# 117-hr-6288: To establish certain protections for members of the Armed Forces who refuse to receive vaccinations against COVID-19.

117-hr-6288, To establish certain protections for members of the Armed Forces who refuse to receive vaccinations against COVID-19., is a 117th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] (R-NJ); status Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-6288
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 117-hr-6288
- Congress: 117
- Title: To establish certain protections for members of the Armed Forces who refuse to receive vaccinations against COVID-19.
- Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- Introduced: 2021-12-14
- Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] (R-NJ)
- Cosponsors: 10
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

This bill requires that a discharge or dismissal of a member of the Armed Forces must be characterized as honorable in situations where the individual was discharged or dismissed solely for refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Such individuals may not be denied retired or retainer pay or any benefits through the Department of Defense or Department of Veterans Affairs solely on the basis that they refused to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

## Cosponsors (10)

- Rep. Cloud, Michael [R-TX-27] (R-TX), 2021-12-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC] (R-NC), 2021-12-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davis, Rodney [R-IL-13] (R-IL), 2022-01-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. DesJarlais, Scott [R-TN-4] (R-TN), 2022-01-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21] (R-NY), 2022-01-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Mike [R-LA-4] (R-LA), 2022-01-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cammack, Kat [R-FL-3] (R-FL), 2022-01-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bucshon, Larry [R-IN-8] (R-IN), 2022-01-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hartzler, Vicky [R-MO-4] (R-MO), 2022-01-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2] (R-NJ), 2022-02-28T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 117-hr-1448: PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act
- 117-hr-5142: To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal, in commemoration to the servicemembers who perished in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021, during the evacuation…
- 117-hjres-67: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services r…
- 117-hjres-65: 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…
- 117-hr-5854: Illegal Immigrant Payoff Prohibition Act
- 117-hres-548: Denouncing the horrors of socialism.

## Sources
- [117-hr-6288 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6288)

## Related
- [117-hr-1448: PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-1448)
- [117-hr-5142: To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal, in commemoration to the servi…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-5142)
- [117-hjres-67: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United Stat…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hjres-67)
- [117-hjres-65: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United Stat…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hjres-65)
- [117-hr-5854: Illegal Immigrant Payoff Prohibition Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-5854)
- [117-hres-548: Denouncing the horrors of socialism.](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hres-548)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-6288 (as of 2025-11-18).