Bill that would make vaccine exemptions easier to obtain clears Texas House

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A bill that would make it easier for parents to exempt their children from school-required vaccinations passed the Texas House 83-54 on Wednesday.

If House Bill 1586 by state Rep. Lacey Hull, R-Houston, becomes law, the state’s current exemption form could be downloaded from the internet, bypassing the need to contact the Texas Department of State Health Services directly and having a form mailed to an applicant’s home address.

Hull insisted that the bill did nothing more than make it easier for individuals to print the exemption form at home. “Members, this bill is just about a form.”

But Democrats countered that the bill will further erode herd immunity for Texas children, at a time when the state has become ground zero for nation’s worst measles outbreak since 2000. Since January, there have been 717 cases of measles connected to a outbreak in West Texas. Two children have died from measles so far, according to the state health agency.

“Dying from not having vaccines is real,” state Rep. Jolanda Jones, D-Houston. “Kids could literally die.”

State Rep. John Bryant, D-Dallas, said the easier access to the form will mean vaccination rates will fall even more. “We do not want an increase in the number of those people who apply for this without it being a serious decision.”

State Rep. Wes Virdell, R-Brady, recalled for members how his wife was assured taking a flu shot while five months pregnant was safe and she eventually miscarried. He said his son had a reaction to a vaccine at age 2 and required surgery on his right eye. Directing his comments to Bryant, Virdell said: “I just want you to understand that I don’t trust vaccines for personal reasons ... There are reasons why people don’t trust vaccines.”

On Tuesday, multiple Democrats attempted to amend the bill from the floor, including proposing provisions that would educate exemption requestors on the impact of not vaccinating. They all failed.

The bill does not change the requirement that the parents must have the form notarized before turning it in to the school for the child to be enrolled.

Data shows a consistent rise in interest in obtaining exemptions to vaccines since 2003, when then-state Sen. Craig Estes offered a measure that allowed Texans to claim a conscientious exemption in addition to established exemptions based on medical and religious reasons.

Since 2018, the requests to the Texas state health agency for an exemption form have doubled from 45,900 to more than 93,000 in 2024. All requests for exemptions are granted.

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