To direct the Secretary concerned to reinstate a member involuntarily separated from the Armed Forces solely on the basis of the refusal of such member to receive a vaccination against COVID-19.

Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security, Cardiovascular and respiratory health, Emergency medical services and trauma care, Employment discrimination and employee rights, Immunology and vaccination, Infectious and parasitic diseases, Military medicine, Military personnel and dependents

Summary:  <p>This bill requires the military departments to reinstate individuals (upon their request) who were involuntarily separated from the Armed Forces solely based on their refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Such individuals must be reinstated in the grade they held prior to the separation.</p>

<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 297 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 297

 To direct the Secretary concerned to reinstate a member involuntarily 
 separated from the Armed Forces solely on the basis of the refusal of 
         such member to receive a vaccination against COVID-19.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 11, 2023

   Mr. Mast (for himself, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Gaetz, Mr. Van Drew, Mrs. 
 Harshbarger, Mr. Babin, Mr. Posey, Mr. Bishop of North Carolina, Mr. 
Bilirakis, Mr. Biggs, Mr. Huizenga, Mr. Allen, Mrs. McClain, Mr. Kelly 
 of Pennsylvania, Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Steube, Ms. Tenney, 
Mrs. Miller of Illinois, Mr. Burchett, Mr. Cloud, Mr. Bost, Mr. Perry, 
Mr. Massie, Mr. Stauber, Mr. Johnson of Ohio, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Cline, Mr. 
Moolenaar, Mr. Fallon, Mr. Loudermilk, Mr. Finstad, Mr. Zinke, and Mr. 
   Donalds) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary concerned to reinstate a member involuntarily 
 separated from the Armed Forces solely on the basis of the refusal of 
         such member to receive a vaccination against COVID-19.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. REINSTATEMENT OF MEMBERS INVOLUNTARILY SEPARATED FROM THE 
              ARMED FORCES ON THE BASIS OF REFUSAL TO RECEIVE 
              VACCINATIONS AGAINST COVID-19.

    (a) Reinstatement.--At the election of a covered individual, the 
Secretary concerned shall reinstate such covered individual--
            (1) as a member of the Armed Force concerned; and
            (2) in the grade held by such covered individual 
        immediately before the involuntary separation of the covered 
        individual.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``covered individual'' means an individual 
        involuntarily separated from the Armed Forces solely on the 
        basis of the refusal of such individual to receive a 
        vaccination against COVID-19.
            (2) The term ``Secretary concerned'' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 101 of title 10, United States Code.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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