# 119-s-117: AMERICANS Act

119-s-117, AMERICANS Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (R-TX); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2025-12-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-117
- As of: 2025-12-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-117
- Congress: 119
- Title: AMERICANS Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-01-16
- Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (R-TX)
- Cosponsors: 14
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2025-12-21

## Summary

**Restores honorable status and remedies for service members discharged over COVID-19 vaccine refusal.** It would bar the Department of Defense (DOD) from issuing a new COVID-19 vaccine mandate to replace the 2021 policy unless Congress expressly authorizes one, and it would create processes for exemptions, retention, and compensation remedies for affected members. - Members discharged or subject to adverse action for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine would be able to choose remedies such as adjustment to an honorable discharge, reinstatement to their highest prior grade with back pay, expungement of adverse records, and crediting separation time toward retirement pay. - The DOD would be required to try to retain unvaccinated members and give them equal professional development, promotion, and leadership opportunities, limit vaccine-based deployment decisions to cases where foreign law requires vaccination or the member is needed for a role, and set up exemption processes for natural immunity, medical risk, or sincere religious beliefs. - Members separated for vaccine refusal would not have to repay bonuses and would be reimbursed for any repayments already made, and the bill's protections would apply to all service members regardless of whether they sought an accommodation.

## Cosponsors (14)

- Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN] (R-TN), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL] (R-AL), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC] (R-NC), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (R-TX), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID] (R-ID), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] (R-MT), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO] (R-MO), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND] (R-ND), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT] (R-UT), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID] (R-ID), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL] (R-FL), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT] (R-MT), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI] (R-WI), 2025-01-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Justice, James C. [R-WV] (R-WV), 2025-03-04T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Cancel and refund military bonus repayments: benefit, high. If enacted, former members separated for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine would be released from any obligation to repay bonuses they received. Those who already repaid such bonuses before enactment would be reimbursed. This change would take effect when the bill becomes law.
- Relief and job restoration for troops: benefit, high. If enacted, covered service members discharged or punished only for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine would be able to apply to the Secretary of Defense for remedies. You could ask for your separation to be changed to an honorable discharge. You could ask to be reinstated to your highest prior rank with…
- Keep unvaccinated members in service: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Secretary of Defense would have to try to retain covered members who are not vaccinated against COVID-19. The Secretary would have to give them equal training, promotion, and leadership chances. Vaccination could affect deployments only if a foreign law requires the vaccine and the…
- Block new military COVID-19 mandates: benefit, low. If enacted, the Secretary of Defense would be prohibited from issuing any COVID-19 vaccine mandate to replace the rescinded mandate unless Congress expressly authorizes a replacement. The ban would bar a new replacement mandate until Congress acts.

## Related bills

- 119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-3752: SAVE America Act
- 119-s-587: Death Tax Repeal Act of 2025
- 119-s-186: No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2025
- 119-s-6: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
- 119-s-9: Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-117 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/117)

## Related
- [119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1071)
- [119-s-3752: SAVE America Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3752)
- [119-s-587: Death Tax Repeal Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-587)
- [119-s-186: No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-186)
- [119-s-6: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-6)
- [119-s-9: Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-9)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-117 (as of 2025-12-21).