I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5741 
To provide an exemption to any Federal COVID–19 vaccine mandate for 
any Federal employee or contractor who provides proof of COVID– 
19 antibodies, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 26, 2021 
Mr. NEWHOUSE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Oversight and Reform 
A BILL 
To provide an exemption to any Federal COVID–19 vaccine 
mandate for any Federal employee or contractor who 
provides proof of COVID–19 antibodies, 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 ‘‘Options Over Termi-
nations Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. EXEMPTION TO COVID–19 VACCINE MANDATES FOR 
FEDERAL 
EMPLOYEES 
OR 
CONTRACTORS 
WITH COVID–19 ANTIBODIES. 
(a) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
law, rule, or regulation, including Executive Order 
14043 (86 Fed. Reg. 50989; relating to requiring 
coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination for Federal 
employees), any Federal employee who provides 
proof of COVID–19 antibodies to their employing 
agency, in such form and manner as the employing 
agency may require, shall be exempt from any Fed-
eral mandate requiring a vaccine for COVID–19. 
(2) REIMBURSEMENT.—Subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations, the employing agency shall 
reimburse any Federal employee at that agency for 
the costs of any COVID–19 antibody test for the 
purposes of carrying out paragraph (1). 
(3) PROHIBITION
ON
ADVERSE
ACTION.—No 
adverse action (including a suspension, furlough, re-
moval, or reduction in pay or grade) may be taken 
against any Federal employee who elects to meet the 
requirements of the exemption described in para-
graph (1). 
(4) EMPLOYEE DEFINED.—In this subsection, 
the term ‘‘Federal employee’’ has the meaning given 
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the term ‘‘employee’’ in section 2105 of title 5, 
United States Code, and includes— 
(A) an officer or employee of the United 
States Postal Service or of the Postal Regu-
latory Commission; and 
(B) an employee appointed under chapter 
73 or 74 of title 38, United States Code, not-
withstanding section 7425(b) of such title. 
(b) FEDERAL CONTRACTORS.—Any contract entered 
into by the Federal Government that requires any em-
ployee or individual described under that contract, or any 
subcontract (at any tier), to receive a COVID–19 vaccina-
tion shall include— 
(1) an exemption from such requirement for 
any such employee or individual who provides proof 
of the presence of COVID–19 antibodies; 
(2) a requirement that any such employee or in-
dividual who so provides proof shall be reimbursed, 
at the expense of the Federal Government, for the 
cost of any applicable COVID–19 antibody test; and 
(3) a requirement that the contractor may not 
retaliate against any employee who elects to meet 
the requirements of the exemption described in para-
graph (1). 
Æ 
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