UNMASK Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3236 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3236

To prohibit the Federal Government from establishing, implementing, or
 enforcing any Federal requirement for members of the Armed Forces to
 wear a face mask while in uniform when not directly related to their
                                duties.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 7, 2025

  Mr. Tony Gonzales of Texas introduced the following bill; which was
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To prohibit the Federal Government from establishing, implementing, or
 enforcing any Federal requirement for members of the Armed Forces to
 wear a face mask while in uniform when not directly related to their
                                duties.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Undoing and Nullifying Mandates so
our Armed Services Keep Succeeding Act'' or the ``UNMASK Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) On May 5, 2023, the World Health Organization
        officially declared an end to the global Public Health
        Emergency for COVID-19, which led to the Centers for Disease
        Control and Prevention and other public health agencies
        shifting guidance away from universal mask usage.
            (2) With the widespread availability of vaccines and other
        therapeutic treatments, and the reduction in severe outcomes
        from COVID-19, masks are no longer justified for members of the
        Armed Forces.
            (3) Maintaining face coverings in the Department of Defense
        absent a declared national emergency risks undermining the
        professionalism and integrity of the uniform, adversely impacts
        servicemember morale, and detracts from the core mission of the
        Armed Forces: to fight and win the Nation's wars.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON ESTABLISHMENT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERS OF THE
              ARMED FORCES TO WEAR MASKS.

    (a) Prohibition.--Subject to subsection (b) and notwithstanding any
other provision of law, no officer or employee of the Federal
Government may establish, implement, or enforce any requirement for
members of the Armed Forces to wear a face mask while serving on active
duty.
    (b) Exception.--The Secretary of Defense may require members of the
Armed Forces whose duties include activities that traditionally involve
wearing personal protective equipment or other face masks for
operational or safety reasons to wear such equipment, including an
appropriate face mask, while performing such duties.
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