SECONDREGULARSESSION
HOUSERESOLUTION NO.4210
102NDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVEBILLINGTON.
5646H.01I DANARADEMANMILLER,ChiefClerk
WHEREAS,onAugust24,2021,theSecretaryofDefenseissuedamandatory
2vaccinationpolicyagainstcoronavirusdisease2019(COVID-19)forallmembersofthe
3ArmedForcesunderDepartmentofDefenseauthoritywhowereonactivedutyorinthe
4ReadyReserve,includingtheNationalGuard;and
5
6 WHEREAS,themandatoryvaccinationpolicywasimplementedconsistentwith
7DepartmentofDefenseInstruction6205.02,"DoDImmunizationProgram,"effectiveJuly23,
82019;and
9
10 WHEREAS,mandatoryvaccinationofmilitaryservicememberswassubjecttoany
11identifiedcontraindicationsandanyadministrativeorotherexemptionsestablishedin
12MilitaryDepartmentpolicyallowingthepromulgationofappropriateguidancetocarryout
13therequirementsofsuchmandate;and
14
15 WHEREAS,militaryservicemembersareentitledtoprotectionoffreespeechand
16freeexerciseofreligionundertheFirstAmendment,whichstates,"Congressshallmakeno
17lawrespectinganestablishmentofreligion,orprohibitingthefreeexercisethereof;or
18abridgingthefreedomofspeech,orofthepress;ortherightofthepeoplepeaceablyto
19assemble,andtopetitiontheGovernmentforaredressofgrievances.";and
20
21 WHEREAS,suchFirstAmendmentrightsarenotstrippedawaywhenoneentersthe
22military;and
23
24 WHEREAS,militaryservicemembersareentitledtoexercisetheirFirstAmendment
25rights;and
26
27 WHEREAS,onMay4,2017,UnitedStatesPresidentDonaldJ.Trumpissued
28ExecutiveOrder13798,"PromotingFreeSpeechandReligiousLiberty",whichstatesinpart
29thatit"shallbethepolicyoftheexecutivebranchtovigorouslyenforceFederallaw'srobust 30protectionsforreligiousfreedom"andrequiresthat"allexecutivedepartmentsandagencies.
31..shall,tothegreatestextentpracticableandtotheextentpermittedbylaw,respectand
32protectthefreedomofpersonsandorganizationstoengageinreligiousandpoliticalspeech";
33and
34
35 WHEREAS,theExecutiveOrder'sreferenceto"allexecutivedepartmentsand
36agencies"clearlyincludestheDepartmentofDefense;and
37
38 WHEREAS,inkeepingwiththePresident'sExecutiveOrder,onSeptember1,2020,
39theDepartmentofDefenseissuedDepartmentofDefenseInstruction1300.17,"Religious
40LibertyintheMilitaryServices",whichprovidesthatservicemembers"havetherightto
41observethetenetsoftheirreligion,ortoobservenoreligionatall"anddeclaresthefollowing
42policy:"InaccordancewithSection533(a)(1)ofPublicLaw112-239,asamended,theDoD
43Componentswillaccommodateindividualexpressionsofsincerelyheldbeliefs(conscience,
44moralprinciples,orreligiousbeliefs)whichdonothaveanadverseimpactonmilitary
45readiness,unitcohesion,goodorderanddiscipline,orhealthandsafety.AServicemember's
46expressionofsuchbeliefsmaynot,insofaraspracticable,beusedasthebasisofanyadverse
47personnelaction,discrimination,ordenialofpromotion,schooling,training,orassignment.";
48and
49
50 WHEREAS,someCOVID-19vaccinesaremadefrom,orweredevelopedfrom,cells
51orcelllinesfromabortedhumanfetuses,andtakingthevaccinemakestherecipientan
52accessorytoabortion,whichmanybelievetobeagainstGod'slaws;and
53
54 WHEREAS,thosemilitaryservicememberswhosincerelyholdpro-life,Bible-based
55beliefsthatabortioniswrongandsinfulshouldbeexemptedfrombeingrequiredorcoerced
56toacceptanyCOVID-19vaccines;and
57
58 WHEREAS,theDepartmentofDefenseandthecourtsdonotneedtoagreewith
59thesereligiousobjections,buttheymustrecognizethatsuchreligiousobjectionsareprotected
60bytheFirstAmendment;and
61
62 WHEREAS,themilitaryhasutilizedvaccinationsinthepast,butnonehaveinvolved
63thecomplexandcontroversialmedical,scientific,religious,sociological,andreligiousissues
64triggeredbytheCOVID-19vaccine;nonehaveinvolvedsuchseriousanddivisivequestions
65astothevaccine'sorigin,itseffectiveness,oritslikelihoodtoproduceadversereactions;and
HR4210 2 66nonehaveengenderedtheseriousreligiousandotherobjectionsthathavearisenfromthe
67COVID-19vaccinethatwasreleased:
68
69 NOWTHEREFORE BEITRESOLVEDthatwe,themembersoftheMissouri
70HouseofRepresentatives,OneHundredSecondGeneralAssembly,SecondRegularSession,
71hereby:
72
73 (1)Recognizethatmanymilitaryservicememberswerewrongfullydeniedtheir
74constitutionalrightsundertheFirstAmendmentwhentheyweredeniedreligiousexemptions
75totheCOVID-19vaccinerequirement;
76
77 (2)Recognizethatmanymilitarychaplains'livesandcareersweredamaged,and
78manymilitarycareersweredamaged,bythedenialofpromotionsandwrongfultermination
79oftheirservice;
80
81 (3)RecognizethattheDepartmentofDefenseerredinitsapplicationoftheFirst
82Amendment;and
83
84 (4)Stateoursupportforremediestofullycompensatethemilitaryservicemembers
85whowerewrongfullyterminatedfortheirchoicenottoreceivetheCOVID-19vaccine
86including,butnotlimitedto,reinstatingsuchmemberstoactiveduty.
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