Creates provisions relating to public health

HB 1698 establishes limits on how long local governments can enforce orders that close businesses, schools, or other public gatherings to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. During a statewide emergency, such orders cannot last longer than thirty days within a one-hundred-eighty-day period without a simple majority vote from the local governing body to extend them. Outside of a declared emergency, similar orders are restricted to twenty-one days and require a two-thirds majority vote for extension, along with prior approval from the state legislature. The bill also affirms an individual's right to refuse various health-related countermeasures, including vaccination and mask mandates, while allowing isolation or quarantine only if the person is infected or exposed to a communicable disease. Additionally, the legislation holds local officials financially liable for damages if they issue orders that violate these new restrictions.