What This Bill Does
This bill stops the District of Columbia and its schools from using Federal or local money to require COVID-19 vaccines for students. It also repeals a 2021 District of Columbia law that required COVID-19 vaccination for school students and early childhood workers.
Who It Affects
- Students enrolled in elementary and secondary schools in the District of Columbia
- The District of Columbia government
- Elementary and secondary schools in the District of Columbia
Key Provisions
- No Federal or local funds can be used to require students to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of school enrollment (Sec. 2(b))
- No Federal or local funds can be used to enforce COVID-19 vaccine requirements as a condition for in-person classroom instruction or school-related activities, including athletic or academic competitions (Sec. 2(b))
- The Coronavirus Immunization of School Students and Early Childhood Workers Regulation Amendment Act of 2021 is repealed and has no legal force (Sec. 3)
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, schools in the District of Columbia cannot use Federal or local money to impose or enforce COVID-19 vaccine requirements on students for enrollment or participation in school activities. The 2021 District of Columbia law requiring COVID-19 vaccination for school students would no longer apply.
Important Definitions
- "Covered school": Elementary or secondary schools in the District of Columbia
- "COVID-19 vaccine": Any vaccine approved or authorized by the Federal government to prevent COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 165
To prohibit the use of Federal and local funds to impose or enforce a
COVID–19 vaccine mandate in District of Columbia schools, and to
repeal the Coronavirus Immunization of School Students and Early
Childhood Workers Regulation Amendment Act of 2021 enacted by the
District of Columbia Council.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JANUARY 31, 2023
Mr. CRUZ (for himself, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. LEE, Mr. LANKFORD, Mr.
MARSHALL, Mr. BRAUN, Mr. HAWLEY, and Mr. SCOTT of Florida) intro-
duced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
A BILL
To prohibit the use of Federal and local funds to impose
or enforce a COVID–19 vaccine mandate in District
of Columbia schools, and to repeal the Coronavirus Im-
munization of School Students and Early Childhood
Workers Regulation Amendment Act of 2021 enacted
by the District of Columbia Council.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Let Them Learn Act’’.
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•S 165 IS
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FEDERAL AND LOCAL
1
FUNDS TO IMPOSE OR ENFORCE COVID–19
2
VACCINE MANDATE IN DISTRICT OF COLUM-
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BIA SCHOOLS.
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(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
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(1) COVERED
SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘covered
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school’’ means an elementary school or a secondary
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school, as those terms are defined in section 8101 of
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the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
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1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801), in the District of Columbia.
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(2) COVID–19 VACCINE.—The term ‘‘COVID–
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19 vaccine’’ means any vaccine for the prevention of
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) caused by
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severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
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(SARS–CoV–2) that is approved under section 351
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of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262) or
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section 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cos-
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metic Act (21 U.S.C. 355) or authorized for emer-
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gency use under section 564 of the Federal Food,
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Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 360bbb–3).
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(b) PROHIBITION.—No Federal or local funds may
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be used by the District of Columbia or a covered school
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to impose or enforce a COVID–19 vaccine requirement on
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a student in connection with enrollment by the student
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in a covered school, including any requirement that a stu-
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dent receive a COVID–19 vaccine in order to be able to
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•S 165 IS
attend in-person classroom instruction or participate in
1
any school-related activity on or off campus, including an
2
athletic or academic competition.
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SEC. 3. REPEAL OF CORONAVIRUS IMMUNIZATION OF
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SCHOOL STUDENTS AND EARLY CHILDHOOD
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WORKERS REGULATION AMENDMENT ACT OF
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2021.
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The Coronavirus Immunization of School Students
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and Early Childhood Workers Regulation Amendment Act
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of 2021 (D.C. Law 24–85), enacted by the District of Co-
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lumbia Council on January 12, 2022, and effective on
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March 2, 2022, shall have no force or effect.
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Æ
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