America Reopens Act
This bill restricts the implementation and enforcement of various COVID-19 response measures in transportation, education, and other areas.
Specifically, the bill prohibits any federal agency or federally funded entity from requiring that U.S. citizens or permanent residents wear face coverings or show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or testing when using public conveyances (e.g., planes or trains) or transportation hubs when traveling domestically or returning from foreign countries. Further, Canadian and Mexican nationals may enter the United States for business through land ports of entry without regard to their COVID-19 vaccination status.
The bill also restricts federal funding of public institutions of higher education unless the institution (1) makes in-person instruction available to all students; and (2) allows students to opt out of COVID-19 requirements concerning vaccination, testing, and face covering. This restriction does not apply to distance education programs offered for reasons unrelated to COVID-19 or certain health-related educational programs. Additionally, the Department of Education must provide grants to parents for certain educational expenses, such as tuition at a private school, if their child lacks access to in-person instruction at a public elementary or secondary school due to COVID-19.
The bill also prohibits the use of federal funds to implement or enforce a system or plan for verifying an individual's COVID-19 vaccination status, such as vaccine passports.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7423 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7423
To prohibit imposing certain COVID-19 face covering and vaccine
mandates, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 6, 2022
Mr. Gimenez (for himself, Mrs. Cammack, Mr. Donalds, and Ms. Salazar)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on
Transportation and Infrastructure, Energy and Commerce, and the
Judiciary, 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 prohibit imposing certain COVID-19 face covering and vaccine
mandates, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``America Reopens Act''.
SEC. 2. TRANSPORTATION.
(a) Travel.--Beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and
notwithstanding any other provision of law, no Federal agency or any
entity that receives Federal funds shall impose any Federal requirement
related to COVID-19 that requires a citizen or alien lawfully admitted
for permanent residence in the United States to show proof of
vaccination or recent COVID-19 testing or wear a face covering when
using any conveyance (as defined in section 70.1 of title 42, Code of
Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation) or transportation
hub.
(b) Travel Clarification.--A citizen or alien lawfully admitted for
permanent residence in the United States may travel domestically in the
United States without regard to COVID-19 vaccine status, testing, or
wearing a face covering, including citizens and such aliens returning
to the United States from a foreign country.
SEC. 3. LAND PORT OF ENTRY.
An individual who is a national of Canada or of Mexico and is
seeking to temporarily enter the United States for business through a
land port of entry of the United States or who is involved in
interstate commerce may enter the United States without regard to
COVID-19 vaccination status, including any commercial truck driver.
SEC. 4. TAXPAYER FUNDS.
No Federal funds may be used to develop, implement, or enforce any
COVID-19 vaccine passport system or plan.
SEC. 5. REQUIREMENTS FOR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), no funds
shall be made available under any applicable program to a public
institution of higher education unless--
(1) in-person instruction is available to all students at
such institution; and
(2) a student may opt-out of any requirement of the
institution to wear a face covering, to be vaccinated against
COVID-19, or to take a COVID-19 test.
(b) Exceptions.--
(1) Certain distance education programs.--The requirement
of subsection (a)(1) shall not apply to a course or program of
study that an institution offers via distance education for
reasons unrelated to COVID-19.
(2) Health care facilities.--The requirement of subsection
(a)(2) shall not apply to--
(A) a medical school;
(B) a nursing school; or
(C) a health care facility that is--
(i) owned or operated by an institution of
higher education; or
(ii) at which the institution carries out
academic programs.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Applicable program.--The term ``applicable program''
has the meaning given the term in section 400(c) of the General
Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1221(c)).
(2) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given that
term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1002).
SEC. 6. GRANTS FOR STUDENTS WITHOUT ACCESS TO IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION.
(a) Grants for Students Without Access to In-Person Instruction.--
From amounts made available under subsection (e), the Secretary of
Education shall carry out a program under which the parent of a child
who has an application approved by the Secretary under subsection (c)
shall receive a grant to pay certain educational expenses on behalf of
such child.
(b) Application.--To be eligible to receive grant under this
section, the parent of a child shall submit an application to the
Secretary of Education at such time, in such manner, and containing
such information as the Secretary may require.
(c) Approval.--Subject to the availability of funds to carry out
this section, the Secretary of Education shall make a grant under
subsection (a) to the parent of a child if--
(1) the parent submits a true and correct application under
subsection (b); and
(2) as part of such application the parent--
(A) certifies that the child does not have access
to in-person instruction at a public elementary school
or public secondary school due to COVID-19; and
(B) provides an assurance that the parent will use
the grant only for the purposes authorized under this
section.
(d) Use of Funds.--A parent who receives grant under this section
on behalf of a child may use the grant to pay the following educational
expenses:
(1) Costs of attendance for the child at a private
elementary school or private secondary school.
(2) Costs incurred by the parent to homeschool the child.
(3) Such other educational expenses as may be approved by
the Secretary for purposes of this subsection.
(e) Funding.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this
section shall be carried out using amounts made available to the
Secretary of Education under the CARES Act (Public Law 116-136) that
are unobligated as of the date of the enactment of this Act and no
additional amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
section.
(f) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``child'',
``elementary school'', ``parent'', ``secondary school'', and ``State''
have the meanings given those terms in section 8101 of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Energy and Commerce, and the Judiciary, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Energy and Commerce, and the Judiciary, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Energy and Commerce, and the Judiciary, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Energy and Commerce, and the Judiciary, 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.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.