Protecting Religious Students from Vaccine Mandates Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.5967 | Sponsor: Rep. Norman, Ralph (R-SC)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Protecting Religious Students from Vaccine Mandates Act of 2021
This bill requires public institutions of higher education (IHEs) to provide for a religious exemption from COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
Through December 31, 2024, a public IHE that has a COVID-19 vaccination requirement must (1) provide a reasonable opportunity for individuals to receive a religious exemption from the vaccination requirement, and (2) notify individuals who are subject to the vaccination requirement about the procedures to apply for the religious exemption.
An IHE must submit an annual report to the Department of Education certifying that the IHE meets these requirements. An IHE that denies a religious exemption to 20 or more individuals during a calendar year must provide additional information.
The bill generally prohibits an IHE from receiving federal funds if it does not comply with the religious exemption requirements outlined by this 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 Representatives 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''.

SEC. 2. PROVISION OF RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION FROM COVID-19 VACCINATION 
              REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) Religious Exemption Requirement.--A public institution of 
higher education that has a COVID-19 vaccination requirement shall, 
through December 31, 2024--
            (1) provide a reasonable opportunity for an individual to 
        receive a religious exemption from such vaccination 
        requirement; and
            (2) make a good-faith effort to notify individuals 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 
        individuals.
    (b) Annual Report.--An institution of higher education described in 
subsection (a) shall submit to the Secretary of Education an annual 
report, for each calendar year through 2024, that--
            (1) certifies that the institution meets the requirements 
        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 during a calendar 
        year, includes reasoning for such denials by such institution, 
        whether the exemptions were denied due to an undue hardship for 
        the institution, 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 requirements under subsection (a) due to an 
        undue hardship for the institution based on evidence provided 
        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 
        subcontract, except that students at the institution may 
        receive Federal student financial aid.
            (2) Sunset.--The authority to enforce compliance 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 education from promoting or 
offering COVID-19 vaccinations 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, attendance, receipt of student aid, participation 
        in athletics or other student activities, or employment at the 
        institution, requires an individual to have received 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 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            (3) Religious exemption.--The term ``religious exemption'' 
        means an exemption granted to an individual to permit such 
        individual to be exempted from a COVID-19 vaccination 
        requirement of an institution of higher education if such 
        individual demonstrates that receiving such a vaccination would 
        violate the sincerely held religious beliefs of the individual.
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