Comptroller Launches COVID Exemption Page

Employers who risk losing federal funding by not requiring COVID-19 vaccines can file for exemption to state law that bans vaccine mandates at an internet portal launched today, November 15, 2021.

The Tennessee Comptroller has posted guidelines and an exemption form for employers here: https://comptroller.tn.gov/covidexemption.html.

The guidelines and associated application are the result of Tennessee state law that bans vaccine mandates by employers. The 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals has issued an injunction keeping the federal government from requiring employers with 100 or more employees to require vaccines in their workplaces.

The state Comptroller’s guidelines state that a parent company or institution can request exemptions, including subsidiaries, subcontractors, or joint ventures.

The form asks applicants to provide federal contract numbers or other information that would identify the contract, subcontract, or postsecondary grant. Organizations applying for a contract or grant can also apply if under the terms of the contract they believe the must have a vaccine mandate.