[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 271 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 271
To provide for greater accountability with respect to Federal
activities and expenditures relating to COVID-19, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 11, 2023
Mr. Estes introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on
Education and the Workforce, the Judiciary, Armed Services, and
Oversight and Accountability, 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 provide for greater accountability with respect to Federal
activities and expenditures relating to COVID-19, 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 ``Restoring Normalcy in America Act''.
SEC. 2. HHS COVID-19 STUDY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall
conduct a study on--
(1) the effectiveness of vaccines licensed under section
351 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262) or
authorized for emergency use under section 564 of the Federal
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 360bbb-3) in providing
immunization against COVID-19 (including any additional doses
of such a vaccine to be administered after the primary series
of doses);
(2) the effectiveness of treatments approved under section
505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C.
355), licensed under section 351 of the Public Health Service
Act (42 U.S.C. 262), or authorized for emergency use under
section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21
U.S.C. 360bbb-3) to treat COVID-19;
(3) the rate of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 throughout the
United States, beginning on the first day of the emergency
period (as defined in section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-5(g)(1)(B)));
(4) the level of preparedness of the United States for
future pandemics; and
(5) the cause and origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a
report on the findings of the study conducted under subsection (a).
(c) Funding.--Of the amounts made available to the Secretary of
Health and Human Services in appropriations Acts that remain
unobligated as of the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
may use not more than 3 percent of such funds to carry out this
section.
SEC. 3. TERMINATION OF EMERGENCY USE AUTHORITY FOR COVID-19 PREVENTION
AND TREATMENT.
Effective on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
of Health and Human Services, acting through the Commissioner of Food
and Drugs, may not authorize under section 564 of the Federal Food,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 360bbb-3) for emergency use any drug,
biological product, or device for use in the prevention or treatment of
COVID-19.
SEC. 4. COVID-19 FUNDING AUDIT.
(a) In General.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall
conduct an audit of all Federal funding made available to the Secretary
of Health and Human Services, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, and
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for
programs and activities relating to COVID-19. Such audit shall
include--
(1) an accounting of the amount of such funds that have
been obligated or expended, disaggregated by agency and
activity; and
(2) an accounting of any such funds that remain unobligated
and available for rescission.
(b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States
shall submit to the Congress a report on the findings of the audit
conducted under subsection (a).
SEC. 5. UNLAWFUL EMPLOYMENT PRACTICE UNDER TITLE VII OF THE CIVIL
RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 FOR FAILURE TO OFFER RE-EMPLOYMENT TO
EMPLOYEES DISCHARGED FOR FAILURE TO RECEIVE A VACCINATION
AGAINST COVID-19.
For purposes of section 703(a) of title VII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2003-2(a)), it shall be an unlawful employment
practice for an employer to fail to give on request full consideration
for, and to offer a position at the pay and level equal to the
applicable pre-discharge pay and level, of employment to an individual
previously discharged from employment by such employer based on such
individual's failure to receive a vaccination against COVID-19.
SEC. 6. COVID-19 VACCINATION STATUS AND PLACES OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION.
Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000a et seq.)
is amended as follows:
(1) In section 201, by inserting after ``on the ground of
race, color, religion,'' the following: ``failure to receive a
vaccination against COVID-19,''.
(2) In section 202, by inserting after ``on the ground of
race, color, religion,'' the following: ``failure to receive a
vaccination against COVID-19,''.
SEC. 7. COVID-19 VACCINATION STATUS AND FEDERALLY ASSISTED PROGRAMS.
Section 601 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d) is
amended by inserting ``failure to receive a vaccination against COVID-
19,'' before ``race, color,''.
SEC. 8. COVID-19 VACCINATION STATUS AND EMPLOYMENT.
(a) Reinstatement of Members of the Armed Forces Involuntarily
Separated for Refusing To Receive a Vaccination Against COVID-19.--
(1) Reinstatement.--At the request of a covered individual,
the Secretary concerned shall--
(A) reinstate the covered individual as a member of
the Armed Force concerned, in the same rank and grade
the covered individual held at the time of separation
from the Armed Force concerned; and
(B) expunge from the military service record of the
covered individual any reference to adverse action
against the covered individual solely on the basis of
the refusal of the covered individual to receive a
vaccination against COVID-19.
(2) Definitions.--In this section:
(A) The term ``adverse action'' includes
involuntary separation, demotion, and discipline.
(B) The term ``covered individual'' means an
individual who was involuntarily separated from an
Armed Force solely on the basis of the refusal of such
individual to receive a vaccination against COVID-19.
(C) The term ``Secretary concerned'' has the
meaning given such term in section 101 of title 10,
United States Code.
(b) Reinstatement of Federal Employees Involuntarily Separated for
Refusing To Receive COVID-19 Vaccine.--
(1) In general.--Any individual removed from the civil
service (as that term is defined in section 2101 of title 5,
United States Code) solely on the basis of the refusal of the
individual to receive a vaccination against COVID-19 may, at
the discretion of the individual, be reinstated to a civil
service position at the same grade or level, and same rate of
pay, as the position from which the individual was so removed.
(2) Other matters.--Any notation of an adverse action with
respect to such removal in the personnel record file of such an
individual shall be removed.
(c) Unlawful Employment Practice Under Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 for Failure To Receive a Vaccination Against COVID-
19.--For purposes of section 703 of title VII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2003-2), it shall be an unlawful employment practice
for an employer--
(1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any
individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual
with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or
privileges of employment, based on such individual's failure to
receive a vaccination against COVID-19; or
(2) to limit, segregate, or classify his employees or
applicants for employment in any way which would deprive or
tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or
otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee, based on
such individual's failure to receive a vaccination against
COVID-19.
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