CONGRESS FOR VOTERS

Ted Cruz (R-TX)

S.Amdt. 3278

S.Amdt. 3278 · Senate amendment

A Republican amendment with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 2 cosponsors

Changes S. 2296 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

Offered

Offered, and not voted on yet. Most amendments never get a vote: the Senate takes up the bill and moves on without them.

Its path through Congress

  1. Introduced
  2. Pending Consideration

What this amendment would do

The proposed amendment, known as the Reaffirming Every Servicemembers' Trust Of Religious Exemptions Act or the RESTORE Act, aims to add a new subtitle to bill S. 2296. Its purpose is to address the impact on service members who requested religious accommodations specifically for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Key Changes and Additions

  • Special Review Board: The amendment would require the Secretary of Defense to create a board to audit religious accommodation requests and review the personnel records of service members who filed for COVID-19 vaccine exemptions and stayed in the service.

  • Board Duties: The board is tasked with:

    • Auditing Department of Defense compliance with the Religious freedom Restoration Act of 1993 since 2020.
    • Determining if vaccine refusals or accommodation requests negatively impacted a service member's promotions, assignments, or career progression.
    • Providing corrective actions, such as backdated promotions, corrected Date of Rank, restoration of lost pay and benefits, or reinstatement to service if a denial was found to be unlawful.
    • Expunging adverse administrative actions from records, including negative evaluations and promotion delays.

  • Accountability and Oversight: The amendment establishes strict timelines and reporting requirements:

    • The review must be completed within one year of the Act's enactment.
    • The Secretary of Defense must provide an initial report within 90 days and follow up with quarterly reports to House and Senate committees.
    • The Department of Defense Inspector General must conduct an independent audit within 18 months to ensure the law was applied consistently.

  • Funding: The amendment authorizes the necessary funds to carry out the activities of the Special Review Board.