Rep. Ralph Norman

This joint resolution nullifies an Occupational Safety and Health Administration emergency temporary standard for preventing the transmission of COVID-19 in employment settings. Under the standard issued on November 5, 2021, employers with 100 or more employees must require their onsite employees to either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.

Maddy summaryHRES 779 is a symbolic resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on November 5, 2021. It expresses Congress’s disapproval of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) emergency temporary standard (ETS) requiring employers with over 100 workers to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations or weekly testing/mask-wearing. The resolution argues OSHA overstepped its authority by treating COVID-19 as a workplace-specific risk, despite Congress having delegated vaccine-related authority to other agencies like the FDA and CDC. As a non-binding resolution, it does not change any laws or enforceable requirements - it only states congressional opinion on the ETS.

Stop Vaccine Mandates Act This bill rescinds the executive order titled Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors and the executive order titled Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees , both published on September 9, 2021. The bill provides that these executive orders shall have no force or effect.

Having Employees Return to Duty Act or the HERD Act This bill addresses federal employees who comply with Executive Order 14043 (requiring COVID-19 vaccination for federal employees). Specifically, the bill requires each federal agency to require employees who comply with the order to work from their duty station and to work the hours required as of February 15, 2020. The bill's requirement does not apply to immunocompromised employees. Additionally, the bill does not prohibit an agency from implementing different policies at a particular work site if the agency finds that (1) there is substantial transmission of COVID-19 within a community in which such requirements would otherwise be carried out; and (2) implementing those different policies will not degrade the level of service that the agency provides to the public.

Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act This bill prohibits the use of federal funds for research or publications concerning gender transitions in individuals under the age of 18.

Keeping Our COVID-19 Heroes Employed Act This bill exempts essential workers from COVID-19 vaccination requirements imposed by the federal government and contractors, public entities that received federal COVID-19 relief funds, and private entities that received any federal funds. An essential worker is an individual who was deemed to be essential or exempted from response measures during the COVID-19 pandemic by a state, tribe, or territory.

Fiscal State of the Nation Resolution This concurrent resolution requires the congressional budget committees to conduct an annual joint hearing to receive a presentation from the Comptroller General regarding (1) the Government Accountability Office's audit of the financial statement of the executive branch, and (2) the financial position and condition of the federal government.

This resolution recognizes the importance of gig workers (i.e., workers hired on a per-project basis) and other independent contractors to the economy.

This bill prohibits withholding federal education funds from an otherwise eligible recipient (e.g., educational agencies, schools, and institutions of higher education) because the recipient does not require students or employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Options Over Terminations Act This bill exempts a federal employee or contractor from any federal mandate requiring a vaccine for COVID-19 if the employee or contractor provides proof of COVID-19 antibodies.