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Senate panel hears debate over restoring a simpler religious-exemption statement for school vaccines
Summary
Supporters of HB1022 say the 2023 DHS form exceeds statutory authority and intrudes on privacy; DHHS and health advocates argue the standardized form aids outbreak response and is kept at schools. The committee heard hours of testimony and took no vote.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee heard competing views Wednesday on House Bill 1022, which would specify the exact text parents must sign to claim a religious exemption from school immunization requirements and bar use of the department-branded form adopted in 2023.
Supporters, including Representative Kelly Patenza, told the committee the statutory change enacted in 2022 removed a notarization requirement and did not authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to create a mandatory form. “This is what I gave you — full name of child, date of birth, ‘the administration of immunizing agents conflicts with our child and family religious beliefs,’…
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