COVID–19 Individual Liberty Act of 2021

Bill: 117-hr-5829
Sponsor: Rep. Timmons, William R. IV [R-SC-4]
Introduced: 2021-11-02 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Federal-Indian relations
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government information and archives
Health information and medical records
Health programs administration and funding
Immunology and vaccination
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Medicaid
Medicare
Public contracts and procurement
State and local government operations
Worker safety and health

Summary:
action_date: 2021-11-02
text: 

COVID-19 Individual Liberty Act of 2021

 
This bill nullifies executive orders and otherwise limits the authority of the federal government and federally funded entities to mandate COVID-19 vaccines and other prevention measures.
 
Specifically, the bill nullifies two executive orders issued on September 9, 2021, which (1) mandate COVID-19 vaccines for federal employees, and (2) require federal contractors to comply with workplace safety guidance for preventing COVID-19.
 
In addition, the bill bars the use of federal funds for implementing or enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, including employer-based mandates. The bill also prohibits requiring, as a condition of participation in Medicare or Medicaid, that health care providers mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for their employees.
 
Furthermore, the federal government may not (1) issue any standardized documentation that certifies an individual's COVID-19 vaccination status to a third party, or (2) condition the provision of any service or benefit on the receipt of documentation certifying an individual's COVID-19 vaccination status or post-transmission recovery. These prohibitions apply to state, tribal, and local governments (excluding schools and institutions of higher education) as a condition of receiving federal COVID-19 relief funds.
 
The bill also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to publish guidelines on the extent to which natural immunity to COVID-19 prevents contracting or spreading the disease.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-11-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2021-11-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2021-11-02
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Reform, Education and Labor, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-11-02
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Reform, Education and Labor, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-11-02
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Reform, Education and Labor, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-11-02
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Reform, Education and Labor, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2021-11-02
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2021-11-02
text: Introduced in House