COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Ohio’s junior Sen. JD Vance (R) announced on Tuesday he would introduce the “Freedom to Breathe Act,” which he says would prevent the imposition of federal mask mandates in the U.S.
Vance’s office said the act would apply through the end of 2024 and would prohibit any federal official from issuing mask mandates applying to domestic air travel, public transit systems, or primary, secondary and post-secondary schools. The legislation would also prohibit air carriers, transit authorities and educational institutions from refusing service to individuals who choose not to wear a mask, Vance said.
“We tried mask mandates once in this country. They failed to control the spread of respiratory viruses, violated basic bodily freedom, and set our fellow citizens against one another,” Vance said in a news release.