Keep Vaccines Voluntary Act
Bill: H.R.2414 | Sponsor: Rep. LaMalfa, Doug (R-CA)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Keep Vaccines Voluntary Act
This bill requires businesses, institutions of higher education, and state and local governments that receive certain COVID-19 relief funds to certify that they will not limit access to services or otherwise discriminate on the basis of an individual's COVID-19 vaccination status.

To prohibit recipients of Federal COVID relief and Federal agencies 
from engaging in certain conduct that discriminates against individuals 
 who have not been vaccinated 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 ``Keep Vaccines Voluntary Act''.

SEC. 2. DISCRIMINATION BASED ON COVID VACCINATION STATUS.

    (a) COVID Relief Conditions.--
            (1) Businesses.--
                    (A) In general.--No person or entity may receive a 
                grant or loan under paragraphs (36) or (37) of section 
                7(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)), 
                section 7(b)(2) of such Act pursuant to section 1110 of 
                the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9009), section 324 of the 
                Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, 
                and Venues Act (Public Law 116-260), or any subsequent 
                COVID-19 relief package, unless such person or entity 
                certifies that the person or entity--
                            (i) will not condition providing service to 
                        any individual solely on such individual having 
                        been vaccinated against COVID-19; and
                            (ii) will not, solely on the basis that an 
                        individual has not been vaccinated against 
                        COVID-19--
                                    (I) terminate the employment or 
                                adversely affect the compensation, 
                                terms, conditions, or privileges of 
                                employment of such individual if such 
                                individual is employed by such person 
                                or entity; or
                                    (II) fail or refuse to hire such 
                                individual.
                    (B) Applicability.--Subparagraph (A) shall apply 
                only with respect to agreements for grants or loans 
                entered into after the date of the enactment of this 
                Act.
            (2) Institutions of higher education.--
                    (A) In general.--No institution of higher education 
                (as defined under section 101 or 102 of title I of the 
                Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.)) 
                may receive Federal funds under section 2003 of the 
                American Rescue Plan of 2021 (Public Law 117-2) or any 
                subsequent COVID-19 relief package unless such 
                institution certifies that no rule or policy that 
                requires any separation of individuals who are 
                vaccinated against COVID-19 from individuals who are 
                not so vaccinated on the property of such institution 
                or at the activities of such institution will be 
                implemented by such institution.
                    (B) Applicability.--Subparagraph (A) shall apply 
                only with respect to--
                            (i) payments made after the date of the 
                        enactment of this Act; and
                            (ii) grants or loans initially made after 
                        the date of the enactment of this Act.
            (3) State and local governments.--
                    (A) In general.--No covered State or local 
                government may receive a payment under sections 602 
                through 605 of title VI of the Social Security Act (42 
                U.S.C. 801 et seq.) unless such covered State or local 
                government certifies that no law, regulation, rule, or 
                policy (other than a Federal law) that requires any 
                separation of individuals who are vaccinated against 
                COVID-19 from individuals who are not so vaccinated at 
                any public location, business, or other place of public 
                accommodation will be enacted, implemented, or enforced 
                by such covered State or local government.
                    (B) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
                            (i) County; metropolitan city; 
                        nonentitlement unit of local government; unit 
                        of general local government.--The terms 
                        ``county'', ``metropolitan city'', 
                        ``nonentitlement unit of local government'', 
                        and ``unit of general local government'' have 
                        the meaning given such terms in section 603(g) 
                        of title VI of the Social Security Act (42 
                        U.S.C. 803(g)).
                            (ii) Covered state or local government.--
                        The term ``covered State or local government'' 
                        means a State, territory, Tribal government, 
                        metropolitan city, nonentitlement unit of local 
                        government, unit of general local government, 
                        or county.
                            (iii) Public accommodation.--The term 
                        ``public accommodation'' has the meaning given 
                        such term in section 301 of the Americans with 
                        Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12181).
                            (iv) State; territory; tribal government.--
                        The terms ``State'', ``territory'', and 
                        ``Tribal government'' have the meaning given 
                        such terms in section 602(g) of title VI of the 
                        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 802(g)).
                    (C) Applicability.--Subparagraph (A) shall apply 
                only with respect to payments made after the date of 
                the enactment of this Act.
    (b) Federal Employment.--No Federal agency (as defined in section 
105 of title 5, United States Code) may condition the appointment of an 
individual to any position in the civil or uniformed services (as such 
terms are defined in section 2101 of title 5, United States Code) on 
such individual being vaccinated against COVID-19.
                                 <all>