Source: Northwest News Network
Showing or selling a fake COVID-19 vaccine card could become a crime in Washington
NWNews | By Austin Jenkins
Published January 21, 2022 at 2:59 PM PST
A proposal in the Washington Legislature would make it a crime to use or sell a fake COVID-19 vaccination card. The sponsor says he wants to deter people from even considering the ruse, but he also wants to send a signal to prosecutors to prioritize these cases as a matter of protecting public health.
It’s a crime for kids to use a fake ID to try to buy alcohol. Soon, it could also be a crime in Washington for anyone to show a fake COVID-19 vaccination card to get into a bar, restaurant or other venue that requires proof of vaccination.
On Monday, the Senate Law and Justice Committee will take public testimony on a bill introduced by Democratic state Sen. Jesse Salomon of Shoreline that would make it a misdemeanor to use a forged or falsified COVID-19 vaccination document.
The proposal, which has five other Senate Democratic co-sponsors, would also make it a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine to sell or transfer false COVID-19 vaccine cards.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.nwnewsnetwork.org/2022-01-21/showing-or-selling-a-fake-covid-19-vaccine-card-could-become-a-crime-in-washington