FREEDOM Act

Bill: 117-hr-5592
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Jackson, Ronny [R-TX-13]
Introduced: 2021-10-15
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Congressional oversight

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Immunology and vaccination

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Worker safety and health
Latest action: action_date: 2021-10-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-10-15
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Forbidding Repressive Executive Efforts and Denouncing Overreaching Mandates Act or the FREEDOM Act</strong></p> <p>This bill requires each executive agency to report on the effects of requiring its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and certify whether such a requirement will adversely affect the ability of the agency to carry out its mission.</p> <p>Specifically, such report shall include</p> <ul> <li> the estimated number of employees who do not intend to get vaccinated and would leave as a result,</li> <li>the effects on such agency's workforce and on its ability to carry out its mission,</li> <li>any agency plans to mitigate the loss of institutional knowledge, and</li> <li>estimates of how long the agency will take to fill the positions left vacant and the costs of filling such positions.</li> </ul>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5592 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 15, 2021 Mr. Jackson (for himself, Mr. Burgess , Mrs. Miller-Meeks , and Mr. Babin ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform A BILL To require the head of each Executive agency to submit a report on the effects of requiring the employees of such agency to be vaccinated against COVID–19, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Forbidding Repressive Executive Efforts and Denouncing Overreaching Mandates Act or the FREEDOM Act . 2. Sense of Congress Congress finds the following: (1) President Biden’s recent Executive order on COVID–19 vaccine mandates is both unconstitutional and a Federal overreach. (2) The decision to be vaccinated should only be made and known between an individual and his or her doctor. (3) A Federal COVID–19 vaccine mandate is an infringement upon an individual’s freedom, rights, and liberty. (4) A Federal COVID–19 vaccine mandate does not properly consider the strength of natural immunity. (5) Individuals, businesses, localities, and States should have the personal choice whether or not to be vaccinated against COVID–19. 3. Report on Federal employee COVID–19 vaccination mandate (a) In general Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each Executive agency shall submit to Congress— (1) a report on the effects of a requirement that the employees of such Executive agency be vaccinated against the COVID–19 virus, including— (A) the estimated number of employees of such Executive agency— (i) who do not intend to get vaccinated; and (ii) who would leave such Executive agency due to such a requirement; (B) the effects on the workforce of such Executive agency and on the ability of such Executive agency to carry out the mission of such Executive agency resulting from such employees leaving due to such a requirement; (C) any plans of such Executive agency to mitigate any loss of institutional knowledge resulting from such employees leaving due to such a requirement; and (D) estimates of how long such Executive agency will take to fill the positions left vacant by such employees leaving due to such a requirement and the costs of filling such positions; and (2) a certification whether such a requirement will adversely affect the ability of such Executive agency to carry out the mission of such Executive agency. (b) Definitions In this Act: (1) Employee The term employee has the meaning given such term in section 2105 of title 5, United States Code. (2) Executive agency The term Executive agency has the meaning given such term in section 105 of title 5, United States Code.