HR 119119th CongressIn Committee

To prohibit any entity that receives Federal funds from the COVID relief packages from mandating employees receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and for other purposes.

Introduced: Jan 3, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill would bar any entity that receives federal funds from COVID relief packages from requiring its employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment. If an entity violates this prohibition, it would be required to return the funds it received from those COVID relief packages to the federal government. The bill defines “COVID relief package” to include six major laws passed during the pandemic, covering programs that provided broad financial support to governments, hospitals, businesses, and others. In short, the measure aims to eliminate workplace vaccine mandates for vaccine-receiving recipients of federal pandemic aid and uses funding recapture as the enforcement mechanism.

Key Points

1Prohibition on vaccine mandates: Any entity that receives federal funds from COVID relief packages may not require its employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment.
2Scope of covered funds: The restriction applies to entities funded under six specific pandemic relief laws (CARES Act; 2020 coronavirus response acts; Families First Act; PPP and HC Act; Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021; American Rescue Plan Act).
3Enforcement mechanism: If an entity violates the prohibition, it must return the funds it received from the COVID relief package to the federal government.
4Definition of “COVID relief package”: The bill explicitly lists six named laws to be included in the definition, shaping which funds trigger the restriction.
5Unspecified details: The bill does not specify exemptions (e.g., for medical or religious reasons), penalties beyond fund recapture, timelines for compliance, or the process for challenging a determination of violation.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Employees of entities that received federal COVID relief funds (for example, hospitals, schools, state and local governments, and certain nonprofits and contractors) who might otherwise face vaccine mandates as a condition of employment.Secondary group/area affected: Federal agencies and program administrators who distribute the COVID relief funds, since they would need to monitor compliance and some may be responsible for recapturing funds.Additional impacts:- Public health implications could arise if vaccine mandates are rolled back for workers in certain settings (e.g., healthcare, long-term care).- Administrative and compliance burdens on recipients to demonstrate that they have not required vaccination as a condition of employment, plus the process of returning funds if a violation is found.- Potential legal and policy questions about exemptions, religious or medical accommodations, and how this interacts with other employment or safety regulations.

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