May 7, 2025
Mr. Tony Gonzales of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
To prohibit the Federal Government from establishing, implementing, or enforcing any Federal requirement for members of the Armed Forces to wear a face mask while in uniform when not directly related to their duties.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Undoing and Nullifying Mandates so our Armed Services Keep Succeeding Act
or the UNMASK Act
.
Sec. 2. 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.
Sec. 3. Prohibition on establishment of requirements for members of the Armed Forces to wear masks
(a) Prohibition
Subject to subsection (b) and notwithstanding any other provision of law, no officer or employee of the Federal Government may establish, implement, or enforce any requirement for members of the Armed Forces to wear a face mask while serving on active duty.
(b) Exception
The Secretary of Defense may require members of the Armed Forces whose duties include activities that traditionally involve wearing personal protective equipment or other face masks for operational or safety reasons to wear such equipment, including an appropriate face mask, while performing such duties.