Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Bill HB444 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	HB444INTRODUCED
2	2	Page 0
3	3	HB444
4	4	JPIV4FF-1
5	5	By Representatives Butler, Harrison, DuBose, Whorton
6	6	RFD: Health
7	7	First Read: 18-Mar-25
8	8	1
9	9	2
10	10	3
11	11	4
12	12	5 JPIV4FF-1 03/12/2025 GP (L)lg 2025-1032
13	13	Page 1
14	14	First Read: 18-Mar-25
15	15	SYNOPSIS:
16	16	This bill would provide that if a
17	17	religiously-affiliated private school or church school
18	18	requires students to be vaccinated or tested for a
19	19	disease, the school must accept religious exemptions to
20	20	the requirement.
21	21	This bill would specify that a parent or
22	22	guardian's written declaration is sufficient
23	23	documentation to exempt his or her child from a vaccine
24	24	or testing requirement for religious reasons.
25	25	This bill would provide that any private school
26	26	or church school that fails to accept religious
27	27	exemptions to vaccine or testing requirements shall be
28	28	subject to corporate income tax and ad valorem tax, may
29	29	not claim certain tax exemptions, and is ineligible to
30	30	receive CHOOSE Act funding.
31	31	A BILL
32	32	TO BE ENTITLED
33	33	AN ACT
34	34	Relating to vaccines; to require private schools and
35	35	church schools to accept religious exemptions to vaccine or
36	36	testing requirements; and to provide penalties for a private
37	37	1
38	38	2
39	39	3
40	40	4
41	41	5
42	42	6
43	43	7
44	44	8
45	45	9
46	46	10
47	47	11
48	48	12
49	49	13
50	50	14
51	51	15
52	52	16
53	53	17
54	54	18
55	55	19
56	56	20
57	57	21
58	58	22
59	59	23
60	60	24
61	61	25
62	62	26
63	63	27
64	64	28 HB444 INTRODUCED
65	65	Page 2
66	66	testing requirements; and to provide penalties for a private
67	67	school or church school that fails to comply.
68	68	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
69	69	Section 1. (a)(1) No private school or church school,
70	70	as defined in Section 16-28-2, Code of Alabama 1975, which is
71	71	affiliated with a religious institution may require a student
72	72	to receive any vaccine or to be tested for any disease as a
73	73	condition of enrollment or attendance unless the private
74	74	school or church school offers a religious exemption to the
75	75	vaccine or testing requirement.
76	76	(2) To be granted a religious exemption, a parent or
77	77	guardian of the student may submit a written statement to the
78	78	school declaring that he or she wishes to be exempt because
79	79	the vaccination or testing conflicts with his or her religious
80	80	tenets and practices. The parent or guardian shall not be
81	81	required to explain the reason for the exemption, certify the
82	82	exemption with any third party, or otherwise receive approval
83	83	from the school, a religious institution, or any other entity.
84	84	(b) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, any
85	85	private school or church school that violates subsection (a):
86	86	(1) Shall be subject to corporate income tax and ad
87	87	valorem tax and may not claim exemption from taxation under
88	88	Sections 40-18-32 or 40-9-1, Code of Alabama 1975, nor any
89	89	other provisions of law; and
90	90	(2) Shall not be classified as a participating school
91	91	or approved as an education service provider for purposes of
92	92	the CHOOSE Act, Act 2024-21, 2024 Regular Session, now
93	93	appearing as Chapter 6J of Title 16, Code of Alabama 1975, or
94	94	otherwise receive any program funds from the CHOOSE Act Fund.
95	95	29
96	96	30
97	97	31
98	98	32
99	99	33
100	100	34
101	101	35
102	102	36
103	103	37
104	104	38
105	105	39
106	106	40
107	107	41
108	108	42
109	109	43
110	110	44
111	111	45
112	112	46
113	113	47
114	114	48
115	115	49
116	116	50
117	117	51
118	118	52
119	119	53
120	120	54
121	121	55
122	122	56 HB444 INTRODUCED
123	123	Page 3
124	124	otherwise receive any program funds from the CHOOSE Act Fund.
125	125	Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
126	126	1, 2025.
127	127	57
128	128	58