(Radio Iowa) – The top Republican in the Iowa House says a new law on Covid vaccination exemptions for Iowa employees appears to be working — and House Speaker Pat Grassley says it’s not clear that legislators need to pass another bill on the topic. The law, passed in October, lets Iowa private sector workers claim religious or medical exemptions from any Covid vaccination requirement in their workplace and, if their exemption is denied and they’re fired, they may file for unemployment benefits.

In early January, both Grassley and Governor Kim Reynolds said lawmakers should wait for a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a federal mandate that workers in large businesses get vaccinated or be tested weekly for Covid. A week ago, the court blocked the Biden Administration from implementing that mandate.

Other Republicans in the legislature have introduced bills addressing vaccine mandates, including one that would forbid Iowa cities and school districts from requiring students get Covid shots before returning to school. Another bill still in development would prohibit all types of vaccine mandates in Iowa businesses. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the federal government’s Covid vaccination requirement for the health care sector.