Today, Sen. JD Vance will introduce the Freedom to Breathe Act, aimed at banning federal mask mandates in the country.

"We tried mask mandates once in this country," said Senator JD Vance. "They failed to control the spread of respiratory viruses, violated basic bodily freedom and set our fellow citizens against one another. This legislation will ensure that no federal bureaucracy, no commercial airline, and no public school can impose the misguided policies of the past.

The act, which would be applied through the end of 2024, would prohibit any federal official from issuing mask mandates applying to domestic air travel, public transit systems or any school system.

It would also prohibit air carriers, transit authorities and educational institutions from refusing service to those who choose not to wear a mask, according to a news release from Vance's office.

"Democrats say they're not going to bring back mask mandates – we're going to hold them to their word," Vance added.

Local Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Dee Banks said there is data supporting masks do help with the spread of COVID-19 IF worn correctly, and said she's concerned that this proposal comes at a time when there is an uptick in hospitalizations from recent variants, and while it's not a surge, Banks adds that cases aren't being tracked as frequently as they used to be.

"Worn properly, masks prevent the transmission of viruses from one person to the other," she said, "So I just think that for him to say that the implementation of masks that were done before was misguided, I think is not a wise."

Banks said the wearing of masks can especially help protect those who are immunocompromised.

"People coming together organizations, schools, and nursing homes, need to have that option if they would like to request their employees to wear a mask to protect not only themselves but others."

You can read the full legislation below: