ALCAP President Greg Davis and Alabama State Senator Arthur Orr discussed religious exemptions for vaccines on Priority Talk Radio related to public K-12 schools and public institutions of higher learning. They began their conversation by describing a bill Sen. Orr is sponsoring in the Legislative Session, titled the “Alabama Vaccination Exemption Bill” (SB85). Currently, it has passed the Senate and needs a favorable vote in its House Committee.
Concerning public K-12 schools, the bill reads as follows: “Relating to vaccines… to further provide for the process to exempt a student at a public K-12 school from vaccine requirements for religious reasons; and to require public institutions of higher education to provide medical and religious exemptions to vaccine or testing requirements.”
Currently, there can be extra fees involved with trying to obtain a religious exemption. Also, sometimes authorities will ask various questions that do not concern them when parents or guardians try to obtain the necessary documentation. This bill would simplify and cheapen the process to obtain an exemption.
The bill describes two ways of obtaining a vaccine exemption (emphasis added):
1. “A written statement provided by a child’s parent or guardian to the local board of education declaring that he or she wishes to exempt his or her child from any vaccination or testing requirement pursuant to this subdivision, and accompanied by a board-approved physical evaluation form or the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Preparticipation Physical Education form completed for the child within the previous 12 months, shall constitute an exemption. The parent or guardian shall not be required to explain the reason for the exemption, certify the exemption with any third party, or otherwise receive approval from the local board of education or any other entity.”
[The written statement may be religious in nature] “A written statement pursuant to this subdivision from a parent or guardian attesting to a sincerely held religious belief shall be recognized as valid grounds for exemption from any school enrollment vaccine or testing requirement. No additional forms, fees, or documentation may be required of the parent, guardian, or child to secure enrollment in any public K-12 school.”
2. [The exemption may also be medical in nature] “Certification by a competent medical authority providing individual exemption from the required immunization vaccination or testing is presented to the admissions officer of the school.”
Concerning public institutions of higher learning, the bill reads as follows: “A public institution of higher education… shall not require a student to receive any vaccine or be tested for any disease as a condition for enrollment or attendance unless the public institution of higher education offers both of the following exemptions to the vaccine and testing requirements: (1) A religious exemption… (2) A medical exemption.”
To listen to their entire conversation, click here.