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This bill restores worker and employer choice by rescinding federal COVID-19 vaccine/testing mandates and penalties, but does so at the cost of higher COVID-19 transmission risk, increased economic and taxpayer burdens from outbreaks, and more uneven public-health protections across states and workplaces.
Federal employees, government contractors, health care workers, and other workers can decline COVID-19 vaccination or testing tied to federal employment, contracts, or Medicare/Medicaid participation without being fired, barred from contracts, or losing program participation.
Employers (including small businesses, government contractors, and health providers) are protected from a new federal vaccine or testing mandate, preserving employer autonomy and avoiding the administrative compliance costs and penalties associated with enforcement.
Hospitals and other Medicare/Medicaid-participating providers avoid penalties or loss of program participation tied to staff vaccine/testing mandates, reducing the immediate risk of provider disruption that could limit patient access to care.
Federal employees, contractors, health care workers, and other employees will face higher workplace COVID-19 exposure and transmission risk if vaccination or testing requirements tied to federal employment/contracts are removed.
Medicare and Medicaid patients and other vulnerable patient populations face increased COVID-19 exposure risk in health care settings, and taxpayers could incur higher health care costs; health care workforce shortages from outbreaks could further disrupt care.
Employers, workers, and taxpayers could face greater economic costs from workplace outbreaks (sick leave, reduced productivity, temporary closures, and higher public health spending) if federal mandates and standards are removed.
Introduced January 3, 2025 by Andrew S. Biggs · Last progress January 3, 2025
Rescinds two COVID‑19 vaccination-related presidential executive orders and forbids federal agencies from imposing COVID‑19 vaccine or testing mandates on certain workers and providers. It prevents the Secretary of Labor from issuing rules that would require employers to mandate COVID‑19 vaccination or testing, and bars the HHS Secretary from conditioning Medicare or Medicaid participation on health care providers’ imposing COVID‑19 vaccination or testing requirements on their employees. The bill does not create new funding, deadlines, or programs. Its effect is to remove specific federal vaccination requirements and to limit certain federal rulemaking and administrative conditions tied to COVID‑19 vaccination and testing.