The GRACE Act prohibits federal education funding for schools and agencies that mandate vaccinations unless they offer a specific exemption process. Under this bill, institutions must allow parents or guardians to request an exemption based on a sincerely held religious belief without requiring any supporting documentation. The law defines a child as anyone under 18 and applies these rules to elementary and secondary schools as well as local and state educational agencies. By removing the need for proof of religious belief, the measure aims to simplify the process for families seeking to opt out of vaccination requirements for religious reasons.
The ORTHO Act directs the Federal Trade Commission to create new rules requiring dentists to perform an in-person examination before providing most dental services or medical devices through teledentistry. This requirement includes exceptions for emergency care, approved public health programs, and specific orthodontic diagnoses that must still be confirmed by an in-person visit and review of X-rays before a patient begins using an appliance. Violations of these rules would be treated as unfair or deceptive practices, allowing both the FTC and state attorneys general to enforce the law through civil penalties and potential damages. The bill also clarifies that states retain the ability to adopt additional regulations that are consistent with these federal standards.
This bill prohibits federal funding for institutions conducting specific types of viral research. It bans new federal grants for gain-of-function research involving influenza viruses, coronaviruses (including SARS-CoV-2), or select agents listed by HHS or USDA. The law directly affects universities and research institutes that receive federal research grants and conduct this work. It does not ban the research itself but stops new federal funding for such projects, aiming to prevent potential risks from enhanced viral pathogens.
The CARGO Act of 2025 prohibits the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from funding any research involving live animals conducted outside the United States. It directly affects foreign organizations and researchers who previously received NIH grants for animal research abroad, including projects funded under the $2.2 billion in grants from 2011-2021. The key provision amends the Public Health Service Act to ban NIH support for such overseas research, requiring all animal research funded by the NIH to occur within the U.S. (including territories and the District of Columbia). This change aims to address concerns about inadequate oversight of animal welfare in foreign labs where self-reported data may be inaccurate.
HR 5075, the GRACE Act, requires schools receiving federal education funds to allow religious exemptions from vaccination requirements without requiring documentation. It directly affects K-12 public schools and school agencies that receive federal funding, as they must permit students (or their parents/guardians for minors under 18) to skip vaccinations based on religious belief. The key provision mandates that schools cannot demand proof of a religious belief to grant such exemptions. This changes how schools handle vaccination policies for enrollment, attendance, and school activities when receiving federal education dollars.
HR 120, the No Mandates Act, bans federal agencies and entities receiving certain federal funds from requiring individuals to get a COVID-19 vaccine. It prohibits agencies from issuing any rules mandating the vaccine and forbids requiring vaccination for access to federal property, services, or congressional grounds. Entities receiving funds from specific COVID-19 relief packages (like the CARES Act or American Rescue Plan) cannot require vaccination as a condition for providing services, and must return all federal funds if they violate this rule. The bill directly affects federal agencies, government contractors, and organizations like hospitals or businesses that received pandemic relief funds.
Freedom from Mandates Act This bill nullifies certain executive orders regarding COVID-19 safety and prohibits the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services (HHS) from taking specified actions with respect to vaccination against COVID-19. Specifically, the bill nullifies Executive Order 14042 (relating to ensuring adequate COVID-19 safety protocols for federal contractors) and Executive Order 14043 (requiring COVID-19 vaccination for federal employees). Labor may not issue any rule requiring employers to mandate vaccination of employees against COVID-19 or requiring testing of employees who are unvaccinated. HHS may not (1) require a health care provider, as a condition of participation in the Medicare or Medicaid program, to mandate vaccination of employees against COVID-19 or require testing of employees who are unvaccinated; or (2) otherwise penalize such a provider for failure to mandate such vaccination or require such testing.
The Second Chance for Moms Act (HR 796) requires a new warning label on mifepristone - a medication used for medical abortions - stating that natural progesterone may counteract its effects and increase fetal survival, with a hotline reference for further information. It also mandates a federal 24/7 hotline providing support and referrals exclusively to healthcare providers offering "abortion pill reversal" services. This bill directly affects patients prescribed mifepristone and healthcare providers who dispense the medication, as the label must appear on packaging and the hotline must be established. The warning label would take effect six months after enactment, and the hotline would operate under the Public Health Service Act.
Protecting Life from Chemical Abortions Act This bill nullifies certain changes made by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to dispensing requirements for mifepristone. (Mifepristone is a drug that is approved to end pregnancies through 10 weeks gestation when used in conjunction with the drug misoprostol. The procedure is often referred to as medication abortion or the abortion pill.) The FDA regulates mifepristone through the Mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. The program requires health care providers to comply with certain requirements in order to prescribe or dispense mifepristone to end a pregnancy; the program previously included an in-person dispensing requirement that required mifepristone to be directly dispensed to patients in clinics, medical offices, or hospitals. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the FDA stopped enforcing the in-person dispensing requirement, which allowed mail-order pharmacies to fill and dispense mifepristone prescriptions. In January 2023, the FDA modified program requirements so as to (1) remove the in-person dispensing requirement, and (2) require pharmacies to be program-certified in order to dispense mifepristone. The modifications allow certified retail pharmacies to dispense mifepristone pursuant to prescriptions that are written by certified prescribers. The bill nullifies the January 2023 changes and prohibits the FDA from (1) exercising any enforcement discretion with respect to program requirements, or (2) reducing program protections until every state submits certain data regarding abortions to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bill also generally prohibits the declaration of a public health emergency with respect to abortions.
HR 5629 would prevent the Department of Health and Human Services' final rule on opioid treatment medications from taking effect, except for changes to accreditation standards for opioid treatment programs. The rule, published in February 2024, aimed to expand access to certain medications for opioid use disorder by modifying treatment protocols. This bill would maintain current regulations for medication-assisted treatment by blocking the rule's implementation, while leaving accreditation requirements unchanged. As a result, existing treatment guidelines would remain in place, but program accreditation standards would still be updated per the rule's exception.
