The bill amends the Health and Safety Code by adding new sections that establish specific requirements for vaccine administration and protections for immunization exemptions based on health reasons. Under the new Section 161.0035, individuals administering vaccines must provide patients with written information about the vaccine's benefits and risks, maintain permanent records of vaccine details, document any serious health issues following vaccination, report adverse events to the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, and provide patients with the Vaccine Excipient Summary. Violations of these requirements may lead to disciplinary actions for licensed individuals and allow for civil actions to be brought against violators.
Additionally, Section 161.0045 introduces protections for health exemptions, defining a "health exemption" as a statement from a healthcare practitioner indicating that a vaccine poses a significant health risk to a patient. The bill prohibits governmental officials from questioning or sanctioning practitioners for granting such exemptions and mandates that various entities, including schools and employers, accept these exemptions and exempt individuals from immunization requirements. Similar to the previous section, violations can result in disciplinary actions and civil lawsuits. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon receiving a two-thirds vote or on September 1, 2025, if that vote is not achieved.
Statutes affected: Introduced: ()