This bill places certain restrictions on employer-based vaccination requirements.
Specifically, the bill prohibits the Department of Labor from issuing an emergency temporary occupational safety or health standard that requires employers to ensure their employees receive a vaccine.
In addition, the bill expressly applies the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) to occupational health and safety rules issued by Labor. Currently, RFRA prohibits the government from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest when using the least restrictive means.
To clarify the applicability of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act 
of 1993 to rules issued under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 
 1970 and to amend such Act to prohibit emergency temporary standards 
           with respect to vaccines, 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. APPLICABILITY OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESTORATION ACT OF 1993.

    The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 2000bb et 
seq.) shall apply with any rule issued by the Secretary of Labor under 
the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.).

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN EMERGENCY TEMPORARY STANDARDS.

    Section 6(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 
U.S.C. 655(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) The Secretary may not issue an emergency temporary 
        standard that requires an employer to ensure that employees of 
        the employer receive a vaccine.''.
                                 <all>
To clarify the applicability of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to rules issued under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and to amend such Act to prohibit emergency temporary standards with respect to vaccines, and for other purposes.
To clarify the applicability of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to rules issued under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and to amend such Act to prohibit emergency temporary standards with respect to vaccines, and for other purposes.
Official Titles - House of Representatives
Official Title as Introduced
To clarify the applicability of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to rules issued under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and to amend such Act to prohibit emergency temporary standards with respect to vaccines, and for other purposes.
Rep. Estes, Ron