Bill · S. 5128· Senate(119-S-5128)
GRACE Act
- Introduced
- 7/23/2026
- Last activity
- 7/23/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Mike Lee
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Guaranteeing Religious Accommodation in Childhood Education Act" or the "GRACE Act," seeks to prohibit the award of Federal education funds to certain entities. It targets educational institutions and agencies that have vaccination requirements. Under this act, those institutions must allow individuals or their parents/guardians to claim an exemption based on a sincerely held religious belief. Furthermore, the institution cannot require any documentation or information to prove the validity of that religious assertion.
Yes
Does this protect the freedom to practise a religion?+8
The bill mandates that educational institutions accommodate sincerely held religious beliefs regarding vaccinations.
Does this leave more decisions to the states?+4
The bill impacts how state and local educational agencies manage their own enrollment requirements.
The opposite· 3 of 6
Does this make the country readier for the next outbreak?-5
The bill creates barriers to vaccination requirements which may reduce population-level immunity during outbreaks.
Does this put more money into public schools?-3
The bill risks reducing available federal funding for educational agencies that maintain vaccination requirements.
Would children be better off under this?-2
The bill may lead to reduced funding for schools and potentially lower vaccination rates among children.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Religious Accommodations: Educational institutions would be required to maintain a policy that allows for exemptions based on a sincerely held religious belief (Section 2(a)(1)). This provides a way for individuals or parents to opt out of vaccination requirements for religious reasons.
-
Ease of Exemption Process: The bill stipulates that no documentation or other information is required to be submitted to support the validity of a religious assertion (Section 2(a)(2)). This removes the burden of proof from the individual or parent.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Restrictions on Federal Funding: Federal education funds may be withheld from elementary schools, secondary schools, local educational agencies, or State educational agencies if they do not comply with these specific exemption rules (Section 2(a)). This could impact the available resources for these institutions.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Religious Freedom+8
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Children-2Good For Low Income Households-2Good For Students-2
- Healthcare
- Improves Pandemic Preparedness-5
- Governance And Ideology
- Increase States Rights+4
- Education And Technology
- Increases Public School Funding-3
- Economy And Finance
- Reduces Government Spending-2
- 7/23/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Tommy TubervilleRepublican · Alabama