Pandas read_json bytes error on AWS Lambda but not Local - python-3.x

Question

The following code works fine locally, but fails in AWS Lambda:
authURL = os.environ['authURL_env']
reportURL = os.environ['reportURL_env']
FirstDayOfPreviousMonth = dt.date.today()-dt.timedelta(days=1)
LastDayOfPreviousMonth = dt.date.today()-dt.timedelta(days=1)
payload = json.dumps({
"email": os.environ['email_env'],
"password": os.environ['password_env']
})
headers = {
'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}
apiConn = url.PoolManager()
# try:
tokenResponse = apiConn.request('POST', authURL, headers=headers, body=payload)
authToken = json.loads(tokenResponse.data)
payload = json.dumps({
"start_date": str(FirstDayOfPreviousMonth),
"end_date": str(LastDayOfPreviousMonth),
"interval": "day",
"dimensions": [
"supply_tag_id",
"demand_partner_id"
]
})
headers = {
'Authorization': authToken['token'],
'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}
response = apiConn.request('POST', reportURL, headers=headers, body=payload)
vendor_df = pd.read_json(response.data)
In AWS Lambda I get the following error:
{
"errorMessage": "Expected file path name or file-like object, got <class 'bytes'> type",
"errorType": "TypeError",
"requestId": "9f594e9e-7703-420b-b981-e4352f1d64db",
"stackTrace": [
" File \"/var/task/lambda_function.py\", line 56, in lambda_handler\n springserve_df = pd.read_json(response.data)\n",
" File \"/opt/python/pandas/util/_decorators.py\", line 207, in wrapper\n return func(*args, **kwargs)\n",
" File \"/opt/python/pandas/util/_decorators.py\", line 311, in wrapper\n return func(*args, **kwargs)\n",
" File \"/opt/python/pandas/io/json/_json.py\", line 588, in read_json\n json_reader = JsonReader(\n",
" File \"/opt/python/pandas/io/json/_json.py\", line 673, in __init__\n data = self._get_data_from_filepath(filepath_or_buffer)\n",
" File \"/opt/python/pandas/io/json/_json.py\", line 710, in _get_data_from_filepath\n self.handles = get_handle(\n",
" File \"/opt/python/pandas/io/common.py\", line 823, in get_handle\n raise TypeError(\n"
]
}
To add more mystery to it, this exact code works in an older Lambda. Its only when I try to create it in a new lambda that it begins to fail.