MontanaMontana students could seek religious and personal medical shot exemptions
Students could seek a personal exemption from required shots by filing a notarized statement after discussing each shot’s risks and benefits with a health care provider.
What it does
Students could attend school without required shots by filing a notarized statement that immunization conflicts with their religion. A parent, guardian, or responsible caregiver may sign for a minor.
Students could seek a personal exemption by filing a notarized statement listing the shots they want to skip and confirming they discussed each one’s risks and benefits with a health care provider.
The bill would count denial of a religious exemption as religious discrimination. A person accepting one would not owe civil damages for an injury arising from the student’s unvaccinated status.
Argument forFamilies could seek a personal exemption after discussing each listed shot’s risks and benefits with a health care provider, even without a medical contraindication.
Argument againstStudents with exemptions could still be kept out of school when a health officer or the department believes they may spread or catch a listed disease.
More detail
A student could attend school without required immunizations after filing a religious exemption statement. This applies to people enrolled or seeking to enroll in school who request a religious exemption from required immunizations. The statement must be a notarized affidavit on a state-prescribed form saying immunization conflicts with the signer’s religion. An adult student signs; for a minor, a parent, guardian, or responsible caregiver signs. The bill proposed taking effect upon passage and approval, but it died in process.
A student could attend school without immunizations listed in a personal medical exemption statement. This applies to people enrolled or seeking to enroll in school who request a personal medical exemption. The statement must be a notarized affidavit on a state-prescribed form, list the shots covered, and confirm that the person discussed each shot’s risks and benefits with a health care provider. An adult student signs; for a minor, a parent, guardian, or responsible caregiver signs. The bill proposed taking effect upon passage and approval, but it died in process.
The bill would treat denial of a religious exemption request as religious discrimination and protect a person who accepts one from civil damages for related injuries. The provisions concern requests to skip an otherwise required immunization based on an individual’s religion. The liability protection applies to injury arising from the individual’s unvaccinated status after a person accepts that individual’s religious exemption. The bill proposed taking effect upon passage and approval, but it died in process.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Died
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- May 23(S) Died in ProcessDied
- Apr 11(H) Take from Committee; Place on 2nd Reading - (H) AppropriationsMinor
- Vote recorded Take from table in APH to second reading - Deming. Result: fail.Lower
- Apr 10(S) Revised Fiscal Note Printed
- Vote recorded to_table. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 10(H) Tabled in Committee - (H) AppropriationsMinor
- Apr 10(H) Hearing - (H) Appropriations
- Apr 10(H) Rereferred to Committee - (H) AppropriationsMinor
- Apr 9(S) Fiscal Note Unsigned
- Vote recorded be_concurred_in_as_amended. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 9(S) Revised Fiscal Note ReceivedMinor
- Apr 9(H) Committee Report - (H) Judiciary
- Apr 9(H) Committee Executive Action - (H) Judiciary
- Apr 7(H) Hearing - (H) Judiciary
- Apr 4(S) Revised Fiscal Note Requested
- Mar 27(S) Fiscal Note Unsigned
- Mar 27(S) Sponsor Rebuttal to Fiscal Note Printed
- Mar 27(S) Sponsor Rebuttal to Fiscal Note Signed
- Mar 27(S) Sponsor Rebuttal to Fiscal Note ReceivedMinor
- Mar 27(S) Fiscal Note Printed
- Mar 26(S) Fiscal Note ReceivedMinor
- Mar 20(H) Fiscal Note Requested
- Mar 17(H) 1st Reading
- Mar 17(H) Referred to Committee - (H) JudiciaryMinor
- Mar 7(S) Transmitted to House
- Vote recorded Do Pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 7(S) 3rd Reading
- Mar 7(S) Scheduled for 3rd ReadingMinor
- Mar 5(S) 2nd ReadingMinor
- Vote recorded Do Pass As Amended. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded AMD-SB0474.002.002 Webber D/PASS. Result: fail.Upper
- Vote recorded AMD-SB0474.002.001 Emrich D/PASS. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 5(S) 2nd Reading Motion to AmendMinor
- Mar 5(S) 2nd Reading Motion to AmendMinor
- Mar 5(S) Scheduled for 2nd ReadingMinor
- Feb 28(S) Committee Report - (S) Education and Cultural Resources
- Vote recorded do_pass_as_amended. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 28(S) Committee Executive Action - (S) Education and Cultural Resources
- Feb 27(S) Hearing - (S) Education and Cultural Resources
- Feb 26(S) Referred to Committee - (S) Education and Cultural ResourcesMinor
- Feb 25(S) 1st Reading
- Feb 25(S) Introduced
- Feb 25(LC) Draft Delivered to Requester
- Feb 24(LC) Draft Ready for Delivery
- Feb 24(LC) Draft in Assembly
- Feb 24(LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- Feb 24(LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
- Feb 21(LC) Draft in Edit
- Feb 21(LC) Draft in Legal Review
- 2024
- Nov 16(LC) Draft Taken Off Hold
- Nov 15(LC) Draft On Hold
- Nov 14(LC) Drafter AssignedIntroduced
EducationHealthcareCivil Rights & Voting