Alabama lawmakers are bringing bills pushing back on pandemic-era provisions, from barring future mask mandates to making sure parents have the last say on vaccines.

Two bills, filed by first-term lawmaker Rep. Brock Colvin, R-Albertville, would prevent the government or state health officer from creating mask mandates. One bill limits that restriction to COVID-19, HB158, and the second includes all communicable diseases, HB9.

“In my opinion, it’s not a science bill,” said Colvin. “If you want to wear a mask, wear a mask. It doesn’t bother me. But I don’t think it’s the government’s place necessarily to tell us to do that, at least in government and public spaces.”

Both bills include carveouts for medical and dental settings and for local detention facilities.

“No governmental entity may implement, order, or otherwise impose a mandate requiring an individual to wear a face mask or other face covering to prevent the spread of COVID-19 or any variant of COVID-19,” HB158 reads.

The Alabama Department of Public Health said it had no comment in response to the proposed legislation.

Colvin said he was frustrated by the mask mandates during the pandemic and had complaints from constituents about them once he took office.

“I’m not telling you not to wear one. I just don’t think it’s the government’s job to make you wear one,” he said, adding that at times he wore a mask during the pandemic.

A third bill, filed by Rep. Chip Brown, R-Mobile, gives parents the right to decide whether their teenagers can be given vaccines.

“It’s not an anti-vaccine bill, but it’s a parental rights bill. And this just allows parents to have a say so in the medical care of their children,” said Brown.

Currently state law allows minors over the age of 14 to make their own decisions about medical, mental health and dental treatment.

“An unemancipated minor may not give consent to the administration of a vaccination for himself or herself without the written consent of a parent or legal guardian.”

The bill, HB165, requires written consent from a parent or legal guardian for a minor to receive a vaccine.

Brown said his bill is meant to go beyond challenging concerns from the pandemic.

“I knew of scenarios that have happened in the past involving, not just necessarily the COVID vaccines, but flu vaccines, where children have been given vaccines that the parents just weren’t aware of,” he said.