Findings

Congress finds the following: (1) On May 5, 2023, the World Health Organization officially declared an end to the global Public Health Emergency for COVID–19, which led to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health agencies shifting guidance away from universal mask usage. (2) With the widespread availability of vaccines and other therapeutic treatments, and the reduction in severe outcomes from COVID–19, masks are no longer justified for members of the Armed Forces. (3) Maintaining face coverings in the Department of Defense absent a declared national emergency risks undermining the professionalism and integrity of the uniform, adversely impacts servicemember morale, and detracts from the core mission of the Armed Forces: to fight and win the Nation’s wars.