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Senate hearing probes bill to require DHHS to prominently disclose vaccine exemption options
Summary
HB1584 would require every DHHS immunization communication to prominently state that medical and religious exemptions are available and allow any signed written religious statement in place of a DHS form; DHHS and school nurses warned of scope and administrative burdens while some parents and advocates said the DHS form has become intrusive.
Representative Kelly Patenza told the committee HB1584 would ensure the Department of Health and Human Services clearly communicates that medical and religious exemptions exist under New Hampshire law and would broaden what constitutes an acceptable religious exemption statement. The sponsor said materials distributed to parents often emphasize vaccination without making exemption options visible.
DHHS officials opposed the bill, saying exemption information already appears on DHS and Department of Education websites and that requiring the notice on “all” immunization communications (regardless of audience) would create confusion. “This required statement would not apply to the majority of communications that the department provides about immunizations,” said Megan Hedi, citing communications that reach diverse populations and age groups.
The department also defended a standardized religious‑exemption form it created in administrative rule and JLCAR review in 2023, saying schools and nurses find the form useful for consistent recordkeeping and outbreak management; the department said no data is transmitted to DHS and school staff retain forms locally. Some parents and advocates countered that the 2022 revision made the form more intrusive and that simple signed written statements (per RSA 141‑C) should continue to be accepted without additional administrative steps.
School nurses and the New Hampshire School Nurses Association told the committee the DHS form is quick to collect and important for school recordkeeping; other advocates said the form’s optional vaccine‑specific checkboxes do not reliably indicate a child’s actual vaccination status and can deter parents who do not know the exemption exists.
What happens next: the committee recorded extensive testimony and debated cost, scope and practicality. DHS asked for an extended compliance window if the bill proceeds; lawmakers flagged questions about penalties and whether the bill would apply indiscriminately to all types of DHHS immunization communications.
Provenance: topic introduced at SEG 1997 and finished at SEG 2956 (testimony and discussion recorded).
