Freedom from Mandates Act

Bill: 118-hr-119
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5]
Introduced: 2023-01-09
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Department of Labor

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Immunology and vaccination

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Medicaid

Medical tests and diagnostic methods

Medicare

Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents

Public contracts and procurement

Worker safety and health
Latest action: action_date: 2024-12-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-01-09
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Freedom from Mandates Act</strong></p> <p>This bill nullifies certain executive orders regarding COVID-19 safety and prohibits the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services (HHS) from taking specified actions with respect to vaccination against COVID-19.</p> <p>Specifically, the bill nullifies Executive Order 14042 (relating to ensuring adequate COVID-19 safety protocols for federal contractors) and Executive Order 14043 (requiring COVID-19 vaccination for federal employees).</p> <p>Labor may not issue any rule requiring employers to mandate vaccination of employees against COVID-19 or requiring testing of employees who are unvaccinated.</p> <p>HHS may not (1) require a health care provider, as a condition of participation in the Medicare or Medicaid program, to mandate vaccination of employees against COVID-19 or require testing of employees who are unvaccinated; or (2) otherwise penalize such a provider for failure to mandate such vaccination or require such testing.</p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 119 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 9, 2023 Mr. Biggs introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability , and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce , Energy and Commerce , 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 A BILL To nullify certain Executive orders regarding COVID–19 vaccine mandates and to prohibit the Secretary of Labor from issuing a rule mandating vaccination against COVID–19, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Freedom from Mandates Act . 2. Nullification of certain Executive orders (a) Safety protocols for Federal Contractors Executive Order 14042 (86 Fed. Reg. 50985, relating to ensuring adequate COVID–19 safety protocols for Federal contractors) shall have no force or effect. (b) COVID– 19 vaccine requirement Executive Order 14043 (86 Fed. Reg. 50989, relating to requiring COVID–19 vaccination for Federal employees) shall have no force or effect. 3. Prohibition of rules mandating vaccination The Secretary of Labor may not issue any rule requiring employers to mandate vaccination of employees against COVID–19 or requiring testing of employees who are unvaccinated against COVID–19. 4. Prohibition on Medicare and Medicaid COVID–19 vaccination mandates Notwithstanding any provision of title XI, XVIII, or XIX of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1301 et seq. , 1395 et seq., 1396 et seq.), the Secretary of Health and Human Services may not require a health care provider, as a condition of participation in the Medicare or Medicaid program, to mandate vaccination of employees against COVID–19 or require testing of employees who are unvaccinated against COVID–19, and may not otherwise penalize such a provider for such provider’s failure to so mandate such vaccination or so require such testing.