Freedom from Mandates Act

This bill would end federal COVID-19 vaccine and testing mandates described in the text. It cancels two executive orders: one that set safety rules for federal contractors and one that required COVID-19 vaccination for federal employees. It also blocks the Department of Labor from issuing any rule that makes employers require COVID-19 shots or testing for unvaccinated workers. In addition, it stops Health and Human Services from making Medicare or Medicaid health care providers require staff COVID-19 shots or testing, and from penalizing providers that don’t do so.

What this means in daily life: the federal government could not enforce COVID-19 vaccine or testing rules on federal workers, federal contractors, private workplaces through Labor rules, or Medicare/Medicaid-participating health facilities, as laid out in the bill’s text.

• Who is affected: federal employees, federal contractors, most employers, and Medicare/Medicaid health care providers and their staff.
• What changes: the listed vaccine and testing mandates would be canceled or blocked from being issued or enforced.
• When: if this bill becomes law, these changes would apply as stated in the text that cancels the orders and bars new rules.