AMERICANS Act
S 117 (AMERICANS Act) prevents the military from discharging or taking adverse action against service members who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine. It revises discharge rules to allow adjustments to honorable status for those separated solely over vaccine refusal, reinstates members to prior ranks, and expunges related records from service files. The bill also requires the military to retain unvaccinated members equally, creates exemption processes for natural immunity, health conditions, or religious beliefs, and cancels bonus repayment obligations for those separated over vaccine refusal. It directly affects active-duty service members and veterans separated under prior vaccine mandates.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Jan 16, 2025
Last action Jan 16, 2025
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Jan 16, 2025
Committee
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
upper
Jan 16, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
1 primary · 14 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Ted Cruz
RRepublican
Co
James C. Justice
RRepublican
Co
James E. Risch
RRepublican
Co
John Cornyn
RRepublican
Co
John Hoeven
RRepublican
Co
Josh Hawley
RRepublican
Co
Katie Boyd Britt
RRepublican
Co
Marsha Blackburn
RRepublican
Co
Mike Crapo
RRepublican
Co
Mike Lee
RRepublican
Co
Rick Scott
RRepublican
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