# Plain Language Summary: Congressional Disapproval of COVID-19 Vaccine and Testing Rule

This is a resolution that would cancel a workplace rule created by the Department of Labor during the COVID-19 pandemic. That original rule required large employers to either ensure their workers were vaccinated against COVID-19 or have them tested regularly for the virus. This new resolution is Congress's way of saying "we don't want that rule anymore" and would eliminate it if passed.

Here's what this means in practical terms: If this resolution passes, employers would no longer be required by federal law to have vaccination or testing policies for their workers related to COVID-19. Companies that currently have these policies in place because of the federal requirement could potentially change or remove them. Workers who were required to get vaccinated or tested as a condition of employment would no longer have that federal mandate forcing their employer's hand. However, individual employers could still choose to keep vaccination or testing requirements on their own if they wanted to.

This is part of a legal process called the Congressional Review Act, which gives Congress the power to overturn rules created by government agencies. It's a relatively rare tool that Congress uses when lawmakers believe an agency has overstepped its authority or created a rule they fundamentally disagree with. The resolution represents a disagreement between Congress and the Department of Labor over whether the government should have the power to mandate workplace vaccination and testing policies during a health emergency.

A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing; Emergency Temporary Standard".

Braun, Mike

 <p>This joint resolution nullifies a Department of Labor emergency temporary standard for preventing the transmission of COVID-19 in employment settings.</p> <p>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.</p>