Bill Details
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This bill would block the federal government from requiring COVID-19 vaccine mandates in several areas. It would cancel two Biden-era executive orders, stop the Labor Secretary from making a rule that forces employers to require vaccination or testing for unvaccinated workers, and prevent federal health officials from making Medicare or Medicaid providers require COVID-19 vaccination or testing as a condition of participation.
- It would nullify one executive order covering COVID-19 safety rules for federal contractors.
- It would nullify another executive order requiring COVID-19 vaccination for federal employees.
- It would stop the Department of Labor from issuing any rule that requires employers to mandate COVID-19 vaccines or testing for unvaccinated workers.
- It would bar the Health and Human Services Department from forcing Medicare or Medicaid providers to require employee vaccination or testing, or punishing them for not doing so.
Official Summaries
Freedom from Mandates Act
This bill nullifies certain executive orders regarding COVID-19 safety and prohibits the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services (HHS) from taking specified actions with respect to vaccination against COVID-19.
Specifically, the bill nullifies Executive Order 14042 (relating to ensuring adequate COVID-19 safety protocols for federal contractors) and Executive Order 14043 (requiring COVID-19 vaccination for federal employees).
Labor may not issue any rule requiring employers to mandate vaccination of employees against COVID-19 or requiring testing of employees who are unvaccinated.
HHS may not (1) require a health care provider, as a condition of participation in the Medicare or Medicaid program, to mandate vaccination of employees against COVID-19 or require testing of employees who are unvaccinated; or (2) otherwise penalize such a provider for failure to mandate such vaccination or require such testing.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 79 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 79
To nullify certain Executive orders regarding COVID-19 vaccine mandates
and to prohibit the Secretary of Labor from issuing a rule mandating
vaccination against COVID-19, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 3, 2025
Mr. Biggs of Arizona (for himself and Mr. Cloud) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Education and
Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To nullify certain Executive orders regarding COVID-19 vaccine mandates
and to prohibit the Secretary of Labor from issuing a rule mandating
vaccination against COVID-19, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Freedom from Mandates Act''.
SEC. 2. NULLIFICATION OF CERTAIN EXECUTIVE ORDERS.
(a) Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors.--Executive Order
14042 (86 Fed. Reg. 50985, relating to ensuring adequate COVID-19
safety protocols for Federal contractors) shall have no force or
effect.
(b) COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement.--Executive Order 14043 (86 Fed.
Reg. 50989, relating to requiring COVID-19 vaccination for Federal
employees) shall have no force or effect.
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION OF RULES MANDATING VACCINATION.
The Secretary of Labor may not issue any rule requiring employers
to mandate vaccination of employees against COVID-19 or requiring
testing of employees who are unvaccinated against COVID-19.
SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON MEDICARE AND MEDICAID COVID-19 VACCINATION
MANDATES.
Notwithstanding any provision of title XI, XVIII, or XIX of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1301 et seq., 1395 et seq., 1396 et
seq.), the Secretary of Health and Human Services may not require a
health care provider, as a condition of participation in the Medicare
or Medicaid program, to mandate vaccination of employees against COVID-
19 or require testing of employees who are unvaccinated against COVID-
19, and may not otherwise penalize such a provider for such provider's
failure to so mandate such vaccination or so require such testing.
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