Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance's 'Freedom to Breathe' bill bans federal mask mandates

Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio announced Tuesday he would introduce new legislation he has dubbed the "Freedom to Breathe Act.

"The bill, if passed into law, would prevent the reimposition of federal mask mandates in the United States -- particularly in public schools and on airplanes and public transportation systems. It would only apply through the end of 2024.

"We tried mask mandates once in this country. They failed to control the spread of respiratory viruses, violated basic bodily freedom, and set our fellow citizens against one another," Vance said in a statement.

"This legislation will ensure that no federal bureaucracy, no commercial airline, and no public school can impose the misguided policies of the past. Democrats say they're not going to bring back mask mandates -- we're going to hold them to their word."

It was not immediately clear why Vance proposed a time cap through the end of 2024, the year of the next presidential election. However, the limitation could be to include a budget-related prohibition preventing federal funds from directly or indirectly being used for the enforcement of such mandates.

Vance's bill comes amid a rise in COVID-19 cases driven by variant EG.5, known as Eris, which has led to a rise in hospitalizations.

The number of hospitalizations was up 15.7% for the week ending Aug. 26, the most recent data available, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 was up 17.6% from the week prior, according to the CDC.

Kaiser Permanente in California, Morris Brown College in Georgia and the Hollywood film studio Lionsgate have issued new mask mandates to combat the latest surge.

Morris Brown College said in an Instagram statement, "There will be no parties or large student events on campus for the next two weeks." The college said students and staff must wear masks and maintain physical distancing.