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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,’ print full name of parent, guardian, signature, and date. That is all you need,” Patenza said during her testimony, urging lawmakers to restore the simpler process.
The bill’s prime sponsor traced the history in detail, saying HB1035 (2022) removed the notarization requirement but legislative intent did not grant DHS authority to require a multi-field form. “From the removal of a single word in the statute, DHHS took it upon themselves to create a form and require the schools to use it,” the sponsor said, arguing the 2023 form asks for address, phone number, grade level and vaccine specifics that are not statutory.
Officials from the Division of Public Health opposed HB1022. Megan Hedi, chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control, said the 2023 form balances parental choice with consistent recordkeeping and helps schools respond during outbreaks. “No data comes to DHS and that form is kept at the school and not transmitted to DHS,” Hedi told the committee, adding school nurses and families have found the form helpful.
Health advocates and vaccine-policy groups urged the committee to oppose the bill, saying standardization prevents confusion and helps maintain vaccination coverage. “When the process for claiming exemptions becomes less clear and less standardized, exemption rates rise over time,” North Saunders of American Families for Vaccines said, citing state-level examples of rising exemptions following policy changes.
Committee members asked questions but did not take action Wednesday; the chair closed the hearing and moved to the next item on the agenda. The committee recorded the legislative history cited by both sides — including HB1035 (2022), the DHHS rule adopting a form in March 2023, and the 2025 veto of a related bill, HB358 — and left policy options for further consideration.
What happens next: The committee did not vote on HB1022. Lawmakers may draft amendments or request additional information from DHS and school officials before scheduling any committee recommendation or floor action.
