| 1 | 1 | | 89R12396 MCF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Shofner H.B. No. 4927 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to an exemption from certain immunization requirements for |
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| 10 | 10 | | medical and veterinary students. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 161.0041(a), Health and Safety Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (a) A person claiming an exemption from a required |
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| 15 | 15 | | immunization based on reasons of conscience, including a religious |
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| 16 | 16 | | belief, under Section 161.004 or 161.0053 of this code, Section |
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| 17 | 17 | | 38.001, 51.9192, or 51.933, Education Code, or Section 42.043, |
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| 18 | 18 | | Human Resources Code, must complete an affidavit on a form provided |
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| 19 | 19 | | by the department stating the reason for the exemption. This |
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| 20 | 20 | | subsection does not apply to a person claiming the exemption using |
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| 21 | 21 | | the Internet-based process under Section 51.9192(d-3), Education |
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| 22 | 22 | | Code. |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 161, Health and Safety |
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| 24 | 24 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 161.0053 to read as follows: |
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| 25 | 25 | | Sec. 161.0053. IMMUNIZATION EXEMPTION FOR MEDICAL OR |
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| 26 | 26 | | VETERINARY STUDENT. (a) In this section: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (1) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning |
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| 28 | 28 | | assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) "Medical school" means: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (A) a medical school as defined by Section |
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| 31 | 31 | | 61.501, Education Code; or |
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| 32 | 32 | | (B) any other institution of higher education, or |
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| 33 | 33 | | school, department, or college of an institution of higher |
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| 34 | 34 | | education, that awards medical degrees. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (3) "School of veterinary medicine" means any school, |
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| 36 | 36 | | department, or college of an institution of higher education that |
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| 37 | 37 | | awards veterinary medicine degrees. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (b) Notwithstanding Section 51.933, Education Code, or any |
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| 39 | 39 | | other law, a student enrolled in a medical school or school of |
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| 40 | 40 | | veterinary medicine may not be required to receive an immunization |
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| 41 | 41 | | as a prerequisite to enrollment or participation in a course |
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| 42 | 42 | | offered by the medical school or school of veterinary medicine if |
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| 43 | 43 | | the student submits to the school's admitting official an affidavit |
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| 44 | 44 | | signed by the student stating the student declines immunization for |
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| 45 | 45 | | reasons of conscience, including a religious belief. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (c) An affidavit submitted under Subsection (b) must be on a |
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| 47 | 47 | | form described by Section 161.0041 and submitted to the admitting |
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| 48 | 48 | | official not later than the 90th day after the date the affidavit is |
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| 49 | 49 | | notarized. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 3. Section 161.0053, Health and Safety Code, as |
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| 51 | 51 | | added by this Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 academic |
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| 52 | 52 | | year. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 54 | 54 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 55 | 55 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 56 | 56 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 57 | 57 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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