S.Amdt. 3278

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.