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Legislators weigh bill to remove DHHS exemption form for religious vaccine waivers
Summary
House Bill 358 would remove a DHHS‑provided religious exemption form and replace it with a signed written statement; the sponsor said the change restores the original intent to remove notarization, while DHHS and school nurses said a consistent form helps outbreak response.
Representative Jim Kofalt told the committee House Bill 358 would restore the original legislative intent of a 2022 change that removed a notarization requirement for religious exemptions from school immunization requirements. He said an unintended consequence of the prior amendment was that DHHS created a web form and many school districts began to treat it as a required document.
Nut graf: HB 358 would replace the DHHS form with a simple signed written statement from a parent or guardian asserting a religious exemption. Supporters argued the change restores legislative intent and reduces administrative barriers; DHHS and several school nurses said the standard form helps schools identify which vaccines a child has not received in the event of an outbreak and urged the committee to preserve a simple, consistent method of documentation.
DHHS Bureau Chief Colleen Smith testified that the DHHS form is a standardized tool used by schools to collect minimal, consistent information about students who have religious exemptions; the department does not collect the forms centrally. She said the form helps schools and public health identify who may need to be excluded during an outbreak and recommended clarifying statutory language if the committee believes the form causes confusion.
School nurses and district representatives said the form streamlines recordkeeping, supports accurate reporting of vaccination coverage, and eases transitions when students move between schools. Opponents of HB 358 told the committee that replacing a short standardized form with unspecified handwritten statements would create variability and complicate outbreak response.
Ending: The committee heard testimony on both sides. DHHS said it would work with legislators on clarifying statutory language; the committee did not vote on the bill at the hearing.
