I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5967 
To ensure that institutions of higher education with COVID–19 vaccination 
requirements provide an opportunity for religious exemption from such 
requirements, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 15, 2021 
Mr. NORMAN (for himself, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. GOOD of Virginia, Mrs. MILLER 
of Illinois, Mr. LAMBORN, and Mr. BABIN) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To ensure that institutions of higher education with COVID– 
19 vaccination requirements provide an opportunity for 
religious exemption from such requirements, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Religious 
Students from Vaccine Mandates Act of 2021’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROVISION OF RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION FROM 
COVID–19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION REQUIREMENT.—A pub-
lic institution of higher education that has a COVID–19 
vaccination requirement shall, through December 31, 
2024— 
(1) provide a reasonable opportunity for an in-
dividual to receive a religious exemption from such 
vaccination requirement; and 
(2) make a good-faith effort to notify individ-
uals who are subject to such vaccination requirement 
of the opportunity to receive, and procedures to 
apply for, such a religious exemption, using easily 
accessible forms of communication such as the 
website of the institution or official digital or written 
correspondence from the institution to such individ-
uals. 
(b) ANNUAL REPORT.—An institution of higher edu-
cation described in subsection (a) shall submit to the Sec-
retary of Education an annual report, for each calendar 
year through 2024, that— 
(1) certifies that the institution meets the re-
quirements under paragraphs (1) and (2) of such 
subsection; and 
(2) in the case of an institution that has denied 
such a religious exemption to 20 or more individuals 
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during a calendar year, includes reasoning for such 
denials by such institution, whether the exemptions 
were denied due to an undue hardship for the insti-
tution, and if so, evidence to demonstrate such 
undue hardship to the Secretary of the Education. 
(c) ENFORCEMENT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Unless the Secretary of 
Education has determined that an institution of 
higher education is unable to comply with the re-
quirements under subsection (a) due to an undue 
hardship for the institution based on evidence pro-
vided in accordance with subsection (b)(2), a public 
institution of higher education that has a COVID– 
19 vaccination requirement and that fails to comply 
with the requirements under subsection (a) shall not 
be awarded Federal funds for any purpose, directly 
or indirectly, including through a contract or sub-
contract, except that students at the institution may 
receive Federal student financial aid. 
(2) SUNSET.—The authority to enforce compli-
ance with the requirements under subsection (a) 
shall expire on December 31, 2024. 
(d) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 
shall be construed as discouraging institutions of higher 
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education from promoting or offering COVID–19 vaccina-
tions on campus. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COVID–19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT.— 
The term ‘‘COVID–19 vaccination requirement’’ 
means any requirement by an institution of higher 
education that, as a condition for enrollment, at-
tendance, receipt of student aid, participation in ath-
letics or other student activities, or employment at 
the institution, requires an individual to have re-
ceived one or more vaccinations intended to prevent 
or mitigate the virus that causes COVID–19. 
(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
(3) RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION.—The term ‘‘reli-
gious exemption’’ means an exemption granted to an 
individual to permit such individual to be exempted 
from a COVID–19 vaccination requirement of an in-
stitution of higher education if such individual dem-
onstrates that receiving such a vaccination would 
violate the sincerely held religious beliefs of the indi-
vidual. 
Æ 
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