Legislation Would Require Federal Employees to Wear Masks in Agency Facilities

Legislation has been introduced that would require all individuals, including federal employees, to wear masks inside of federally owned facilities.

Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) has introduced a bill that would require all individuals, including federal employees, to wear face masks inside of federally owned, leased or operated facilities or buildings.

The Wear Your Mask Act (H.R. 7524) stipulates that faculties that meet the aforementioned criteria would have to supply face masks at all public entrances to any people coming in who do not have one.

The bill does not provide a definite timeline as to how long the mask mandate would remain in effect. Garcia said in a tweet that the mask mandate would persist “until the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (@NIAIDNews) advises otherwise.”

She added that she is “Working hard to get my bill included in the next #COVID19 relief package.”

Garcia is pitching the bill as a way to keep the federal workforce safe from the coronavirus.

“In the Houston region and across the country, we are observing significant spikes in the number of COVID-19 cases and one of the few tools we have at our disposal to protect ourselves against the spread of this virus is wearing a face mask,” Garcia said in a statement. “As Congress continues to work on additional COVID-19 relief efforts, it is incumbent upon us to take simple common-sense actions that will prioritize the safety and well-being of federal workers and the general public that visit federal government buildings.”

There previously has been conflicting advice on whether or not people should wear masks in public. Now, however, the push is clearly on encouraging people to wear face masks, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that people wear cloth face masks in public, and some states and localities have made wearing them mandatory when in public.

Do you think that face masks should be mandatory inside of federal buildings? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

About the Author

Ian Smith is one of the co-founders of FedSmith.com. He has over 20 years of combined experience in media and government services, having worked at two government contracting firms and an online news and web development company prior to his current role at FedSmith.