State Rep. Sue Allor testified today on her proposal to prohibit government entities in Michigan from issuing or encouraging COVID-19 vaccine passports.

Allor said House Bill 4667 would, amongst other things, protect against putting private medical information into the hands of people compiling data for the purpose of creating vaccine passports. That process, in turn, could make sensitive information ripe for data breaches.

“Individuals have a right to privacy to their medical information – information that they might not want others to know,” said Allor, of Wolverine. “The possibility of a person’s medical information being compromised is a very real threat. We have seen countless instances of sensitive information being exposed both before and during COVID-19. Bad actors will go to great lengths to steal people’s information.

“We don’t know who is developing the technology or the safeguards in place to protect such information. That’s very concerning.”

Allor also said the concept of a passport poses serious ramifications for personal freedoms and individual liberties that could greatly impact Michiganders and society going forward – essentially creating two classes of citizens based on the COVID-19 vaccine.

“This would insert a digital gatekeeper into how we go about our daily lives,” Allor said. “It concerns me that a governmental order for the passport or encouraging the passport could prevent someone from grocery shopping or seeing their child compete in athletics all based on whether or not they’ve had the COVID-19 vaccine.”

Over four million Michigan residents – just over half of the state’s population – have been vaccinated as of Wednesday according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.

HB 4667 remains under consideration in the House Oversight Committee.

PHOTO INFORMATION: State Rep. Sue Allor, of Wolverine, testifies on House Bill 4667 before the House Oversight Committee on Thursday, May 6. The legislation prohibits governmental entities from producing, issuing or incentivizing documentation for the purposes of certifying that an individual has received a vaccination for COVID-19 or is immunized from the virus.